STRIMBECK comments:

VERY ENCOURAGING LETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN MOLLOHAN, AND, LETTER FROM COE PITTSBURGH DISTRICT TO CONGRESSMAN MOLLOHAN.

(1) I'll reply to Congressman Mollohan later this coming week. I hope that Congressman Mollohan and Senator Byrd will consult and coordinate on this lock hours issue. (2) Check out very good website listed in Colonel Ridenour's letter. This website supplies part of the data that I have asked Senator Byrd to get from the Pittsburgh District. I asked for data re Point Marion, Morgantown, Hildebrand, and Opekiska locks, from 1980 to the present. This would allow us to: (1) see the two-decade change in lock use; (2) see 5 years of data for Hildebrand and Opekiska before they went from 24 hours per day to day shift only circa 1985; and, (3) see the effects of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, which killed high-sulfur coal shipments on the Upper Mon. I've asked for the following data for each year for each lock: budget, hours of operation, staffing, and transits. Further, it'd be neat if the transit information could be broken out by month, by type of commodity and tonnage for commercial transits, and, by a count of recreational and fishing boats transiting the locks. It'd also be good to see the budget and staffing projections for FY 2001 and for outyears beyond FY 2001 as may be available. Now, the website provides transit data for 1994-1999. The website does not provide budget and staffing information. I've downloaded some data from the website for our four locks, but, I've not looked over the data. Here is the website:

http://www.wrsc.usace.army.mil/ndc

August 1, 2000.

Dear Mr. Strimbeck:

Thank you for your continued interest in the operating hours of the locks and dams on the upper Monongahela River. I appreciate your being in touch.

As you know, I previously contacted the Corps of Engineers regarding the operating hours of the Hildebrand and Opekiska Locks and Dams. The response that I received, which I have enclosed for your reference, indicated the current hours of operation as well as the Corps belief that their Fiscal Year 2001 budget will allow for continued operation at that level. Because I realize that this does not address your concerns, I have contacted the Corps again on your behalf. I have asked that they provide me with an update on this issue, as well as consider, and present to me, options that will allow for extended operating hours for these Locks and Dams. Please be assured that I will be back in touch with you as soon as I receive a response to my inquiry.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance with any other matter. I want to be of all possible service.

LETTER FROM PITTSBURGH DISTRICT TO CONGRESSMAN MOLLOHAN

(can't read date stamp on letter)

Operations and Readiness Division, Department of the Army, Pittsburgh District, Corps of Engineers, William S. Moorhead Federal Building, 1000 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15222-4186

Honorable Alan B. Mollohan
Representative in Congress
2346 Rayburn HOB
Washington DC 20515-4801

This is in response to your letter dated February 8, 2000 in which you request a Corps of Engineers response to a letter addressed to your office from Mr. Strimbeck.

Morgantown Lock and Dam operates 24 hours a day, seven days per week. Hildebrand and Opekiska Locks and Dams currently are operated from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, seven days per week. There are currently no plans to change the hours of operation of our locks on the Upper Monongahela River.

Mr. Strimbeck is concerned that the Corps of Engineers will reduce the hours of operation in future years due to a decline in commercial navigation. Congress annually appropriates operation and maintenance funds for the navigation locks on the Monongahela River. Our FY00 budget is sufficient to maintain the current level of operations, and the FY01 Budget proposal will also support this schedule.

Mr. Strimbeck requested navigation statistics. This information is available to the public at the following web site: www.wrsc.usace.army.mil/ndc.

Questions may be addressed to Mr. Robert Bonazza, Project Manager, at 412-395-7263.

Sincerely, /s/ David R. Ridenour, Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer