NCGA’s Guenther On Hand for Presentation of MARC 2000 Award
to Costello
(10-11-04)
Members of the Midwest
Area River Coalition (MARC 2000), including a representative
from the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA),
gathered today at Melvin Price Locks and Dam near Alton, Ill.,
to honor Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) with the coalition’s
Public Policy Leadership Award.
“Congressman Costello has exhibited tremendous leadership
on river transportation issues,” said Greg Guenther, who
represented both NCGA and the Illinois Corn Growers Association
at the event. “His dedication and commitment have been key
components in keeping the Army Corps of Engineers’ navigation
study on track.”
As Congress mulls over
the Corps’ final recommendations
and a Water Resources Development Act that includes lock modernization
measures, Costello’s influence on Capitol Hill will be increasingly
important, Guenther said.
“Representative Costello is an important figure in the river
upgrade debate and he will surely be a key player in getting the
necessary appropriations and approval of a sensible work plan,” Guenther
said.
Costello was a cosponsor of H.R. 4785, the House companion to
Senate legislation that calls for construction of seven new locks
on the upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers.
Guenther said the award
presentation coincided with opening of a theater at the facility’s National Great Rivers Museum
and the debut of a film called “Power of the River.” Col.
Kevin Williams, commander of the Corps’ St. Louis District,
attended the event, along with Alton Mayor Martin Ross and local
labor union leaders.
MARC 2000’s Public
Policy Leadership Award is presented to individuals who have
demonstrated thoughtful leadership for
the economy and environmental concerns of the inland river transportation
system.