Posted on May 30, 2016
Congressman Peter DeFazio, D-Dist. 4, has achieved one more step toward securing permanent funding for Oregon’s small ports.
This week the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, of which DeFazio is a ranking member, passed the Water Resources Development Act of 2016, which would allow money to be put towards the Army Corps of Engineers for projects like navigation, flood control and environmental restoration. The bill still has to go to the House floor for approval, and then on to the Senate.
The legislation included his condition to guarantee small ports a minimum of $90 million annually, and a permanent “no less than 10 percent” of the Corps’ overall Operations and Maintenance funding for important infrastructure improvements, including dredging.
“Also, for the first time,” he said, “it guarantees that funds collected in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund will not be diverted and will only be used for their intended purpose — harbor maintenance. This bill is a huge victory for Oregon’s coastal communities.”
Source: The World
