Michigan lawmakers optimistic about Soo Locks upgrade, but long process lies ahead

A tour boat cruises the area in front of the Arthur Anderson, in the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., on July 17, 1999. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Why the Soo Locks keep coming up on Michigan lawmakers' priority lists

Michigan's Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie are a connector for shipping iron, coal, grain and other materials from the shores of Lake Superior to the rest of the country. In 2016, U.S.-flagged Great Lakes freighters moved 83.3 million tons of cargo, according to the Cleveland-based Lake Carriers Association.

Currently, the biggest of the locks, the Poe Lock, is operating normally. But many worry an unexpected breakdown of the lock could throw the shipping industry into chaos.

An upgrade to convert two smaller locks into another lock the size of Poe has mostly languished without funding since it was initially authorized 1986. Michigan's Congressional delegation has renewed the push to fund this project by appealing to other members of Congress and President Donald Trump's administration, but it could be a while before that happens.

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An overview of the Soo Locks from a 2016 Department of Homeland Security report. (DHS)

A look at the Soo Locks

Of the four locks in Sault Ste. Marie, only the 1,200-foot Poe Lock is big enough for 1,000-foot ships. Those ships carry 70 percent of all cargo in the Great Lakes.

Another lock, the MacArthur, is used for smaller ships. The Davis Lock is rarely used, and the other, Sabin, was permanently decommissioned in 2010.

In 2015, the MacArthur Lock was out of commission for 20 days because of an unexpected issue with the gate mechanism. The repair required de-watering the lock, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said 103 ships were delayed a total of 166 hours because of the closure.

Although no major issues with the Poe Lock in recent years, experts say any major breakdown in the lock would cause a major hit to both the Michigan economy and the U.S. economy as a whole.

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In a photo from April 22, 2014, the carrier American Century moves out of the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., headed into Whitefish Bay, where an icebreaker escort awaits to lead the ship and others across the ice-clogged Lake Superior. (AP Photo/John L. Russell)

What could happen if Poe closed

A Department of Homeland Security report concluded a hypothetical unexpected breakdown at the Poe Lock lasting six months would cripple the United States economy and cost 11 million jobs, and predicted the national unemployment rate would hit 11.3 percent.

The report found a shutdown of Great Lakes steel production caused by a sudden halt in ore transportation would in turn shut down almost all North American appliance, automobile, construction, farm and mining equipment, and railcar production within weeks.

"In terms of an impact to the North American economy, it is hard to conceive of a single asset more consequential than the Poe Lock," the report author concluded.

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U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman and U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg speak at a press conference on upcoming legislation regarding the Soo Locks. Lauren Gibbons | MLive

Michigan lawmakers pushing for funding

In May, several members of Michigan's Congressional delegation led by U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow and U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, rolled out new legislation that would authorize funding for the Soo Locks upgrade. At the time, Stabenow said the upgrade could cost close to $1 billion over the course of construction.

This week, Stabenow said she's also looking at options to fit the funding into a larger infrastructure package or into a future water resources bill.

"It’s been over 50 years since there were comprehensive improvements in the Soo Locks," Stabenow said. "It’s critical that we move it as fast as possible."

It's not the first time, nor the first method, lawmakers have tried to get funding for a project that stalled after its initial authorization in 1986. But the next step before things can move forward lies in the hands of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

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An ore ship passes through the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., June 10, 2005. Vessels large and small pass through the structures known as the Soo Locks more than 7,000 times a year. (AP Photo/John Flesher)

Latest step: A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study

Past efforts to push for Soo Locks upgrade funding have in part stalled due to a previous economic analysis by federal officials that led to the project not making the cut for the government's priority list.

The 2005 cost-benefit analysis that rendered the project ineligible under federal budgeting because it showed every dollar spent would only return 73 cents in benefit.

Michigan lawmakers have pushed back against the analysis, arguing assumptions made about shifting shipping cargo to truck and railroad transportation was not realistic. In November 2015, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers received $1.35 million from the Obama administration to conduct an up-to-date study on what a reconfiguration of the locks would mean for the country.

Both Stabenow and Bergman said last week the Corps required additional funding to the tune of $600,000 to finish the analysis, which they worked to get. Once the funding is settled, completion of the new study could take months.

