,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bhjf  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #g1 #bjag,mr4  
,bergman 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,upton1 ,mr4
 ,walberg1 ,mrs4 ,dingell1 ,mr4         
,moolenaar1 ,mr4 ,huizenga1 ,mr4        
,kildee1 ,mr4 ,bishop of ,michigan1 ,mr4
 ,levin1 ,mr4 ,trott1 ,mr4 ,mitchell1   
and ,mrs4 ,lawrence7 introduced the     
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,transportation and   
,infrastructure  ,a ,,bill  ,to increase
 authorized funding for the ,soo ,locks4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,soo ,locks ,modernization 
,act4  #b4 ,saulte ,sainte ,marie1      
,michigan  7a7 ,findings ,congress finds
 that--  7#a7 the ,soo ,locks are a     
critical link in the ,great ,lakes and  
the ,st4 ,lawrence ,seaway system2  7#b7
 each year1 an average of #g1ijj vessels
 carry #hj1jjj1jjj tons of iron ore1    
coal1 stone1 grain1 and other materials 
through the ,soo ,locks2  7#c7 the      
,corps of ,engineers reports that an    

unscheduled outage at the ,soo ,locks   
would cripple both navigational and     
industrial production in the ,great     
,lakes region2  7#d7 a report by the    
,department of ,homeland ,security      
concluded that a #f-month shutdown of   
the ,soo ,locks would result in--  7,a7 
#ge percent of all integrated steel     
production in the ,united ,states       
ceasing within #b to #f weeks2  7,b7 in 
,north ,america1 the shutdown of #ajj   
percent of production of appliances1    
automobiles1 construction equipment1    
farm equipment1 mining equipment1 and   
railcars2 and  7,c7 the unemployment of 
almost #aa1jjj1jjj people2  7#e7 there  
have been no comprehensive improvements 
to the ,soo ,locks facility in nearly   
#ej years2  7#f7 modernizing the ,soo   
,locks is of critical importance to the 
economy and security of the ,great      
,lakes region and the ,united ,states2  
and  7#g7 the ,corps of ,engineers      
believes the planning guidance required 
under the document of the ,water        

,resources ,council entitled ,economic  
and ,environmental ,principles and      
,guidelines for ,water and ,related     
,land ,resources ,implementation        
,studies and dated ,march #aj1 #aihc1   
and updated by the ,principles1         
,requirements1 and ,guidelines for      
,federal ,investments in ,water         
,resources 7#gh ,fed4 ,reg4 #ahefb      
7,march #bg1 #bjac72 #gi ,fed4 ,reg4    
#ggdfj 7,december #bd1 #bjad771 inhibits
 the ,corps of ,engineers from          
considering in the economic evaluation  
of the ,soo ,locks projects the severe  
regional economic consequences from an  
unplanned outage at the ,soo ,locks4    
7b7 ,authorization of project           
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law 7including regulations71 and based  
on the risks and severe consequences of 
service interruption at the project1 the
 ,secretary of the ,army shall carry out
 the project authorized by section #aadi
 of the ,water ,resources ,development  
,act of #aihf 7#ajj ,stat4 #dbed2 #aba  

,stat4 #aaca71 at a total project cost  
that is equal to the #bjag certified    
cost estimate1 plus or minus such       
amounts1 if any1 as may be required by  
ordinary fluctuations in construction   
costs as indicated by engineering cost  
indices applicable to the type of       
construction described in that section4