ASSOCIATED PRESS
House Passes Delayed Water Projects Bill
By Sam Hananel
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6572285,00.html
The House on Thursday
overwhelmingly approved a massive water projects bill that has languished for
years over its price tag and how the Army Corps of Engineers does business. The
overall cost of the bill is at least $15 billion. Supporters of the bipartisan
measure, passed by a 394-25 vote, say it's needed to fund hundreds of projects
in nearly every state to improve flood protection, modernize the nation's
waterways and restore the environment. ``This is an investment in
The Water Resources Development
Act includes $1.8 billion for construction of seven new locks on the upper
Farm groups and shipping
interests have been pushing for years to upgrade the lock system to help speed
grain-laden barges to Southern ports. Billions more are targeted for
restoration of the Florida Everglades and for hurricane and flood protection in
Similar measures passed in both the Senate and the House last year, but they never made it out of conference committee before the end of the session. Senate consideration of nearly identical legislation is expected later this year.
The White House opposes the bill, arguing that it's even more expensive than the $10 billion version considered last year. The Bush administration wants states to share more of the cost for certain projects and ensure that they are economically and environmentally feasible.
Supporters credit much of the
increase to a surge in construction costs and say projects only get more
expensive every year they are delayed. ``I do realize the constraints the
administration is working on with a tight budget situation,'' said Rep. John
Mica, R-Fla. ``But we're finding billions to
reconstruct
No water construction legislation
has passed Congress since 2000, when a government auditor discovered that Army
Corps of Engineers officials doctored a report to justify new locks on the
``This bill has a peer review section, but it's wholly inadequate,'' said Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense. ``Something that came out of Hurricane Katrina was the idea of having truly independent peer review for costly, controversial or critical projects.''
Ellis said he is satisfied with independent review provisions in the Senate's version of the bill, though his group still opposes the bill overall because it costs too much and is loaded with wasteful projects.
Taxpayer and environmental groups
praised an amendment from Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., that requires the corps
to update its guidelines to make sure projects are economically and
environmentally sound.