Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
today urged the federal government to make dredging of the Port of Ogdensburg a
priority. Recent statistics have shown that cargo shipments along the St.
Lawrence Seaway are down 40 percent from last year’s shipping season. At her
economic development roundtable in May in St. Lawrence Country, Senator
Gillibrand pledged to work with community leaders to increase shipping through
Ogdensburg.
In a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Senator Gillibrand
wrote in support of the St. Lawrence Seaway dredging project saying, “The
estimated $3,000,000 in funds would be used to dredge the main dock channel and
inner harbor area around the City of Ogdensburg’s port, allowing for greater
port accessibility for Seaway shipping vessels… This dredging project is
essential to the Port of Ogdensburg continuing its vital marine services for
New York State. I ask that you please give this application your full
consideration.”
The Port of Ogdensburg is the only U.S. port on the St.
Lawrence Seaway and is the northernmost port in New York State. Owned and
operated by the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority, the Port of Ogdensburg
provides a full range of marine terminal services, serving a number of large cities
in northern New York State, including Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, Albany and
Utica.
Currently, the port’s main dock is inaccessible for Seaway
vessels due to shallow waters. This restricts loading and unloading
operations, forcing material to be relocated to the inner harbor areas for
storage rather than storage areas on the main dock. If funded, dredging
of the main dock and inner harbor would allow vessels to unload directly at the
main dock storage areas, as well as at inner harbor storage pads for
self-unloading vessels, reducing costs for the Port and making for a more
time-efficient process.
In
late May, Senator Gillibrand held an economic development roundtable in
Massena, with local business and community leaders to discuss the latest economic
development efforts for the North Country and how she can assist and promote
local growth. During these tough economic times, Senator Gillibrand is
committed to creating and retaining jobs and fostering local economic growth
across New York. She plans to work with local communities and state leaders to
lay the foundation for future economic growth by building new transportation
infrastructure, improving health care technology, investing in research and
development of alternative and renewable energy, supporting investments in
public education, and focusing on local economic development projects.