Water Resources Development Act of 2018

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, first of all, I want to acknowledge Chairman Shuster's leadership on this, and thank the entire committee and all the staff. I sure appreciate all the hard work.

This amendment allows the Army Corps of Engineers to strongly consider the large number of recreational boats that use the locks on the Allegheny River in my district when prioritizing operation and maintenance projects.

River communities on the Allegheny, like Kittanning, Ford City, Freeport, East Brady, and others, rely on recreational boating for their economic well-being. In recent years, the Army Corps of Engineers and a local nonprofit, the Allegheny River Development Corporation, have developed a successful private-public partnership. Their partnership has resulted in private money being raised to keep the locks operational only on summer weekends and for recreational use. This amendment will allow the Army Corps of Engineers the flexibility it needs to help keep the locks open throughout the summer tourism months once again.

Speaking on this issue, a commissioner in Armstrong County once said to me: ``You know, Washington has taken away our coal jobs, now they're trying to take away our river.''

Because of the hard work of people like Linda Hemmes and other community leaders, the river is still open to thousands of boaters who enjoy the Allegheny River on summer weekends. But even the weekend lock operations are still very much at risk, and it is my hope that this amendment will allow the Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize funding so the river remains passable all summer long for decades to come.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source