North Dakota Senator, John Hoeven, yesterday joined Col. Samuel Calkins, Commander of the USACE St. Paul District, as well as state and local leaders at the signing of the new Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) for comprehensive flood protection in the Red River Valley.
“ Between the renegotiated Project Partnership Agreement with its $750 million federal funding level and the new P3 account in the President’s budget request, we’ve made a lot of progress in advancing comprehensive flood protection in the Red River Valley ,” Hoeven said at the ceremony.
“The increased funding commitment helps provide certainty for state legislators and the local project sponsors, while the $150 million in the budget for P3s helps ensure we can meet that commitment as the project is now eligible for funding through both the budget and the Corps work plan.
“Ultimately, these achievements support funding the project including the implementation of Plan B.”
Hoeven also detailed his work, including:
Hoeven worked to advance the agreement with administration officials, including: Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney; Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Russ Vought; Assistant Secretary of the Army (ASA) for Civil Works R.D. James; and Army Corps Chief Todd Semonite.
Following his efforts, the senator announced that ASA James approved the renegotiation of the agreement.
This is a result of legislation Hoeven passed in the FY 2019 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill that directed the inclusion of P3s in the President’s budget.
P3s represent a new type of financing model for the Army Corps of Engineers and have not been included in previous budget requests.