"It's a multi-phase process, but we're further along than we have been in a long time," Bergman said. "The short answer is, I'm optimistic. There’s certain steps you take early, certain things you have to wait on."

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U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., announces legislation to fund an upgrade of the Soo Locks on Thursday, June 1, 2017, at the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island, Mich. Members of Michigan's congressional delegation who joined him included Republican Reps. Fred Upton, left, and Jack Bergman. (AP Photo/David Eggert)

Bergman said the Soo Locks upgrade is his number one infrastructure priority, and is spending time educating fellow representatives on why keeping the Soo Locks running should be important to them, too.

"Every chance I get, I'm talking about the importance of maintaining a raw materials supply through the Soo Locks," he said.

Stabenow said she thinks there's now a little more sense of urgency regarding the locks, especially now that signs of age are showing a bit more. She said she's seen an openness from President Donald Trump's administration to include the Soo Locks upgrade in infrastructure, but worries about the status of the comprehensive infrastructure package he promised.

"I have not seen a specific legislative proposal," she said. "Right now, it just doesn't seem to be a focus for them."

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National Republican Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel, right, speaks to reporters in Lansing at the Michigan Hispanic Business Roundtable Friday, May 5, 2017. She was joined by Michigan Republican Party Chair Ron Weiser. Lauren Gibbons | MLive

Snyder also pushing for upgrade

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has also been a vocal advocate of adding redundancy to the Soo Locks system by building a second lock the size of Poe.

In 2016, Snyder sent a letter to Michigan's 14 representatives and two senators advocating full funding for a long-stalled replacement of two smaller locks with a new single lock big enough to handle the largest Great Lakes ships.

His administration was also involved in getting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on track to conduct a new economic study of funding the project.

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In this Oct. 7, 2017, photo, President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before leaving the White House in Washington for a brief stop at Andrews Air Force Base in Md., on his way to Greensboro, N.C. The Trump administration sent an immigration policy wish-list to Congress that includes overhauling the country's green-card system, hiring 10,000 more immigration officers and building a wall along the southern border. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Where the Trump administration stands

In January, Trump released a list of his top 50 infrastructure priorities, which included three Michigan projects - the M1 Rail, the Gordie Howe International Bridge and the Soo Locks upgrade.

Trump's spending plan for 2018 included a $77.6 million request for Great Lakes maintenance projects, including $38 million for various navigation, hydropower and recreation projects at the Soo Locks, according to the Associated Press.

Trump has long pushed for a comprehensive package to upgrade the country's infrastructure, but that conversation has been delayed by health care, tax reform and other Congressional policy discussions.

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao had initially said the plan would be available by third quarter, then delaying it to after tax overhaul efforts are complete in Congress, according to Bloomberg BNA.

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In this Tuesday, April 22, 2014 photo, the 140-foot icebreaker Biscayne Bay cuts through thick ice on the St. Mary's River on its way to escort vessels north to the Soo Locks, in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. (AP Photo/John L. Russell)

During a September speech at the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference on Mackinac Island, Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel said Michigan infrastructure remains a priority for Trump.

"We are the comeback state, and in Washington, President Trump is doing the same thing," she told the audience. "He's focused on Michigan and our infrastructure needs, like the Q-Line in Detroit and the Soo Locks."

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The 1,000-foot freighter Stewart J. Cort moves up the St. Mary's River past the village of Detour, Mich., Friday, March 25, 2011, after the Soo Locks opened for the 2011 shipping season. (AP Photo/John L. Russell)

For now, routine maintenance continues

The Army Corps is currently relying on maintenance paid for through annual budgeting to keep the Poe and MacArthur locks up to snuff.

This winter, the Poe Lock will get a $2.4 million upgrade to replace original steel miter and quoin blocks on lock gates No. 1 and 3.

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A tugboat helps the Olympic Merit navigate into the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., on July 17, 1999. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Further reading on the Soo Locks

Poe Lock will get $2.4M upgrade

Michigan lawmakers announce federal Soo Locks legislation ahead of tour

Soo Locks breakdown would plunge America into recession, cost 11M jobs

Insights into Soo Locks upgrade study emerge from Snyder's office

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