Port of Oakland to Receive Federal Funding for Dredging Project
Media Contact: Ricci Graham, (510) 763-0370
Funding is vital to maintaining Port’s position as gateway for international trade
Washington D.C. – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-09) is pleased to announce that the Port of Oakland will receive $18 million in funding through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the maintenance and operation of the 50-foot Harbor Deepening project.Congresswoman Lee hailed the funding, adding that it is vital to ensuring that the Port remains competitive in the years to come.
“I am very pleased to have helped the Port of Oakland secure this critical federal funding to maintain its position as the premier gateway for international trade in the region,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee. “As a major export seaport, maintaining Oakland’s channel supports President Obama’s National Export Initiative objective of doubling our exports by 2015, which is critical to our nation’s economic recovery and long-term competitiveness.”
James Head, President of the Oakland Board of Port Commissions, thanked Congresswoman Lee for her longstanding support of the Port, saying: “We greatly appreciate that Congresswoman Barbara Lee and the entire Bay Area Congressional Delegation stepped up and helped the Port achieve this critical funding to keep Oakland harbor navigable and safe for the efficient flow of commerce. This is much more than we were expected and gets us closer to what we need to remain competitive.”
Over the past decade alone, Congresswoman Lee has helped the Port secure more than $288 million in federal funding. The money has been used not only to support the dredging project but also for operations and maintenance at the Port of Oakland.
Omar Benjamin, Executive Director of the Port, said the additional funding will allow the Port to accommodate larger container ships that require a deeper harbor to access the port while also creating jobs in the region. “This type of public-private investment in partnership with the federal government helps the Port of Oakland create over 50,000 direct and indirect jobs in the region and support over 800,000 jobs across the country.”
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