11:41 am Wed May 6, 2009  Companies Oppose Dam Lock Fees
Paducah, KY – A federal proposal to charge barge companies
locking fees has regional industries calling foul. The fees
would go to replenish a depleted trust fund that pays for
modernizing locks and dams. Crounse Corporation Administration
Vice President Michael Byers says the fee is unfair because
barge systems that use lockless dams wouldn't have to pay. He
says that's a negative for area residents, because they are the
ones who will eventually pick up the extra fees.  "For example,
we have a large amount of coal on the Ohio River that go into
our barges and other company's barges that go through six,
seven, eight locks before it gets to the power plant. We would
then turn around and charge that fee to the utility and the
utility would pass it on to the customers."  Crounse and other
barge companies favor more fiscal management over the fee. Byers
says all barge companies already pay into the trust fund through
a diesel tax. He says that money is eno