Political Quotes

“I thank Senator Vitter for that response. It is important that we are clear on how these new authorities should be implemented. I also want to highlight how these authorities will benefit my home State of California. In the case of the Port of Los Angeles, the main channels and turning basins are authorized to at least 53-foot depth and have been recently dredged to such depths. Most adjacent container berths were also federally authorized at 53 feet and have been dredged to that depth. As shoaling/siltation occurs, maintenance dredging must be performed in order to keep adequate depth for the large container ships. The new expanded use for berth dredging will permit the maintenance dredging of these berth areas, down to the federally authorized depth. This new use for disposal of contaminated sediment is also important for the Port of Los Angeles because legacy sediment contamination from the Consolidated Slip at the port will migrate during storm events down the Dominguez Channel and into the newly deepened Federal turning basin and main channel. This new expanded use will now allow the HMTF to fund the removal of this sediment. I am glad that the conference agreement could address this important need for California ports as well as many other ports around the country. I am also very pleased with all of the other important reforms to the harbor maintenance trust fund included in the conference report.…”