By KEVIN WALKER

Michigan Correspondent

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Senate last week overwhelmingly passed legislation to fund a new lock at the Soo Locks in Sault St. Marie in the Upper Peninsula.

The project, once completed, would allow the largest vessels to travel through a new lock in addition to the Poe Lock, currently the only one that will accommodate vessels that can move iron ore to plants in the region for processing. Much of the country's ore is mined in Minnesota and Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

The Senate voted 99-1 Oct. 10 in favor of a $4.4 billion package of water and infrastructure projects and spending that included a measure authorizing $922 million for the new lock. The several locks that make up the Soo Locks were constructed at different times, with the first built in 1855; today only one, the Poe Lock, can accommodate the largest vessels.

Officials worry that if the Poe Lock is shut down for whatever reason, the nation's economy would be hurt and go into recession.

“They voted for funding for the upgrades, but the funding will still have to be appropriated at a future date,” said John Kran, national legislative counsel for the Michigan Farm Bureau. “It's taken several years for them to get to this point, but this is an important first step.

“It's more likely than not that this will get done. The entire Congress has now weighed in on this and it was by a voice vote. This is likely to get signed by the President here pretty soon.”

The Soo Locks lower or raise cargo vessels and other boats between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes along what would otherwise be a dangerous 21-foot drop along the St. Marys River. The House voted on the funding earlier this year.

It voted in June to pass the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) by an overwhelming 408-2, which authorized the necessary funding to provide for a new, modern lock.

Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) released a statement Oct. 10 praising Senate passage of the WRDA. The authorization follows a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Economic Reevaluation Report released earlier this year at the urging of Peters and fellow Michigan Democrat Sen. Debbie Stabenow, that estimates the cost of a replacement lock to be $922.4 million.

“Our national economy depends on the Soo Locks to transport millions of tons of raw goods every year,” Peters said. “However, some of the pumps that operate the locks are over 100 years old, and while that's a testament to the work of the Army Corps of Engineers who have kept the locks operational, it is simply not sustainable for the future.”

“This is a significant win that will help ensure this vital gateway for commerce and jobs stay open,” Stabenow added.