Jasper Packard: “the Gilchrest amendment seeks to zero out funding for the Baltimore Channel and Channels navigation channel maintenance…”

“the Gilchrest amendment seeks to zero out funding for the Baltimore Channel and Channels navigation channel maintenance and straightening project. This is an ongoing project which was funded in the current fiscal year, and the proposed funding is to complete the project in fiscal year 2001. The committee included report language to address the apparent concerns of the gentleman which involves environmental analysis and effects of proposed dredged-material disposal sites. On this point, we have stated in our report our expectation that the Corps of Engineers will comprehensively consider alternative disposal sites in its ongoing Environmental Impact Statement which is to be released as a revised document later this year. It is inappropriate to pre-judge the outcome of that analysis as being unsatisfactory; and, therefore, I reluctantly oppose the amendment of the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest).”