Casey Calls on Committee to Include Dredging Funds in Budget (USA)

U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) called on a key Senate Committee to include funds to complete the Delaware River deepening project in its budget.

Senator Casey recently worked to secure $20 million in the President’s budget for the dredging project and now in a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee pressed to maintain that investment as the budget process moves forward. Joined by key stakeholders, Casey made the case for this job-creating project that has the potential to bolster the region’s economy.

Deepening the Delaware is a once in a generation opportunity for major job creation and economic growth.

“Deepening the Delaware is a once in a generation opportunity for major job creation and economic growth. It’s vital that the Senate Appropriations Committee maintain this investment,” Senator Casey said. “I made the case for deepening the Delaware to the President personally and I’m pleased his budget includes $20 million to move the project forward. I’ll be pushing Congress relentlessly to ensure that the federal government’s commitment to this project remains.”

The project will deepen the Delaware River channel from forty feet to forty-five feet in order to accommodate larger vessels. This will reduce shipping costs, make maritime transportation more efficient and make the channel safer and more reliable. Once the channel is deepened, there will be an estimated increase of 2.5 million tons of cargo to the Port of Philadelphia, creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs. In addition, this project will create thousands of short-term jobs that aid an industry that has suffered significantly in this economic climate.

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Press Release, April 16, 2013