Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I would ask if my colleague, Wayne Gilchrest, and I might engage with you in a colloquy on the future of beneficial use projects for the disposal of dredge spoils. We are particularly interested in the Poplar Island project, planned for the Chesapeake Bay, which could provide a model for such projects throughout the Nation. As you are well aware, the Port of Baltimore is central to the Maryland, regional, and national economies. An estimated 87,000 jobs are directly or indirectly related to port activity in Maryland. In 1993 a total of 25 million tons of cargo passed through the Port of Baltimore. Over the past 2 years a total of 15 steamship lines have begun or expanded service at the port. Success in maintaining and improving ship channels will help assure the continued growth in activity at the Port of Baltimore into the 21st century and facilitate efficient international trade activity for the United States. In order to maintain shipping channels serving the Port of Baltimore at their existing authorized depths, each year approximately 4 million cubic yards of material must be dredged from the Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay.”