Mobile Courant

Mobile County issued the following announcement on March 14.

Mobile County Commission wishes to thank Sen. Richard Shelby for his efforts yielding the passage of $1.146 billion in federal spending bills for the Mobile area. 

Once signed by the U.S. President, these 12 bills will directly impact Mobile County's economy by providing new jobs, as well as increasing  logistics capacity and enhancing infrastructure. 

Mobile County Commission President Connie Hudson said:   

“These funds will have a ripple effect throughout Mobile County and beyond. Funding to enhance our ever-growing logistics infrastructure through investments in the port, airports and railways, as well as contracts for local shipbuilding, investments in our local university and funding for projects that impact our waterways and fisheries are far-reaching investments that will impact our region for generations to come. The Mobile County Commission applauds Sen. Richard Shelby for his work on these bills.”

District 1 Commissioner Merceria Ludgood said:

“We’re so pleased that Senator Shelby pushed these bills through Congress and we thank him for his efforts. Mobile County Commission’s local collaborations with the Chamber of Commerce and City of Mobile as ‘Team Mobile’ does much on a regular basis to spur economic development in our region. The scope and amount of these bills will boost many local efforts.”

District 3 Commissioner Randall Dueitt said:

“The effect of $1 billion in funding on our local economy will be tremendous and we appreciate Sen. Shelby’s efforts.  This funding will affect logistics, local shipbuilding, the armed forces, education and the environment, all of which positively impact local families and our quality of life. I’m glad to see two fisheries bills related to red snapper and charter fishing.”

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Below is a summary of the Mobile-area spending package, as issued by Senator Shelby’s office:

Port of Mobile and Mobile Downtown Airport:

• $100 million for improvements to the Mobile Downtown Airport, including funding to purchase land, conduct surveys, and renovate and relocate on–site facilities.
• $132.7 million for improvements to the Port of Mobile, including for the design and construction of docks, wharves, and piers, as well as for land acquisition and site development.
• $67.3 million for freight and intermodal rail infrastructure improvements at the Port of Mobile and the Montgomery inland intermodal transfer facility.

Army Corps of Engineers:

• $65 million to support dredging of the Port of Mobile and multiple inland and intercostal waterways throughout the state of Alabama.
• $50 million for the operations and maintenance of Donor and Energy Transfer Ports, which benefits the Port of Mobile.
• Includes language to encourage the Army Corps of Engineers to examine beneficial uses of dredged material in Mobile Bay.

Shipbuilding:

• $330 million for one additional Expeditionary Medical Ship (EMS).  The EMS or “hospital ship,” includes an intensive care unit and other healthcare accommodations, while maintaining most of the original mission requirements.
• $260 million for one additional Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF).

University of South Alabama Medical Science Building:

• $60 million for construction of a medical science building at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine.

 U.S. Coast Guard:

• $67 million for the Coast Guard’s Waterways Commerce Cutter program.
• $6 million for Cyber Compliance Upgrades to Critical Training Center Simulators and Trainers, including Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile, Alabama.

 Fisheries:

• $5 million to ensure successful implementation of NOAA’s “Reef Fish Amendment 50,” which delegates the federal management of red snapper to the Gulf Coast states, including language delaying state specific recalibration until 2023.
• $3 million to support implementation of electronic logbooks for federally permitted Gulf Coast charter-fishermen.

Original source can be found here.