Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Waterway Activation that Targets Economic Revitalization, Welcomes Activity, and Yields Success Act” or the “WATERWAYS Act”.
Waterway Activation that Targets Economic Revitalization, Welcomes Activity, and Yields Success Act
A BILL
To establish a task force on waterway freight diversification and economic development in the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela River corridors, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Findings
Congress finds that—
inland waterways provide a valuable resource for moving agricultural, energy, and other commodities to market in the United States;
further utilization of the waterways would benefit the United States because barges are among the safest and most environmentally responsible ways to transport freight, with barge transport being more fuel efficient and having lower emissions than other methods, while also resulting in fewer injuries per worker than rail or truck transport;
given existing issues with supply chains, it is critical that the Federal Government work to expand and promote inland waterway access, especially in regions that are coal communities or have suffered from deindustrialization; and
it is of critical importance that the investments made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117–58; 135 Stat. 429), Public Law 117–169 (commonly known as the “Inflation Reduction Act of 2022”) (136 Stat. 1818), and other recent legislation, such as Public Law 117–167 (commonly known as the “CHIPS and Science Act of 2022”) (136 Stat. 1366), are made with an eye toward utilizing the inland waterways network to maximize the impact of those investments.
Sec. 3 Task force on waterway freight diversification and economic development
Definitions— In this section:
Covered State— The term covered State means each of the States of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee.
Interagency Working Group— The term Interagency Working Group means the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization established by section 218 of Executive Order 14008 (86 Fed. Reg. 7628; relating to “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad”).
Task force— The term task force means the task force established under subsection (b).
Establishment— The Interagency Working Group shall establish a task force on waterway freight diversification and economic development in the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela River corridors.
Membership—
In general— The task force shall be composed of—
from the Federal Government, representatives of—
the Department of Transportation;
the Corps of Engineers;
the Department of Energy;
the Department of Commerce;
the Department of Agriculture;
the Economic Development Administration;
the Maritime Administration;
the Department of Labor;
the Appalachian Regional Commission;
the Coast Guard;
the Environmental Protection Agency;
the Department of the Interior; and
any other Federal agency or department the Co-Chairs of the Interagency Working Group determine to be appropriate;
at the discretion of a covered State, representatives of relevant agencies of the covered State; and
local stakeholders involved in economic development, transportation, community development, and water resource development and conservation along the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela River corridors, such as metropolitan and rural planning organizations, economic development districts, units of local government, and community-based organizations.
Appointment— The Co-Chairs of the Interagency Working Group shall appoint the members of the task force under paragraph (1).
Duties— The task force shall—
convene on an ad hoc basis to study, and develop recommendations to improve, waterway freight use and economic development in the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela River corridors;
facilitate investment in the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela River corridors by identifying critical projects and connecting those projects with Federal, State, and local funding opportunities;
coordinate and activate stakeholders around waterway development; and
submit to the Interagency Working Group an annual report that describes—
the recommendations of the task force under paragraph (1) and the progress in implementing those recommendations; and
the activities of the task force under paragraphs (2) and (3).
Authorization of appropriations— There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2034, to remain available until expended.