Senate Passes WRRDA Bill

  • by BPC Staff
  • on May 22, 2014
  • 0 Comments

The Senate, on Thursday, passed the Conference Report on the bill H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013 (WRRDA), by a vote of 91-7. The bipartisan vote comes after the House voted to approve the measure on Tuesday. The measure will now go to President Obama, who has indicated that he will sign it.

Following passage of the bill, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, who had shepherded the bill through the Senate and the bicameral conference committee, was overjoyed by the bipartisan nature of the vote:

“I am so proud of the overwhelming bipartisan vote in both the Senate and the House to pass this strong water infrastructure bill today. Our bill invests in vital water infrastructure that protects communities from flooding, maintains navigation routes for commerce and the movement of goods, restores vital ecosystems and provides a boost to our economy by creating jobs. I want to thank Senator Vitter, Rep. Bill Shuster and Rep. Nick Rahall for all of their work to finish this conference report and move this important legislation to the President’s desk.”

Senator David Vitter (R-LA), the ranking member on the Environment and Public Works Committee, was equally enthusiastic:

“Today is a great showing of strong bipartisan support for our bill to provide significant coastal restoration, hurricane and flood protection, reforms to the Corps, accelerated projects, and of course, jobs,” Vitter said. “It’s easily one of the most important bills we’ll pass this year.”

The conference report authorizes four new projects in California that have undergone extensive review by the Corps of Engineers and have been recommended by the Chief of Engineers, making them eligible for federal construction funding. Other features include:

• Natomas Basin: WRRDA authorizes over $1 billion to strengthen the levees in the Natomas Basin in Sacramento to safeguard over 100,000 residents and protect over $7 billion in property.

• San Clemente Shoreline: The conference report authorizes $99 million for construction and continuing maintenance of coastal protection measures along the San Clemente shoreline.

• Orestimba Creek, San Joaquin River Basin: WRRDA authorizes approximately $45 million for flood control measures in the San Joaquin River Basin to protect the City of Newman. The project includes over four miles of levees designed to withstand a 200-year flood

• Sutter Basin: WRRDA authorizes approximately $689 million for a flood control measures in Sutter River Basin, including Yuba City. The project would strengthen 41 miles of existing levees, reducing expected annual damages by approximately $50 million.

• Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund: The conference report calls for increased expenditures from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) to support increased maintenance of the nation’s ports, including many ports in California. The legislation also includes reforms to the HMTF that will ensure equity for ports that contribute the most to the Fund but receive little funding in return, such as the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. For the first time, these critical ports will be able to use funding for additional projects such as berth dredging and contaminated sediment disposal.

• WIFIA: The conference report establishes a five-year pilot program, known as the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA), to allow the Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency to provide loans and loan guarantees for flood control, water supply, and wastewater infrastructure projects. This program, which is based on the successful TIFIA program for transportation projects, will provide critical financing for water infrastructure projects identified by local communities. These include projects to help with California’s ongoing drought, including desalination, water recycling, and repair of aging water supply infrastructure.

Prioritization of Ecosystem Restoration: The conference report prioritizes ecosystem restoration projects that address identified threats to public health and preserve or restore ecosystems of national significance. The provision will provide those threatened ecosystems around the nation with additional focused attention, including places like the Salton Sea.
• Levee Vegetation: The conference report requires the Corps of Engineers to update its guidelines for the removal of vegetation on Corps levees after seeking public input. This will ensure that the Corps of Engineers’ policy is focused on the highest priority safety concerns for California communities.

• Crediting: WRRDA allows local communities to carry out work in advance of the Corps of Engineers and receive credit for work performed. This is important to many California communities that have state or local funding sources that are ready to be invested immediately.

Tags: