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Representative Mike Kelly Sends Letter to Protect Funds for Port of Erie

May 10, 2012

Representative Mike Kelly Sends Letter to Protect Funds for Port of Erie

Washington, D.C. — This week, U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (PA-03) sent a letter affirming the need to protect federal funds designated for the operations and maintenance of federal ports and harbors, including the Port of Erie, which rely on the Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) to pay for routine dredging to meet authorized waterway depths and widths.  The letter, which was signed by more than 70 House members, was sent to House conferees assigned to a House-Senate conference committee that will work out the differences between each chamber’s versions of the Transportation Reauthorization Bill.

 

Revenue collected from the HMT goes into the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, which was established in 1986 to give the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers federal dollars to maintain our nation’s harbor infrastructure. However, only half of the funds collected through the tax are appropriated for harbor maintenance.

 

“The Port of Erie and the future Inland Container Port are vital to our local economy” said Rep. Kelly. “With Lake Erie we have an incredible natural resource that can be the backbone of our future economy in northwestern Pennsylvania. Raiding funds set aside in this Trust compromises our future ability to move commerce. I’ll continue to work to restore the Trust to its original intent.”

 

To read the letter, click here.

 

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