More support for US seaports

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), which represents more than 80 US public port authorities, said it’s pleased with the changes made to the proposed US$1.1 trillion Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015.

These changes include increases for the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Harbour Maintenance Tax (HMT) operations and maintenance (O&M) activities and construction budgets, which has risen by 10%.

“The funding provided to port-related infrastructure programmes in this ‘Cromnibus’ is recognition that lawmakers appreciate that seaports, the connections with them and trade flowing through them, are vital to creating and sustaining jobs, economic growth and enhancing US international competitiveness,” said Kurt Nagle, president and CEO, AAPA.

Earlier this year, AAPA started its ‘Hit the HMT Target!’ campaign, aimed at incrementally increasing HMT funding, as outlined in the 2014 Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) legislation, until the amount collected each year equals the amount appropriated. The campaign urges the Administration and Congress to meet WRRDA’s annual HMT funding targets for harbour dredging and expanded uses at donor, energy transfer, underserved and Great Lakes ports, as well as for emerging harbours.

AAPA’s members and coalition partners have also worked hard this year for an increase in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grants funding, which was granted and increased from US$20m to US$30m.

Ports use DERA grants through a variety of programmes including the Clean Truck programmes, retrofitting or replacing yard equipment, installing shore power for vessels at docks, and retrofitting dredges and tugs.

A spokesperson for the AAPA told GreenPort: “Reducing air emissions continues to be a high priority for ports, especially in areas where a port plans to expand, is located in a National Ambient Air Quality Standards non- attainment area, or is close to residential communities.”

The funding bill agreement also provides a 24% increase in the Corps’ fiscal 2015 coastal navigation construction budget over fiscal 2014 – an increase from US$155m to US$192m – in recognition of the need to modernise and expand America’s deep-draft navigation channels.

Elsewhere, the Department of Transportation’s Transportation Infrastructure Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants programme will drop to US$500m compared with fiscal 2014’s US$600m mark.

“This programme is the only general federal funding source for port-related infrastructure and this infrastructure is critical to the US economy and to the competiveness of US exports,” the spokesperson added.