S. 3021

Floor Speech

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Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, this week the Senate completed work on America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, a new water resources development bill that authorizes U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works activities and drinking water and wastewater infrastructure improvements.

The legislation will invest in numerous infrastructure projects in Maryland and across the country and includes funding to repair aging drinking water, wastewater, and irrigation systems, protect Americans from dangerous floodwaters, and increase public participation and State funding flexibility in local infrastructure projects.

This bill rejects the Trump administration's proposed reclassification of the Poplar Island restoration project, which could imperil the progress of this national model for restoration success located in Talbot County and extends the original 7-year authorization of the Mid-Bay Islands Ecosystem Restoration Project, focused on James and Barren Islands in Dorchester County, by an additional 3 years, to total 10 years.

To allow for greater involvement of local governments in project selection, the bill requires the Army Corps of Engineers to increase public participation by, at a minimum, holding annual public meetings at the district level, providing information about the administration's budget requests, and allowing non-Federal interests the opportunity to collaborate and share in concept development and decision making to solve problems.

The bill also authorizes $8 million in new EPA grants through a Drinking Water System Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability Program for water systems that will assist in planning, design, construction, implementation, operation, or maintenance to improve resilience to natural hazards.

I am pleased to support this bill, and I look forward to working with the Army Corps of Engineers to ensure more transparency in the process.

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