April 30, 2018
Monday, April 30, 2018
LANSING – Gov. Rick Snyder today announced he has asked Lt. Gov. Brian Calley to lead the state’s efforts to have the federal government fix and upgrade the Soo Locks.
“Some of the biggest industries in the world rely on this vital shipping corridor, which means the entire United States relies on it,” Snyder said. “It was great to hear the President commit to having the federal government take action and get this long-standing project underway.”
While visiting Michigan last weekend, President Donald Trump said he would be contacting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about the locks, noting, “The Soo Locks are going to hell…and we’re going to get them fixed up.”
Two years ago, Gov. Snyder sent a letter to Michigan’s congressional delegation noting the importance of the locks and his commitment to working with Congress to fully fund the replacement of the Davis and Sabin locks. Congress approved the project in 1986 but has never appropriated the funding.
“It was awesome to hear President Trump commit to investing in the Soo Locks and I’m excited to work with him and his administration to finally get this done,” Calley said. “This is critical not just to Michigan’s economy but the entire U.S. economy.”
A 2015 analysis by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security found an unexpected closure of the Soo Locks, especially during peak shipping season, could result in a cascading collapse of the U.S. economy. The report estimates significant disruptions to the shipping of steel, causing the production of almost all North American appliances, automobiles and railcars, as well as construction, farm and mining equipment to cease within weeks.
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