U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I), U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the EPW Committee, and Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), Ranking Member of the T&I Committee, have announced a final agreement on the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 (WRDA 2022).
The Water Resources Development Act is biennial legislation that authorizes flood control, navigation, and ecosystem restoration projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The final version comes after months of negotiations to reconcile Senate- and House-passed versions of the legislation.
The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies reported that the 2022 authorization of WRDA will focus more on Army Corps programs as opposed to the 2020 version that supported several drinking water and wastewater programs at EPA.
“Congress continues to deliver on its commitment to strengthening America’s infrastructure and economy by investing in our ports, harbors, and inland waterways,” DeFazio said. “The Water Resources Development Act of 2022 will help ease supply chain issues and make communities across the country more resilient in the face of extreme weather. Just as critical, WRDA 2022 will help local communities struggling to afford critical water resources projects, while bringing state, local, and Tribal leaders to the table to execute projects equitably.”
“The Water Resources Development Act of 2022 is the product of bipartisan work to tackle our nation’s water resources challenges,” Capito said. “This legislation further enables the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to address local and regional concerns while continuing to advance national priorities. For West Virginia, it means projects across our state will receive the resources and support needed to make progress on critical issues, such as addressing flood risk.