House Committee moves 2020 Water Bill

Almost exactly one year ago, in July 2019, ASBPA testified before the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee on the need to develop water resources legislation that would advance:

ASBPA Executive Director, Derek Brockbank, testifying at a T&I Committee hearing, July 2019

• Regional Sediment Management (RSM) and the Beneficial Use of Dredged Material (BUDM);
• A modification of the Corps’ Benefit-Cost-Ratio (BCR) process;
• Natural Infrastructure.

This week, the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee passed a bill that did exactly that.

See ASBPA’s statement on the 2020 House Water Resources Development Act (WRDA): ASBPA Statement on 2020 House WRDA (PDF 237kb)

Coastal Provisions in the 2020 House WRDA

The 2020 House WRDA has numerous sections that ASBPA supports. Some of the most important provisions include:

The Beneficial Use of Dredged Material

ASBPA believes that the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) needs to evolve its budgeting and planning operations to reflect regional sediment management principles so that 100% of uncontaminated dredged sediment is used beneficially.

• Section 125 establishes that “It is the policy of the United States for the Corps of Engineers to maximize the beneficial reuse… of suitable dredged material.” It advances this policy by:
  • requiring each USACE district to produce an annual five-year sediment management plan;
  • requiring USACE to consider “the suitability… of beneficial uses” and “the economic and environmental benefits… of… those beneficial uses” when evaluating the placement of dredged material;

Improving the Corps’ Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR)

The 2020 House WRDA helps modernize the criteria used by USACE to assess costs and benefits during project planning. 

• Section 109 directs the Corps to issue final agency procedures for the Principles, Requirements, and Guidelines (PR&G), pursuant to section 2031 of WRDA 2007. The PR&G serves as the basis for the Corps’ evaluation of project benefits and costs.

Improving Resilience of Coastlines and Coastal Communities

From sea and Great Lakes level rise to increasing coastal storm intensity, the threats facing our nation’s coastlines have never been greater. USACE must help our coastline and coastal communities become more resilient.

• Section 112 requires the Corps to update existing planning guidance related to sea level rise based on the best available, peer-reviewed science, and when requested by the non-Federal interest, requires the Secretary to consider whether the need for the project is predicated upon or exacerbated by conditions related to sea level rise.
• Section 110 allows the Corps to provide technical assistance to non-Federal interests greater resiliency planning and to prioritize technical assistance to economically disadvantaged communities.
• Section 206 directs the Corps to expand its comprehensive assessment of water resources needs for the Great Lakes System, and make recommendations for potential projects and other measures to respond to changing hydrologic and climatic conditions in the region.

Advancing natural and nature-based features (NNBF) that reduce risk in coastal communities

Wide beaches, high dunes, and verdant wetlands, reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds are natural infrastructure that can improve communities’ resilience and is itself resilient. USACE should be looking at how to more effectively restore and rebuild our nation’s natural infrastructure, in collaboration with other federal, state and tribal agencies.

• Sections 113, 114, 115, 122 and 124 all take steps to advance NNBF in various USACE planning and project development activities.