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.