[Senate Report 107-327]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 744
107th Congress Report
SENATE
2d Session 107-327
======================================================================
A BILL TO MODIFY THE PROJECT FOR NAVIGATION, CHICKAMAUGA, TENNESSEE
_______
November 4, 2002.--Ordered to be printed
Filed, under the authority of the order of the Senate of October 17,
2002
_______
Mr. Jeffords, from the Committee on Environment and Public Works,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[to accompany S. 2983]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Environment and Public Works, to which was
referred a bill (S. 2983) to authorize a project for
navigation, Chickamauga Lock and Dam, Tennessee, having
considered the same, reports favorably with an amendment and
recommends that the bill, as amended, do pass.
General Statement and Background
Projects and project modifications are ready for
authorization by Congress after they have completed a
reconnaissance and a feasibility study and received a positive
recommendation from the Chief of Engineers in the form of a
completed, signed Chief's Report. The project authorized by S.
2983 has met these requirements. This bill authorizes the
project for navigation, Chickamauga Lock and Dam in Tennessee.
The Chickamauga Lock and Dam is located on the Tennessee
River (river mile 471) at Chattanooga, TN (13 miles upstream of
the Port of Chattanooga.) Growth in traffic, barge sizes, and
the size and configuration of tows have increased delays and
processing times at the Chickamauga Lock which has only one
chamber. It currently has the highest average locking time in
the entire Ohio River System. The project is also plagued with
a condition called ``concrete growth'' in which a gel forms
that causes concrete expansion, leading to cracking within the
concrete causing structural instability. The Chief's Report was
completed in May 2002. It recommends a replacement lock at a
total cost of at $239,400,000, with 50 percent funded by the
Corps of Engineers (Federal share) and 50 percent funded
through the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (non-Federal share).
The project is economically justified.
Objectives of the Legislation
S. 2983 authorizes construction of the project for
navigation at the Chickamauga Lock and Dam in Tennessee.
Section-by-Section Analysis
Section 1. Chickamauga Lock and Dam, Tennessee
S. 2983 authorizes the project at a total cost of
$239,000,000 with 50 percent paid from the general fund of the
Treasury and 50 percent paid from amounts appropriated from the
Inland Waterways Trust Fund.
Legislative History
Senators Frist and Thompson introduced S. 2983 on September
19, 2002. The bill was referred to the Committee on Environment
and Public Works. No hearing was held on the bill. The
committee considered and amended the bill in a business meeting
on September 26, 2002 and ordered the bill reported to the
Senate.
Rollcall Votes
The Committee on Environment and Public Works met to
consider S. 2983 on September 26, 2002. The committee adopted a
technical amendment offered by Senator Jeffords by voice vote.
The committee favorably reported the bill by voice vote.
Senator Smith and Senator Voinovich recorded a ``no'' vote.
Regulatory Impact Statement
The bill does not create any additional regulatory burdens,
nor will it cause any adverse impact on the personal privacy of
individuals.
Mandates Assessment
In compliance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
(Public Law 104-4), the committee finds that S. 2983 would
impose no unfunded mandates on State, local, or tribal
governments.
Cost of Legislation
Section 403 of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment
Control Act requires that a statement of the cost of the
reported bill, prepared by the Congressional Budget Office, be
included in the report. That statement follows:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, October 7, 2002.
Hon. James M. Jeffords, Chairman,
Committee on Environment and Public Works,
U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for S. 2983, a bill to
authorize a project for navigation, Chickamauga Lock and Dam,
Tennessee.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Julie
Middleton, who can be reached at 226-2860.
Sincerely,
Dan L. Crippen.
----------
S. 2983, A bill to authorize a project for navigation, Chickamauga Lock
and Dam, Tennessee, as ordered reported by the Senate Committee
on Environment and Public Works on September 26, 2002
Summary
S. 2983 would authorize the Secretary of the Army, through
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to replace the Chickamauga
Lock on the Tennessee River. The lock was built by the
Tennessee Valley Authority, but the Army Corps of Engineers is
responsible for operations and maintenance of the lock. S. 2983
would authorize a total project cost of $239.4 million (in 2001
dollars) that could be adjusted for inflation. Under this bill,
the Corps would be responsible for the entire cost of this
project.
Assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, including
adjustments for anticipated inflation, CBO estimates that
implementing S. 2983 would cost about $100 million over the
2003-2007 period, and an additional $175 million after that
period. Enacting S. 2983 would not affect direct spending or
revenues.
S. 2983 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA)
and would impose no costs on State, local, or tribal
governments.
Estimated Cost to the Federal Government
The estimated budgetary impact of S. 2983 is shown in the
following table. The costs of this legislation fall within
budget function 300 (natural resources and environment).
By Fiscal Year, in Millions of Dollars
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO
APPROPRIATION
Estimated Authorization Level... 0 4 35 40 58
Estimated Outlays............... 0 2 18 32 48
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basis of Estimate
For this estimate, CBO assumes that S. 2983 will be enacted
in fiscal year 2003 and that amounts will be appropriated to
meet the anticipated construction schedule for the project.
Based on information from the Army Corps of Engineers, CBO
estimates that replacing the lock would cost about $100 million
over the 2003-2007 period, including adjustments for
anticipated inflation, and an additional $175 million after
that period.
Intergovernmental and Private-Sector Impact
S. 2983 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in UMRA and would impose no costs on the
budgets of State, local, or tribal governments.
Estimate Prepared By: Federal Costs: Julie Middleton; Impact on
State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Marjorie Miller; Impact
on the Private Sector: Lauren Marks.
Estimate Approved By: Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant
Director for Budget Analysis.
Changes in Existing Law
Section 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate
requires the committee to publish changes in existing law made
by the bill as reported. Passage of this bill will make no
changes to existing law.