PORT BOARD HEARS GOOD NEWS ON INCOMING TONNAGE

SCOTT CITY -- Despite flooding on the Mississippi River the past two months, tonnage figures at the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority remain high.

"April was another excellent month, in spite of all the rain and the fact that some of our barges were delayed in St. Louis because of high water under the bridges," reported Mysie S. Keene, chairman of the port authority board of commissioners, Monday.

Keene said gross tonnage at the port last month was 32,178 tons, compared to 21,971 tons for April 1992.

For the year-to-date, as of April 30, the net tonnage that has come into the port is 75,126 tons. That's double the 30,852 tons for the same period in 1992. In addition, monthly tonnage coming into the port during the past 12 months has doubled almost every month.

Most of the tonnage received at the port this year is petroleum coke, which is shipped by truck from the port to the Sikeston Power Plant for burning in the plant's steam boilers. Since Jan. 1, 36,047 tons of coke have moved through the port en route to the Sikeston power plant. The shipments began in January.

Other bulk commodities that moved through the port during the same period include: 8,759 tons of liquid fertilizer and 7,537 tons of potash.

Port Executive Director Dan Overbey noted when the floodwaters go down and the soil dries so farmers can to get in their fields, the demand for fertilizer products should increase dramatically. That means more barges arriving at the port between now and summer.

The board was told the floodwaters from the Mississippi River and the Diversion Channel have also delayed survey work for planning of the extension of Nash Road into the port.

Because of the high water and mud, the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department has been unable to get its drill rig into the flooded river bottomland northwest of the port site to take core samples. It may be two months before the drilling work can resume.

The port commissioners adopted the 1993-94 operations budget, which ends June 30, 1994. Treasurer W.K. Dillon said revenue figures projected in the budget are more conservative than the current budget. The new budget projects a possible deficit of $9,200, which would be made up by funding from other accounts. Executive Director Dan Overbey points out this is not the first time the port has had to fund a deficit budget. He also notes that revenues for the coming year could be higher than projected.

"At this point, we're looking at either a deficit of $9,200 or breaking even," he said.