{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://thompson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/thompson-casey-fetterman-reschenthaler-advocate-allegheny-river-valleys", "Thompson, Casey, Fetterman, Reschenthaler Advocate for Allegheny River Valley\u2019s Maritime Economy", "2023-11-21", "2023", "2023-11", "Republican", "House", "PA", "Glenn Thompson", "T000467", "thompson.house.gov", "thompson", "https://thompson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Glenn \u201cGT\u201d Thompson (R-PA), Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), House Chief Deputy Whip Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), and members of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) outlining concerns for commercial and recreational access to the Allegheny River \u2013 specifically the lock and dam system.\n\nCurrently, Lock 5 on the Allegheny River (Armstrong County) operates at levels of service (LOS) 3, which allows for only one daily shift, and Locks 6 through 9 (Armstrong County) all operate at LOS 6 by appointment only, the lowest level of service. Volunteers in some of these communities in Armstrong County have stepped up to ensure proper staffing at lockages for recreational users, but this is not a long-term solution. Under the USACE service level metrics, these lockages face future cuts to operational hours and may force many commercial operators to choose alternative means of transport, further decreasing the number of lockages and, subsequently, the LOS.\n\nIn the letter, the lawmakers wrote:\n\n\u201cAny cuts in service [to lockages] will impact commercial and recreational boaters' ability to move up and down the Allegheny River and prevent future economic development throughout the corridor. While many of us are seeking a solution to the lockage hour issue through the Water Resources Development Act process, we respectfully request that USACE ensure the service levels remain unchanged in the short term. Pausing any action that would reduce access and stymie growth will help our region maintain a robust and diverse economy centered on our river system.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe future success of Southwestern Pennsylvania\u2019s economy is intrinsically tied to our river system,\u201d said Mary Ann Bucci, Executive Director of the Port of Pittsburgh. \u201cAllowing any cuts in services to the lockages would be detrimental to the business community and would directly impact the livelihood of many residents. Our region is incredibly grateful for Congressman Reschenthaler and Senator Casey\u2019s efforts to fix this issue.\u201d\n\nThe Allegheny River is over 315 miles long and includes a watershed area of 11,747 square miles. In August, the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers were designated as a new Marine Highway Route by the U.S. Department of Transportation\u2019s Maritime Administration. The M-79 route is critical to our nation\u2019s domestic manufacturing, supporting barge traffic of raw materials, including steel, aggregates, and metallurgical coal.\n\nAdditional signers of the letter include U.S. Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA), John Joyce, M.D. (R-PA), Chris Deluzio (D-PA), and Summer Lee (D-PA).\n\nRead the full letter here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://thompson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/thompson-casey-fetterman-reschenthaler-advocate-allegheny-river-valleys"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6995379701256752, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}