H*3784 Concurrent Resolution, By Gilliard and King
 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION TO REQUEST PRESIDENT BARACK H. OBAMA TO INCLUDE IN HIS
 2012 FEDERAL BUDGET FUNDING FOR THE U. S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO CONDUCT A
 FEASIBILITY STUDY REGARDING THE DEEPENING OF CHARLESTON HARBOR TO AT LEAST
 FIFTY FEET SO THAT IT CAN ACCOMMODATE LARGER CONTAINER SHIPS EXPECTED TO CALL
 AT THE PORT WHEN THE EXPANSION OF THE PANAMA CANAL OPENS IN 2014.

   03/03/11  House  Introduced (House Journal-page 9)
   03/03/11  House  Referred to Committee on Invitations and Memorial
                     Resolutions (House Journal-page 9)
   03/09/11  House  Committee report: Favorable Invitations and
                     Memorial Resolutions (House Journal-page 24)
   03/10/11  House  Adopted, sent to Senate (House Journal-page 36)
   03/15/11  Senate Introduced (Senate Journal-page 15)
   03/15/11  Senate Referred to Committee on Transportation
                     (Senate Journal-page 15)
   04/13/11  Senate Polled out of committee Transportation
                     (Senate Journal-page 12)
   04/13/11  Senate Committee report: Favorable Transportation
                     (Senate Journal-page 12)
   04/14/11  Senate Amended and adopted (Senate Journal-page 34)
   04/14/11  Senate Returned to House with amendments
                     (Senate Journal-page 34)
   04/15/11         Scrivener's error corrected
   04/27/11  House  Concurred in amendment (House Journal-page 26)
   04/27/11  House  Roll call Yeas-103  Nays-1 (House Journal-page 26)

AS ADOPTED BY THE SENATE

April 14, 2011

H. 3784

S. Printed 4/14/11--S.    [SEC 4/15/11 10:56 AM]

Read the first time March 15, 2011.

TO REQUEST PRESIDENT BARACK H. OBAMA TO INCLUDE IN HIS 2012 FEDERAL BUDGET FUNDING FOR THE U. S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO CONDUCT A FEASIBILITY STUDY REGARDING THE DEEPENING OF CHARLESTON HARBOR TO AT LEAST FIFTY FEET SO THAT IT CAN ACCOMMODATE LARGER CONTAINER SHIPS EXPECTED TO CALL AT THE PORT WHEN THE EXPANSION OF THE PANAMA CANAL OPENS IN 2014.

Whereas, the deepening of Charleston Harbor is absolutely necessary for the State of South Carolina to be able to accommodate the world's largest container ships that will be moving through the Panama Canal in 2014; and

Whereas, if the Port of Charleston is not deepened to at least fifty feet, South Carolina will miss this new traffic and it will make the Port of Charleston noncompetitive over time; and

Whereas, a feasibility study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the first step in the process to move forward with the three hundred million dollar dredging project that would allow Charleston, already the Southeast's deepest harbor, to fully accommodate the world's largest container ships; and

Whereas, President Barack Obama's $4.6 billion Civil Works budget for 2012, released recently, unfortunately did not include the four hundred thousand dollars necessary for the Charleston Harbor deepening study, although the Port of Charleston contributes far more than this each year to the federal treasury in terms of duties and taxes; and

Whereas, it is critical that federal money be used to pay for the feasibility study. If South Carolina goes forward with the deepening study and project without any federal commitment, the State would be responsible for the entire cost and any future maintenance, thereby putting South Carolina at a competitive disadvantage against other states that are able to secure federal money for port projects; and

Whereas, federal, state, and local officials of all parties and at all levels believe that an expanded and deepened Charleston Harbor is essential to the continued economic growth of the Southeast region of the United States and is a key element in a globally competitive United States economy; and

Whereas, for all of the above reasons, the members of the South Carolina General Assembly request President Obama to reconsider his decision not to include in his 2012 federal budget the four hundred thousand dollars in funding necessary to pay for the feasibility study so that the process of proceeding with this dredging project, so critical to job growth and a robust economy in the states of the Southeastern region, can begin without further delay.

Whereas, the Port of Georgetown is a recognized component of the economic framework of this State; and

Whereas, federal, state, and local officials believe that dedicating adequate funding from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund to return the Port of Georgetown to twenty-seven feet mean low water level would be beneficial to the economic growth of the State. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly hereby request President Barack H. Obama to include in his 2012 federal budget the funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a feasibility study regarding the deepening of Charleston Harbor to at least fifty feet so that it can accommodate larger container ships expected to call at the port when the expansion of the Panama Canal opens in 2014.

That the members of the South Carolina General Assembly hereby request President Barack H. Obama to include in his 2012 federal budget funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct maintenance dredging of the Port of Georgetown.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the President of the United States, the Honorable Barack H. Obama.