This Week in Washington
For the Week Ending April 13, 2001
This weekly report is written by the American Society of Civil Engineers' Government Relations staff. If you have questions or comments about any items in this report, please contact Brian Pallasch, Michael Charles, Martin Hight, Austin Fulk, or Liz Hermsen by e-mail or at 202/789-2200.
Inside This Week:
ASCE Urges Congress to Oppose Bush Cuts in USGS Water Budget
Congress should provide a four percent increase in the water resources programs of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), ASCE told a House subcommittee on April 13.
In testimony submitted to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies, ASCE said plans by the Bush administration to reduce the USGS water resources program budget put public safety at risk. The administration proposes to cut the USGS water budget by more than 20 percent in Fiscal Year 2002, with the aim of having the shortfall made up by other federal agencies and by state or local governments.
Among the proposed cuts of concern are $20 million from the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program and $10 million from the Toxic Substances Hydrology program. Additionally, the administration wants to cut $5 million from the national streamgaging network budget.
"We are skeptical that other federal agencies will be able to bring the same technical and financial commitment to the maintenance of the USGS programs. Similarly, state and local governments may not be able to put aside more parochial concerns to enable them to contribute significantly to what have largely been programs managed and funded through the USGS," ASCE said.
"We respectfully urge the Subcommittee to bolster the USGS budget for water resources in FY 2002. We recommend that the budget be increased by four percent over the FY 2001 enacted level to a total appropriation of approximately $210 million," the Society concluded.
A complete copy of the ASCE's testimony is available in PDF format at /pressroom/publicpolicy/congtest.cfm.
ASCE Urges Congress to Fund Small Watershed Dam Rehabilitation
ASCE expressed concern on April 11 to a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee that no funds have been requested in the President's budget to fund the Small Watershed Dam Rehabilitation Program that was authorized on November 9, 2000, in PL-106-472, Section 313.
In testimony submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food & Drug Administration and Related Agencies, ASCE said that many small watershed dams do not meet minimum state dam safety standards and many counted on for flood protection can no longer provide it due to excessive sedimentation and significant increases in runoff from development within the watershed.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has estimated the cost of rehabilitating small watershed dams at $542 million. While the average rehabilitation cost per dam is approximately $242,000, local sponsors typically do not have sufficient financial resources to complete these necessary repairs to assure the safety and critical functions of these dams. The federal government must recognize the urgent need to provide assistance to maintain these dams. Congress should reinforce its earlier commitment to the goals of the Flood Control Acts of 1944 and 1953.
ASCE views funding of dam safety repairs as a critical need. In the recently released Report Card for America's Infrastructure, dams received a grade of D. Nearly 2,000 unsafe dams have been identified in this country and many of the owners do not have sufficient funding sources for rehabilitation. Last year, Congress proposed funding $60 million a year for 10 years, but the legislation enacted only authorizes $90 million spread over five years.
"ASCE urges the committee to approve full funding at the authorized level of $10 million, and an additional $5 million to make up for funding not received in FY 2001 for the Small Watershed Dams Rehabilitation Program (PL-106-472, Section 313). Additionally, we would like to see these rehabilitation funds be a separate line item in the NRCS budget in an effort to better track the rehabilitation funding approved by Congress. While this is well short of the demonstrated need of $60 million a year for 10 years, it would be a step in the right direction," ASCE said.
A complete copy of the ASCE?s testimony is available in PDF format at /pressroom/publicpolicy/congtest.cfm.
ASCE Urges Congress to Fund Corps of Engineers Programs
Congress should fund all National Dam Safety Program Act activities at the authorized levels for FY 2002, and fund improvements to the navigable waterway system and flood control infrastructure at the authorized levels for FY 2002, ASCE told a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee on April 12.
The current National Inventory of Dams (NID) is the result of an evolutionary process. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continues to work closely with the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other state and federal agencies to update and publish the NID. The success of the NID maintenance and publication program can be attributed to the cooperative participation of the 50 states and Puerto Rico (as facilitated by ASDSO), and 17 federal agencies, who provide information on approximately 77,000 dams currently in the NID.
This modest, yet vital, funding through the USACE will enable the states to continue to update the inventory providing valuable information to dam safety officials, city, county and state officials, and many others who are affected by dams and the watersheds they create.
Additionally, funding of $7 million was authorized in the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 (WRDA), PL-106-541, Section 524, to allow for an inventory of dams constructed in Minnesota using funds from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). While ASCE supports the overall intent of this language, we have serious concerns that the geographic limitation to Minnesota will leave out a significant number of WPA and CCC dams.
ASDSO has identified more than 1,800 dams in 14 states that had been constructed with WPA and CCC funds. Of these, only 450 were in Minnesota. The requirement in WRDA 2000 to limit the entire $7 million inventory fund to Minnesota will result in unequal treatment for these states. "ASCE respectfully requests that the national dam inventory be fully funded at the authorized amount of $500,000 in FY 2002," ASCE said.
In recent years, national investment in water resources projects has not kept pace with our level of economic and social expansion. Over the last 30 years the U.S. population has increased more than 40 percent while the GDP has grown from $2.5 to $7.5 trillion. Meanwhile, capital investment in public water resources infrastructure decreased by 70 percent. For example in the 1970s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works construction appropriations were in the $4 billion range. However, in the 1990s the funding dropped to an average of $1.6 billion a year. The combination of a decline in investment coupled, with an expanding population and economy, has created an "investment gap."
The ASCE 2001 Report Card for America's Infrastructure gave navigable waterways, which includes ports, harbor, inland waterways, and flood damage reduction infrastructure, grade of D+.
The nation's flood control infrastructure consists of more than 400 major federal dams and reservoirs, 8,500 miles of levees and dikes, and hundreds of smaller local flood protection projects. Since 1950, this infrastructure has prevented nearly $500 billion in riverine and coastal flood damage, returning nearly $6 in flood protection for every $1 invested and preventing, on average, $22 billion in flood damages annually.
ASCE has requested that the Operation and Maintenance, General; and Flood Control, Mississippi River and Tributaries budgets be fully funded at the requested amounts of $1.745 billion, and $280 million respectively in FY 2002."
A complete copy of the ASCE's testimony is available in PDF format at /pressroom/publicpolicy/congtest.cfm.
State Government Update
ASCE provides updates on individual state government matters affecting civil engineers. For more information on the following item(s), or any other state government relations matters, please contact Austin Fulk, ASCE's Manager of State Government Relations, at (202) 789-2200 or via email at afulk@asce.org.
State Legislative Update
The following bills were recently introduced in state legislatures across the country. If you have questions about particular legislation, please contact Austin Fulk, ASCE's Manager of State Government Relations.
Connecticut
H.B. 6715 allows tax credits for brownfields redevelopment.
North Carolina
H.B. 1009 and S.B. 1011 expand and make consistent the circumstances under which the department of environmental and natural resources shall allow for risk-based remedial actions.
H.B. 1060 and S.B. 995 specifically set out that environmental remediation projects are not to be considered capital projects.
S.B. 956 provides for performance-based cleanups of discharges from underground petroleum storage tanks.
S.B. 1019 requires the interconnection of public drinking or wastewater systems when necessary for public health or environmental reasons.
Oregon
H.B. 3956 establishes a pollution reduction trading program within the state's Department of Environmental Quality.
Texas
S.B. 1797 exempts persons employed to teach at institutions of higher learning from the provisions of the Texas Engineering Practice Act.
