Conneaut, Ashtabula ports get $2.75M in fed budget

Star Beacon

May 20, 2009 06:10 pm

— Lake Erie ports in Conneaut and Ashtabula could benefit from funding earmarked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in President Obama’s budget, said U.S. Rep. Steven LaTourette, R-Bainbridge Township.
Obama specifically requested Congress spend $1.91 million on Ashtabula Harbor and $840,000 on Conneaut Harbor, according to a statement. The money could be used for port operations and maintenance, which could range from dredging to breakwater repair, said Deborah Setliff of LaTourette’s Painesville office.
The two locations are the only ports in LaTourette’s 14th District singled out for funding by the administration, according to the statement.
“I’m glad the president sees the need for proper maintenance of the county’s two ports, and I’ll work to ensure the funding remains steady throughout the budget process,” LaTourette said in the statement.
Congress could wrap up its work on the 2010 budget by the end of September.