Friday, February 05, 2010

MARINETTE, WI- Congressmen Steve Kagen, M.D. today participated in the contract signing to construct the Alaska Region Research Vessel.  Made possible through funds in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA),  the three-year construction phase of the project will support 4,350 total jobs--750 directly at the Marinette Marine Shipyard and as many as 3,600 in the broader economy.

Dr. Kagen’s efforts resulted in the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) first major award under the ARRA going to Marinette Marine Corporation.  This investment of over $123 million will not only provide a technologically advanced tool for science but helps preserve jobs and promote economic recovery.

“This is a great day for all of us in Northeast Wisconsin,” said Kagen.  “I’m proud to have played such an important role in securing a project of this size that will support thousands of jobs for the next three years in Marinette County.”

Congressman Kagen, who serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and is a member of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, supported the legislation that is responsible for the bringing this contract to Marinette.

The Marinette Marine Corp. recently began construction on the Alaska Region Research Vessel (ARRV), a 242-foot research ship that has a hull designed specifically to operate in seasonal Arctic sea ice and open waters surrounding Alaska. The ship is designed for low environmental impact, including reduced underwater radiated noise levels for improved fisheries and acoustics research, as well as lower stack emissions for atmospheric research. The ARRV will carry more than 500 researchers and students annually and spend as many as 300 days per year at sea. It will be operational in support of oceanographic research for at least 30 years.