Washington state's U.S. senators, Democrats Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, want to repeal the harbor maintenance tax (HMT), a major funding source for dredging projects, and replace it with a new fee on maritime freight. They say their plan, announced on Aug. 15, would double funding for dredging and other port work and recapture freight that now heads to ports in Canada and Mexico.
Northwest ports, such as Seattle, back the proposal. Kristin Meira, Pacific Northwest Waterways Association executive director, says, "We view this as a positive development in the conversation about how to have a comprehensive reform and fix for the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund." Receipts from the HMT, a levy on waterborne imports, feed the trust fund, which finances dredging projects.