Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 100 Part 5.djvu/773

 PUBLIC LAW 99-662—NOV. 17, 1986

100 STAT. 4247

nels and the Saint Lawrence Seaway (hereinafter in this section referred to as the "Great Lakes"), known as the "Fourth Seacoast" of the United States, it is hereby declared to be the intent of Congress to recognize the importance of the economic vitaUty of the Great Lakes region, the importance of exports from the region in the United States balance of trade, and the need to assure an environmentally and socially responsible navigation system for the Great Lakes. Congress finds that the Great Lakes provide a diversity of agricultural, commercial, environmental, recreational, and related opportunities based on their extensive water resources and water transportation systems. (b)(1) There is hereby established a Board to be known as the Great Lakes Commodities Marketing Board (hereinafter in this subsection referred to as the "Board"). (2)(A) The Board shall develop a strategy to improve the capacity of the Great Lakes region to produce, market, and transport commodities in a timely manner and to maximize the efficiency and benefits of marketing products produced in the Great Lakes region and products shipped through the Great Lakes. (B) The strategy shall address, among other things, environmental issues relating to transportation on the Great Lakes and marketing difficulties experienced due to late harvest seasons in the Great Lakes region. The strategy shall include, as appropriate alternative storage, sales, marketing, multimodal transportation systems, and other systems, to assure optimal economic benefits to the region from agricultural and other commercial activities. The strategy shall develop— (i) methods to improve and promote both bulk and general cargo trade through Great Lakes ports; (ii) methods to accelerate the movement of grains and other agricultural commodities through the Great Lakes; (iii) methods to provide needed flexibility to farmers in the Great Lakes region to market grains and other agricultural commodities; and (iv) methods and materials to promote trade from the Great Lakes region and through Great Lakes ports, particularly with European, Mediterranean, African, Caribbean, Central American, and South American nations. (C) In developing the strategy, the Board shall conduct and consider the results of— (i) an analysis of the feasibility and costs of using iron ore vessels, which are not being utilized, to move grain and other agricultural commodities on the Great Lakes; (ii) an economic analysis of transshipping such commodities through Montreal, Canada, and other ports; (iii) an analysis of the economic feasibility of storing such commodities during the non-navigation season of the Great Lakes and the feasibility of and need for construction of new storage facilities for such commodities; (iv) an analysis of the constraints on the flexibility of farmers in the Great Lakes region to market grains and other agricultural commodities, including harvest dates for such commodities and the availability of transport and storage facilities for such commodities; and (v) an analysis of the amount of grain and other agricultural commodities produced in the United States which are being diverted to Canada by rail but which could be shipped on the

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