What are the possible economic impacts of not dredging during the upcoming in-water work window?
A. If channel depths decrease, barge tows may run aground, causing delays and increased costs to shippers. If barges are damaged, direct repair costs will result. In addition to barge damage, environmental damages could occur as a result of spillage or cargo leakage into the river. The spillage of petroleum products, fertilizer, and other chemical and hazardous materials could have devastating effects on the aquatic environment, and result in contamination of the river. Associated environmental clean-up costs of such an event could be quite high. Without dredging, shippers will be extremely cautious and slow down to avoid damage to their equipment and loads, resulting in slower shipping times. In addition, shippers may be forced to light load. Studies show that, for each 6 inches of channel depth lost, grain shippers are forced to spend 5% more per bushel. This is also true for petroleum shippers, but these costs can generally be passed on to consumers. Farmers, however, cannot pass on
