MASSENA – Rep. Bill Owens joined the new administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC), Betty Sutton, in Massena to discuss the St. Lawrence Seaway’s importance to Northern New York’s economy.

“The St. Lawrence Seaway is a vital avenue for commerce in Northern New York,” Owens said. “I look forward to working with Administrator Sutton to build upon this already strong point of cooperation between the United States and Canada that creates jobs in our communities and throughout the nation.”

Sutton met with Congressman Owens during her first week in office. New York’s 21st Congressional District spans a significant portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

The SLSDC’s mission is “to serve the U.S. intermodal and international transportation system by improving the operation and maintenance of a safe, reliable, efficient, and environmentally responsible deep-draft waterway, in cooperation with its Canadian counterpart.

The SLSDC also encourages the development of trade through the Great Lakes Seaway System, which contributes to the comprehensive economic and environmental development of the entire Great Lakes region.”

“Working together with Congressman Owens, I am confident that our mutual priorities of keeping the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System a vital component of our national transportation network and an economic driver for the regional economy, can be balanced with a commitment to environmental stewardship of the St. Lawrence River and protection of the fresh water resources of the Great Lakes,” Sutton said.