In one of several stops in the area Monday, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson met with the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority board and representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis district, at the port to discuss funding options for dredging the port.

The Corps of Engineers was responsible for dredging the port until recently, when the port's five-year average of shipped tonnage dropped below 1 million tons a year. The port's average is 850,000 tons per year.

The port and the corps entered a contract in the 1980s that stated the corps would dredge the port for 35 years.

The corps does not question that agreement but said it does not have enough appropriated funds to do so.

There are 26 priority sites on the corps' dredging list, and SEMO Port is not one of them. The corps said these sites were ranked on the issues of safety and risks, and just shipping 1 million tons annually did not guarantee a spot on the list.

Emerson said while it was the corps' responsibility to do operations and maintenance at the port, she recognized their budget was tight. After the meeting she said she had several avenues to pursue to get the dredging done.

"I've got to follow up with [the] assistant secretary of the Army for civil work, secretary Darcy, and discuss with her what she would recommend we do here in this situation, how we move the project up on the list of 26," Emerson said. The corps did not disclose where the port ranked on the overall list.

Emerson said she would also see if the 1-million-pound minimum could be lowered. She said the number is arbitrary and could be open to modification.

In case other options fail, Emerson is exploring additional funding sources. She said the port should not have to borrow the estimated $250,000 to dredge the port.

She said there are other projects within the corps' St. Louis district that may have money left over, or projects that will not be able to use all of their money before the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year. Combining some of that money could come close to the needed amount, she said.

Overall, Emerson said the meeting was a success.

"I'm glad we had this meeting because the corps needs to understand why it is such a priority," she said. "Unfortunately, even at the district level in St. Louis or Memphis, or wherever, they aren't making the decisions, D.C. is. It is important to press upon the secretary the need to maintain dredging for our inland ports."

In an area heavily dependent on agriculture, that need is more critical, she added.

cbartholomew@semissourian.com

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