Peters Praises Bipartisan Passage of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act

Press Release

Today, after voting in favor of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) Conference Report, U.S. Representative Gary Peters praised the bipartisan bill that will protect Michigan's Great Lakes and work to secure the future of the region's natural resources. The WRRDA Conference Report passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support and is expected to pass the Senate this week. The WRRDA, which is fully paid for, has several key provisions that will protect Michigan's environment including addressing invasive species, directing Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund dollars to the Great Lakes and supporting inland waterways. His statement follows:

"Protecting Michigan's Great Lakes and supporting conservation efforts across our state is one of the most important priorities we face," Peters said. "I was proud to support this common sense and bipartisan measure that takes a big step forward in water conservation and environmental policy without any new spending. Michigan's future depends on us making smart choices now to address environmental challenges so that our Great Lakes are protected for future generations."

The WRRDA makes sweeping reforms to our nation's water policy, seeking to protect oceans, lakes and rivers across the U.S. In Michigan, the WRRDA will fund studies to determine the economic and environmental impact of invasive species like Asian Carp that threaten the Great Lakes ecosystem. It will also designate the Great Lakes ports as a single navigation system and sets aside 10% of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund above FY12 levels for Great Lakes ports. The WWRDA also eliminates over $18 billion in outdated and ineffective programs which offsets any new authorizations. The measure also strengthens oversight and accountability by establishing a transparent process for future bills to review and prioritize water resources development activities with strong Congressional oversight.

Throughout his career in public service, Peters has lead the fight to protect and conserve the environment and the Great Lakes region. He has worked to develop a comprehensive solution on how to properly store petcoke and study the long-term health and safety implications of the by-product of the oil refining process, produced when converting heavy crude oils into refined petroleum products. Petcoke dust can contaminate air when dust is blown from storage sites into neighboring residential and business areas and water when runoff feeds into nearby water sources. Peters introduced the Petroleum Coke Transparency and Public Health Study Act that calls for a federal study on public health and environmental impacts of the byproduct.

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