OSWEGO, NY – For the second straight year, William, Scriber, Port of Oswego Authority executive director and CEO, recently attended Great Lakes Day in Washington, DC, where he met with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg as a member of the American Great Lakes Ports Association, (AGLPA). The event focused on increasing commerce and economic development in the Great Lakes.
Scriber, who is AGLPA secretary, was the only port representative from New York at this conference. He was able to meet with both co-chairs of the House Great Lakes Task Force, Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI), and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI). “It was important that I meet with these co-chairs because they are the key influencers for funding programs that will benefit Oswego and our region,” Scriber said.
Among the important issues discussed with the co-chairs was the recently established Great Lakes Authority (GLA), now in its second year. “This Authority receives up to $30 million a year in appropriations and it has a special mandate to develop the transportation infrastructure of the region,” Scriber said. “That’s important because developing port infrastructure helps spur economic development and maritime commerce. That translates to more business here in Oswego and to positive economic impacts on jobs, goods and services purchased.”
Scriber and the co-chairs also discussed a more equitable distribution of Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) grants from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation. This was also covered in the AGLPA delegation’s meeting with Buttigieg. “In November 2023, the USDOT awarded $653 million in port infrastructure development grants to 41 U.S. ports,” Scriber said. “Only 2% of the funds went to two Great Lakes ports, of which nine had submitted applications seeking almost $140 million in assistance. The majority of those PIDP grants—since these grants were established in 2019—have gone to East Coast and West Coast ports, which received three times as much as Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico and Inland River Ports. Great Lakes Seaway shipping supports 147,000 jobs in the eight Great Lakes states.
“This fact demonstrates that ports, like Oswego, are important economic drivers. Federal investment in port infrastructure has exploded in the last two years and the Great Lakes ports deserve an equitable share of grant funding.”
Another important issue addressed with the co-chairs was establishing set opening and closing dates for the St. Lawrence Seaway. These dates vary from year-to-year due to weather conditions and the demands of commerce. “With consistent opening and closing dates, shippers can effectively plan their season, and ports can more easily plan for when the Seaway is closed. For example, here in Oswego, we’ll stockpile as much aluminum as we can to carry us through the off-season to supply our customer.”
Scriber also met with Lieutenant General Scott A. Spellman, commander of the U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers, which is currently working on deepening the Oswego harbor and making repairs to the entire harbor break wall. “We have an excellent working relationship with the Corps’ Buffalo District, which manages projects here,” Scriber said. “Oswego has a strong voice with the Corps as a result of the significant growth in tonnage and traffic we’ve achieved over the past five years.”
Founded in 1977, AGLPA represents the interests of commercial ports and port users on the United States side of the Great Lakes. AGLPA works to influence public policies with the goal of fostering maritime commerce and related employment in the Great Lakes region. AGLPA works to educate policy makers, media, and the general public regarding the critical role of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway shipping in the region’s economy.
The Port of Oswego’s strategic location at the crossroads of the Northeastern North American shipping market, puts them less than 350 miles from 60 million people.
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