MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) — Muscatine officials are reviewing the feasibility of building a container port facility on the Mississippi River.
The Muscatine Journal reports the study is funded by a state grant and a matching fund from Kent Corp. The Muscatine Community Development Office is expected to conclude the study in the next few weeks.
Dave Gobin of the MCDO says the idea for building a port near the Muscatine Power and Water Plant formed when he saw there was no container port north of St. Louis. Gobin says the port will divert truck and rail traffic regionally from the highway to the river, benefiting the region economically.
At a League of Women Voters event Tuesday, attendees expressed environmental concerns to Gobin. He says the Environmental Protection Agency has “significant interest” in helping create an eco-friendly facility.
