The ImPORTance of Coos Bay

The ImPORTance of Coos Bay

I'll always fight to get Oregon's ports the resources they need to improve their infrastructure, support the regional economy, and make our supply chains more efficient - which is especially important now that congested ports are in the spotlight as a key factor driving the ongoing supply chain crisis.

Fast forward to earlier this week when I received a welcome call from the Biden-Harris administration that the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded Coos Bay more than $25 million for the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port Terminal Planning Project. I'm still smiling.

None of this happened by osmosis. I've been honored to team up with Congresswoman Hoyle and Senator Merkley as co-captains to land this project for the Port of Coos Bay, the South Coast and rural Oregon. Of course, former Congressman DeFazio also deserves huge credit.

These fresh federal funds for environmental reviews, permitting and preliminary engineering show how much momentum this project has.

Modernizing the port and generating the potential for thousands of good-paying jobs on the South Coast is the North Star for regional economic development. This good news shows how a "small community with big grit" can pilot its own course to a bright future.

We do many things well here in Oregon. And what we do best is grow things here, make things here and then ship them somewhere.

The Port of Coos Bay's new state-of-the-art container terminal would play a huge new role in that proven trade playbook for economic success in our state. And it could increase West Coast shipping capacity up to 10 percent all while setting the bar for modern, environmentally-friendly ship-to-rail container operations that get trucks off the road.

The national supply chain is overdue for a West Coast port like the Port of Coos Bay to increase capacity and relieve the shipping congestion. You simply cannot find a better location for a new port anywhere on the West Coast.

As a bonus, the Port of Coos Bay also has access to a Class-1 railroad, which provides for the quick movement of cargo without the pollution from heavy duty trucks.

And I'm all in to watchdog that this project cuts no corners during environmental reviews.

There's still more work to be done to secure additional federal investments in this modern project for this iconic port, but we're well on our way to complete this voyage along the Oregon Way.