Congressman Tom Reed is in the district this week talking about local water infrastructure projects supported by a bill recently passed in the house with strong bipartisan support.
The Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) supports projects like navigation improvements, combating invasive species, flood protection and environmental restoration. The bill passed the House 417 to 3.
“ WRRDA is good for local jobs, trade, tourism, recreation and manufacturing, so that we can enable manufacturers to ‘make it here, sell it there ,’” Congressman Reed said of the bill. “We are fortunate in the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier to have these vital waterways and we need to actively care for them by ensuring infrastructure is up to date and our Finger Lakes and Southern Tier waterways are protected.”
WRRDA authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to facilitate waterway infrastructure improvements and environmental restoration. The bipartisan bill passed in the House also saves $12 billion in taxpayer dollars by deauthorizing old, inactive projects.
Earlier this year, Congressman Reed welcomed Brigadier General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Margaret Burcham to Washington to talk about the importance of water infrastructure projects in New York’s 23rd district.
“ The meeting was a chance for us to lay out the projects from combating invasive species in the Finger Lakes to dredging Chautauqua Lake and everywhere in between that will benefit the overall quality of life for our area. We are working now to take that one step further and set up a meeting with the Brigadier General right here in the district for a firsthand look at how important these projects are to the 23rd district.”
This week, Reed will visit Dunkirk Harbor, one of the many waterways that stand to benefit from WRRDA. The harbor has not been dredged since 2009 and Reed is hopeful that working with Army Corps, dredging will be realized for Dunkirk Harbor. Local elected officials and community members will join Reed at the event.
[mappress]
Press Release, November 6, 2013