Fuel Tax Proposal Aimed at Lock Repairs
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
31 March 2012
Legislation that would increase the fuel tax that barge operators
pay to replace and repair crumbling locks and dams on 11,000 miles
of U.S. rivers was introduced by two House members Friday.
The tax would increase to 26 cents per gallon next year. It has
been set at 20 cents since 1995.
The proposal also would limit using revenue generated by the tax
to major lock projects and make the federal government responsible
for the entire cost of repairing and replacing dams. It is
sponsored by U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-Ky., and U.S. Rep. Jerry
Costello, D-Ill. More than half of the more than 200 locks on U.S.
rivers are older than the 50 years they were designed to last.