WASHINGTON – Last week, the U.S. Senate passed their version of the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) applauded Michigan Senators Carl Levin (D-Detroit) and Stabenow (D-Lansing) for including his request for $300,000 for annual maintenance dredging of the Ontonagon Harbor.

“I was pleased to work with Senators Stabenow and Levin to help secure this funding,” Stupak said. “Without this yearly dredge, Ontonagon Harbor will quickly silt-in and will be unable to receive the co-shipments they need to keep their industries competitive. This community would suffer job losses, hardships to businesses, and the harbor infrastructure could be damaged. It is essential we obtain adequate harbor dredging funding to preserve the economy in northern Michigan.”

Stupak offered an amendment on dredging to the House of Representatives’ version of the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill in late May that would make the new Army Corps of Engineers guidelines for determining the eligibility of maintenance dredging more flexible by not limiting the criteria to tonnage alone.

Currently, the Army Corps of Engineers defines a harbor as high-use if it moves at least one million tons of cargo per year. This criteria determines whether a harbor is considered high-use and therefore eligible to be funded for dredging in the President’s budget.

“If that one criteria is not met, the harbor will not be eligible for funding to dredge despite the fact that shipments coming in and out of Ontonagon Harbor are a major part of the local economy there,” Stupak said.

Stupak withdrew the amendment after the Chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee on Energy and Water committed to work with him and the Army Corps of Engineers toward a more flexible policy.

“I am confident that based on the work we did to bring awareness to the policy issue in the House and by including funding in the Senate version of this bill, we will receive the necessary funding for dredging in the Ontonagon Harbor and achieve flexibility on the eligibility criteria,” Stupak said. “As Congress completes the final version of this appropriations bill, it is my hope that the Conference Committee will recognize the importance of this project not only to the Village of Ontonagon, but also to the economic viability of the State of Michigan as a whole.”

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