Senate Approves Legislation to Advance Flood Prevention & Water Infrastructure Projects
Lautenberg Championed Provisions to Allow New Jersey to Rebuild Stronger in the Wake of Superstorm Sandy
WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 16, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Senate today approved the “Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2013,” which includes a number of provisions championed by Senator Lautenberg to help New Jersey recover from Superstorm Sandy. As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, Lautenberg worked to include provisions that allow the Army Corps of Engineers to rebuild water infrastructure, including beaches and levees, stronger than before the storm and be better prepared for future natural disasters.
The WRDA bill sets the policy for the nation’s water infrastructure, including flood control, beaches, ports, harbors, and ecosystem restoration. The bill authorizes $12.5 billion in federal funding for Army Corps of Engineers projects that protect communities from flooding and extreme weather. The bill must now be approved in the House of Representatives.
“Superstorm Sandy taught us important lessons about weaknesses in our flood control structures and water infrastructure, and this bill will help New Jersey rebuild smarter and stronger than before the storm. It’s critical that we make smart investments now in our nation’s water infrastructure so we can recover from storms like Sandy, be better prepared for the next storm, and protect water quality in New Jersey,” said Lautenberg.
The following provisions championed by Senator Lautenberg are included in the WRDA bill:
Strengthening Flood Control Structures: The bill allows the Army Corps of Engineers to rebuild and strengthen flood control structures, like beaches, levees, and flood walls, damaged during a natural disaster. This is in contrast to current law, which only allows Army Corps to rebuild certain flood control structures to their pre-storm conditions. In the Superstorm Sandy Supplemental Appropriations bill, Senator Lautenberg was able to include a one-time exemption to current law to allow the Army Corps to rebuild Superstorm Sandy-related projects stronger than their pre-storm conditions, and this new language in the WRDA bill would make this change permanent. This change will better protect communities from future natural disasters and will ensure the Army Corps is not forced to continually rebuild structures in the face of severe storms.
Levee Safety: The bill includes a new levee safety program that would create safety standards for all levees (federal and non-federal), and establish a grant program to help local and state governments repair and improve non-federal levees. This language would benefit New Jersey communities like Moonachie and Little Ferry, where a state-owned levee was breached during Superstorm Sandy, causing thousands of homes to flood.
Increased Funding to Modernize Wastewater Infrastructure: The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) provision would provide loan guarantees and other financing mechanisms for pilot projects that cost at least $20 million. This program would benefit New Jersey, where 30 combined sewer systems discharge 23 billion gallons of wastewater each year into New Jersey’s major water bodies, often releasing sewage and other pollutants. Lautenberg was an original sponsor of the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2013 (S. 335), which served as a foundation for this provision.
Raritan River Basin Flood Prevention: The bill includes language allowing the Army Corps to more effectively study flood control efforts for the Lower Basin of the Raritan River.
Reducing Risk from Extreme Weather: The bill gives the Secretary of the Army the authority to carry out post-disaster assessments to identify opportunities to reduce flood risks and mitigate storm damage. Based on those assessments, the Secretary can approve construction of already authorized water resource projects. The bill also includes two studies to evaluate the vulnerability of our water resources infrastructure to extreme weather events and how the Army Corps can better manage those risks.
Protecting the Delaware River Basin: This bill directs the Army Corps of Engineers to annually fund the Delaware River Basin Commission, which ensures that residents in the region continue to benefit from access to a clean, safe, and adequate water supply.
Military Munitions Response at Army Corps Beach Projects: The WRDA bill requires the Department of Defense to pay for the clean-up of any munitions discovered at Army Corps projects. This comes in response to the 2007 discovery of military munitions in Surf City, NJ. The munitions had settled to the ocean floor, but were unearthed when an Army Corps of Engineers beach nourishment project began. There have not been recent reports of munitions discoveries in New Jersey, but this provision was included to ensure that any potential munitions cleanups in the future would be paid for by the federal government.
Northeast Coastal Region Ecosystem Restoration: The bill includes the Northeast Coastal Region Ecosystem Restoration program, which will allow the Army Corps to plan, design, and construct projects for aquatic ecosystem restoration in New Jersey and the Northeast. This program will also allow the Army Corps to restore ecological areas of concern, including certain rivers and streams.
Contact:
Lautenberg Press Office, 202-224-3224
