Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning)
Tom Reed (R-Corning) and the House of Representatives voted last week to reauthorize the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA). WRRDA authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to facilitate waterway infrastructure improvements and environmental restoration. Priorities in the bill include strengthening water transportation networks, streamlining the environmental review process, and saving taxpayer dollars.
According to Reed, “Upstate New York is blessed with vital waterways that the federal government has a responsibility to strengthen and support. The Corning republican added that Keeping our harbors, lakes, ports, locks and other water infrastructure up-to-date will support competitiveness and economic growth in our 21st century economy and will better position the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes to ‘make it here, sell it there.’”
Specific to New York’s 23rd District, the benefits are many. “Dunkirk and Barcelona Harbors, Chautauqua Lake, Lake Erie and Cattaraugus Creek in particular all stand to gain from WRRDA,” Reed continued. “Whether it’s dredging our lakes and harbors, making repairs from Superstorm Sandy, environmental restoration or flood protection, our district has strong incentives to support our waterway transportation system.”
The WRRDA bill establishes the Great Lakes as a single navigation system, strengthening the area’s ability to compete for funding. WRRDA also saves billions in taxpayer dollars by deauthorizing $12 billion of old, inactive projects and setting hard deadlines on the time and federal cost of studies.
The program is intended to be reauthorized every two years but no bill had been signed into law since 2007.
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