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Water Resources Development Act of 2016

Floor Speech

Date: Sept. 15, 2016
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Infrastructure

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Mr. BLUMENTHAL. I would like to thank Senators Inhofe and Boxer for their work on the Water Resources Development Act.

I would also like to thank them for helping to explain section 2004. As Senator Inhofe noted, this section has caused concern in some quarters that I think is useful to discuss.

It is critical for the record to reflect the intent and context of this provision and to spell out what it does and does not do.

Dredging is incredibly important to my State of Connecticut, which has a robust maritime economy.

Long Island Sound in particular is a treasured and integral resource, one that generates $9 billion annually through tourism, recreation, and economic activity and is home to some of our most significant national security assets in terms of submarines and submarine manufacturing.

But in order to enjoy the benefits of the sound, our coves, harbors, and navigation channels have to be dredged.

My State has over 50 Federal dredging projects pending with the Army Corps of Engineers. It also has everything from small mom-and-pop marinas to Electric Boat that have significant equities in the sound and in the dredging of navigable channels.

For nearly 35 years, clean, nontoxic material dredged from Federal projects in Connecticut has been safely disposed of in Long Island Sound, meeting stringent water quality standards that have been approved by the EPA. Connecticut goes to great lengths to ensure that the material disposed of in the sound is protective of water quality and the environment.

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Mr. BLUMENTHAL. And is section 2004 simply a restatement of current law under the Clean Water Act?

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Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Does this provision or WRDA 2016 affect the process for approving new dredged material disposal sites?

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Mr. BLUMENTHAL. I would also like to thank Chairman Inhofe and Ranking Member Boxer for this edifying and clear discussion about the dredging provisions contained in WRDA 2016 and the legislative intent behind those provisions.

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