■ Spearheaded passage of legislation directing the Coast Guard to study creation of a credentialed mariner database .
■ Prevented enactment of House-passed language that would have constrained vessel owners ’ options in emergency response situations .
■ Worked with coalition allies to pass legislation that :
– Permanently changes the cost share for inland waterways infrastructure projects to 65 % general Treasury / 35 % Inland Waterways Trust Fund ;
– Establishes a regional dredging pilot program to give the Corps of Engineers more flexibility to conduct emergency dredging ;
– Strengthens Missouri River navigation by establishing a program to address Lower Missouri River bank erosion ; and ,
– Requires industry vetting of locations for pallid sturgeon Interception Rearing Complexes on the Missouri River .
■ Successfully advocated for online TWIC renewal process , saving time and money for mariners and employers .
■ Worked with allies to exempt towing vessels from New York Petroleum Business Tax , saving operators $ 2 million per year .
■ Repealed a Canadian pilotage regulation , saving operators $ 80,000 per roundtrip on transits to Alaska through British Columbia waters .
■ Prevented approval of CEMUS dock permit threatening safety , operations and economics of barging on the Lower Mississippi River pending completion of a comprehensive Navigation Safety Risk Assessment .
■ Organized a White House briefing with inland barge industry CEOs to discuss the historic low water on the Mississippi River and actions to maintain safe navigation .
■ Secured Coast Guard commitment to establish 9 nautical mile fairways wherever possible and expand Port Access Route Studies to protect towing vessel navigation routes from encroachment by offshore wind farms .
■ Engaged with BOEM to ensure wind energy areas do not conflict with navigation safety fairways and secured a lease stipulation requiring developers to engage with maritime stakeholders to assess navigation safety risks in California .
2022 ANNUAL REPORT 5