Miller calls for new lock

State Rep. Aaron Miller has called for Congressional action regarding the need for a new lock at the Soo Locks facility in Sault Ste. Marie.
The call from Miller follows a July 18 tour hosted by state Rep. Lee Chatfield, of Levering, and state Sen. Wayne Schmidt, of Traverse City.
The tour, which included legislators and other government officials, provided a summarization of the system connecting Lake Superior and the Upper Peninsula to the lower Great Lakes.
Chatfield introduced a House Concurrent Resolution in February to urge the president and Congress to fully fund the construction of a new larger lock to replace two existing, seldom-used locks. Congress authorized the construction in 1986, but it remains delayed due to a lack of federal funding.
Miller said the tour underlined the need for a second, larger lock that can handle the largest tankers traveling on the state’s waterways. He said if the current lock experiences a shutdown, the economic impact will be felt considerably.