News

Barge user fee increase passes

A nine-cent increase in the barge user fee on the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers has passed the U.S. Senate by a wide margin. The U.S. House passed the same bill earlier this month.

The increase, from 20 to 29 cents a gallon for diesel fuel used to power barges, will be used to help upgrade and expand locks and dams on those rivers that have long been in need of improvements for grain shipments and all barge traffic.

The Illinois Corn Growers Association president says it’s another big step in the right direction and is “incredibly exciting for Illinois farmers.”  The commodity group and many others have long supported such an increase.