In the aftermath of the recently introduced Water Resources and Reform Development Act and the Port of Jacksonville Dredging Project, Congresswoman Brown made the following statement:
“ Although the recently introduced Water Resources and Reform Development Act will benefit future projects at the Port of Jacksonville, in its current form it fails to authorize the critical dredging project that is necessary to reach a depth of 47 feet, leaving completion of this project to a process that has already taken seven years to complete. That is unacceptable for the future development of this critical economic engine for Northeast Florida.
Since the introduction of the Water Resources bill, I have been working with the other affected ports in Florida to develop an amendment that would address this problem by ensuring authorization for Jaxport as soon as the Chiefs Report is finalized. I intend to offer this amendment next Thursday (September 19th) during the Transportation Committee Mark-up of HR 3080.
Along with Senator Nelson and Congressman Crenshaw, I have been supporting JaxPort for many years by providing funding and authorizations for JaxPort projects in numerous pieces of legislation. Together, we fought for language that was included in last year’s Defense Authorization bill authorizing the Mile Point fix. We also spearheaded the alternative to Mile Point authorization that is currently being developed between the Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Maritime Administration.
As the bill moves forward, I pledge to work hard to improve funding through the Harbor Maintenance Tax and ensure that JaxPort has all the necessary resources to prepare for post Panamax ships and compete for increased cargo business in the future. ”
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Press Release, September 16, 2013