Congressman Charles W. Boustany, Jr., M.D., issued the following statement after the Ports Association of Louisiana in conjunction with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development released an economic impact study titled, “The Economic Impact of the Ports of Louisiana”:
“ Yesterday marked National Maritime Day so this report could not have come out at a better time. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Louisiana is a maritime state. The released study validates that statement. With over 396,000 jobs tied to the state’s ports and over $55 billion dollars of exports being shipped through them, the maritime industry continues to contribute significantly to both the local and national economies.
“South Louisiana continues to utilize its network of ports to ship and export a variety of products, supplies, and services to the rest of the world. However, ports in South Louisiana and across the country are unnecessarily hindered from a lack of proper maintenance and dredging. I’ve introduced legislation, the RAMP Act, to make sure money designated for maintenance and dredging is used solely for that very purpose. This language is currently being considered in a Surface Transportation bill Conference Committee where I urge Members of this Committee to support our nation’s ports by including it in the final bill.”
[mappress]
Dredging Today Staff, May 24, 2012;