Bill Text: MI SR0105 | 2015-2016 | 98th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: A resolution to encourage the President and Congress of the United States and the U.S. Office of Management and Budget to support plans to upgrade the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and approve the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' request to fund preparation of an Economic Reevaluation Report.
Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Republican 13-1)
Status: (Passed) 2015-11-10 - Adopted [SR0105 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2015-SR0105-Enrolled.html
SR-105, As Adopted by Senate, November 10, 2015
Senators Schmidt and Casperson offered the following resolution:
Senate Resolution No. 105.
A resolution to encourage the President and Congress of the United States and the U.S. Office of Management and Budget to support plans to upgrade the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and approve the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' request to fund preparation of an Economic Reevaluation Report.
Whereas, The Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, are of the utmost importance to Michigan and play a critical role in our nation's economy and security. Each year, approximately 10,000 Great Lakes vessels, carrying 80 million tons of iron ore, coal, grain, and other cargo, safely and efficiently traverse the locks. Nearly 80 percent of domestic iron ore, the primary material used to manufacture steel, travels from mines in Minnesota and Michigan's Upper Peninsula through the Soo Locks; and
Whereas, Only one of the four Soo Locks is large enough to accommodate the modern vessels that commonly traverse the Great Lakes. Seventy percent of cargo is carried on these large ships that can only pass through the Poe Lock. The remainder of cargo goes through the smaller MacArthur Lock, with the smallest 100-year-old Davis and Sabin locks rarely used; and
Whereas, The reliance on one lock poses a serious risk to national security and the economies of the state of Michigan and the United States. A long-term outage of the Poe Lock due to lock failure or terrorist attack could cripple the economy and disrupt steel production in the United States. It is estimated that a 30-day outage would result in economic losses of $160 million; and
Whereas, Upgrades to the Soo Locks are needed to ensure national security and unfettered commerce through the Great Lakes. To this end, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has requested funding to conduct a study crucial to moving forward with the construction of a second, large lock. The Economic Reevaluation Report would examine the economic benefits and costs of replacing the Davis and Sabin locks with a lock similar in size to the current Poe Lock; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate, That we encourage the President and Congress of the United States and the U.S. Office of Management and Budget to support plans to upgrade the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and approve the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' reprogramming request to fund an Economic Reevaluation Report for replacing the Davis and Sabin locks; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the members of the Michigan congressional delegation, and the Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.
