Challenge
For three decades, Tidewater Barge Lines successfully towed barges loaded with containerized municipal solid waste on the Columbia River from Clark County, Washington to a landfill in Eastern Oregon. Demand for this container-on-barge service grew along with Southwest Washington’s population and as the only landfills within driving distance approached capacity. To meet the demand of transporting additional containers on the river system, Tidewater needed outside funding assistance to replace decades-old assets.
Approach
Despite limited grant opportunities for private entities, CFM pinpointed an appropriate funding source through the Maritime Administration. Once identified, we developed a compelling project scope, wrote competitive grant proposals and launched an advocacy campaign aimed at MARAD and members of Congress in Oregon and Washington.
Success
Through this targeted grant strategy, CFM helped Tidewater secure $7.4 million in federal funding for infrastructure improvements. In 2020, Tidewater was awarded $3.2 million to acquire a specially designed barge capable of transporting different-sized solid waste containers to the Port of Morrow. And in 2022, CFM helped Tidewater leverage a one-time infusion of funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to win a $4.2 million award for a zero-emission crane and specialized crawler crane at its Vancouver and Boardman terminals. Together, these awards will allow Tidewater to meet its customers’ demands by transporting up to 15,000 additional containers on the river system each year.
