United States Congressman Peter DeFazio sent a letter to US President Biden proposing the creation of a large new container port on the west coast at Coos Bay.
The letter requests that the funds for the project are provided by federal funds from the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA).
The project provides an opportunity to transform West Coast port infrastructure and increase US competitiveness in the global economy.
“We write in strong bipartisan and bicameral support of the federal funding request for the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port, located at the Port of Coos Bay, Oregon. As our nation faces serious supply chain disruptions, this project offers a blinding light at the end of the tunnel,” said the members of Congress.
“Establishing a container port in Coos Bay would immediately increase West Coast port capacity by up to 10%, create an estimated 7,000 jobs, and, as the West Coast’s first ship-to-rail ecoport, dramatically lower greenhouse gas emissions. Put simply, this project meets the moment,” they added.
The full text of the letter can be found below:
Dear President Biden,
We write in strong bipartisan and bicameral support of the federal funding request for the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port, located at the Port of Coos Bay, Oregon. As our nation faces serious supply chain disruptions, this project offers a blinding light at the end of the tunnel. Establishing a container port in Coos Bay would immediately increase West Coast port capacity by up to 10%, create an estimated 7,000 jobs, and, as the West Coast’s first ship-to-rail ecoport, dramatically lower greenhouse gas emissions. Put simply, this project meets the moment.
The Pacific Coast Intermodal Port (PCIP) grant application has been submitted through the Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant (MPDG) combined application process, which includes the National Infrastructure Project Assistance program (MEGA), the Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highways Projects grants program (INFRA) and the Rural Surface Transportation Grant program (RURAL). We stress that this project is a tremendous opportunity for federal funding, with the ability to transform West Coast port infrastructure and increase American competitiveness in the global economy. Furthermore, the INFRA, MEGA and RURAL programs were designed for projects like the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port project, which are large and nationally significant.
The significant disruptions to the U.S. supply chain have exposed longstanding challenges to our capacity to ship American goods around the globe, particularly from our western ports. The effects have been felt across the country, and have caused problems for imports and exports alike, including the export of agriculture and forest products. Congestion at our nation’s ports is partly to blame, and serious investment and increased capacity are needed to both recover and meet future demand. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) includes tens of billions of dollars that can be utilized for modernizing our nation’s port infrastructure. As your administration works to identify investments that will have both immediate and long-term impact, we encourage you to invest in our America’s future by dedicating significant funding to projects that can make a lasting difference, like the Pacific Coast Intermodal Port. The Port of Coos Bay has partnered with Northpoint Development, the largest private developer in the U.S. This public-private partnership provides resources necessary to both match the federal investment and provide assurances of a full project buildout.
The Port of Coos Bay has been underutilized for decades, despite an existing federal channel that is regularly maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), a rail line that connects to the Class I rail system, and hundreds of acres of undeveloped industrial land with quick and easy access to open ocean and international markets in Asia and beyond. While the opportunity to expand port capacity in Coos Bay surpasses all other options, upgrades to existing infrastructure are needed to capitalize on this location, including deepening and widening the federal channel and modernizing the rail line. The INFRA, MEGA and RURAL programs are intended to support multi-modal, multi-jurisdictional projects of regional or national significance, and White House guidance stipulates that MEGA funding, in particular, is intended for critical large projects that would otherwise be unachievable without assistance.
Establishing a container port in Coos Bay would immediately increase West Coast port capacity by up to 10%, including imports into the U.S. and exports of agriculture and forest products to international markets. There is simply no other place on the West Coast where that level of additional capacity can be achieved. Furthermore, establishing a world-class port in Coos Bay will create approximately 7,000 jobs: 3,000 direct construction jobs and, once operating, an additional 4,000 direct permanent, full-time family-wage jobs in the greater Coos Bay and Eugene areas. The Port has the ability to generate tax revenue and economically energize a region of the country that has fought to remain prosperous in the face of steep timber revenue decline in recent decades. Moreover, the Coos Bay intermodal facility will have a dramatic national impact, allowing for increased trade with foreign partners and a surge of activity across the nation’s freight rail network.
This project also has significant environmental benefits. While other ports in the U.S. will continue to rely heavily on truck transportation, the Coos Bay intermodal facility will be the first ship-to-rail port facility on the West Coast, translating to additional port capacity. Additionally, green electricity produced by renewable energy sources will facilitate the use of electric-powered cargo handling equipment, vehicle charging and on-shore power. The port will be fitted with cold ironing at the berth that will power ships rather than running diesel engines offshore. All of this will result in a 90% improved power efficiency and at least a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
The IIJA provides the funding necessary for your administration to position the entire West Coast to be more successful for generations to come. The Pacific Coast Intermodal Port is key to that success. We hope that you will embrace this opportunity to make critical investments at the Port of Coos Bay that will prime our nation for future growth.
