PORT AUTHORITY BOARD WANTS DUMPING TO STOP

SCOTT CITY -- Illegal dumping of sheet metal materials and other heating and air conditioning waste drew concern Monday from the board members of the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority.

Dan Overbey, executive director of the port, told the board during its monthly meeting that there had been several recent incidents of dumping and trespassing on port property.

The board agreed with Overbey's suggestion that notices be placed on the port's property forbidding dumping, trespassing, hunting, fishing, camping, hiking and riding of off-road vehicles or horses.

The board agreed to notify the Scott County Sheriff's Department of the prohibitions since it has jurisdiction over the port property.

In other business, the board learned the tonnage figure for March set an all-time record of about 75,000 tons. The tonnage for the first three months of 192,000 tons is 56 percent of the total for all of 1994.

Overbey said the Sikeston power plant is stockpiling some petroleum coke since the Illinois River will be closed for lock repairs for about two months starting in mid-July.

In his director's report, Overbey also said the SEMO Port Railroad moved its fourth revenue-producing carload last month since starting its rail operation last fall.

Grading has begun for a 1,200-foot siding as a railroad interchange track on the SEMO Port Railroad's line crossing Routes K and N just east of the city's baseball diamond. The work is partly financed through an economic development grant.

That siding sits on the 5.8 miles of rail line bought last October from Union Pacific for $300,000. That line runs from the Thebes, Ill., bridge north through Scott City to the port property and into Cape Girardeau. The rail line provides access to Burlington Northern, Union Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads.

To improve the economic viability of the railroad, construction of a 1.5-mile railroad line to the harbor and an industry spur to the general cargo dock is planned for later this summer, Overbey said.

The port authority expects to subsidize the railroad operation by about $32,000 during the fiscal year beginning July 1. The board expects the railroad's losses to lessen as more improvements are made and additional port tenants are recruited.