Congresswoman Lois Frankel helped pass the bipartisan Water Resources Reform Development Act (WRRDA) today out of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, which she serves on.

Through WRRDA, Congress authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out its missions to dredge our ports, renourish our beaches and restore important environmental ecosystems like the Everglades. Historically, Congress has passed this legislation every two years to provide clear direction to the Administration and the Corps, but no bill has been signed into law since 2007. 

The WRRDA bill includes key reforms that would invest in waterway infrastructure, create jobs and set hard deadlines for the Army Corps of Engineers to speed up local projects.

The WRRDA bill will allow several Everglades restoration initiatives to move forward. The bill approves four important Everglades Projects, one of which will be constructed in Frankel’s district’s backyard.  The Broward County Water Preserve Area will aid in reducing water seepage in an adjacent water conservation area, recharge groundwater and boost water supply to urban areas. 

During the WRDDA bill markup, Frankel advocated for key local priorities that would help pave the way for Port Everglades expansion to move forward and replenish sand on our South Florida beaches.

Frankel and Congresswoman Corrine Brown (FL-5) introduced an amendment that would authorize projects receiving a final Army Corps Chief’s report within a year of WRRDA bill enactment. This would enable projects like Port Everglades to move forward to construction. The Brown-Frankel amendment was withdrawn, however they will work to get it added to the WRRDA bill when it comes before the full House. (See Frankel remarks on Port Everglades and the Brown-Frankel amendment below)

In addition, Frankel introduced an amendment to allow Broward County to explore the option of obtaining foreign sands to renourish their sand-deprived beaches. Frankel withdrew her amendment after Transportation & Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster agreed they would work together to resolve this issue. (See Frankel remarks on Foreign Sands Amendment below)

Frankel’s Remarks As Delivered on Port Everglades and Brown-Frankel Amendment

"With the widening of the Panama Canal and ship traffic expected through the Suez Canal, ports in this country are in an infrastructure race with the world. 17 years. That’s how long it’s been taking the Army Corps of Engineers to issue a particular Chiefs report. This is not how you win a race. And I’m going to use Port Everglades as an example because they have for 17 years sponsored a feasibility study to widen and deepen the harbor at Port Everglades from 42 to 50 feet so they can accommodate larger and heavier loaded freight ships. This is a port, this is a port that in the past 10 years has contributed $110 million to the harbor maintenance trust fund, only getting back 9 [million]. This particular project would spur economic growth in South Florida, creating 7,000 new jobs and an additional 135,000 indirect jobs in Florida, it’s a half-billion dollar economic impact, far outweighing its potential cost. And not to be repetitive but did I mention it’s taken the Army Corp 17 years and $11 million to complete the study. And now 17 years later, the Army Corps has promised to issue a Chiefs Report by December of this year, and the Panama Canal is expected to be complete in 2015 and if we have to wait another 2 years for this project to get authorized or other projects like this to get authorized, we are behind the curve. And so here’s the choice, here’s the choice: the post-Panama vessels and jobs can go to Freeport or Jamaica or even Cuba because that’s where they’re going to go or we can bring them to the United States of America. So I urge my colleagues to support this good amendment.

Frankel’s Remarks As Delivered on Foreign Sands Amendment

“Thank you Mr. Chair. I ask unanimous consent for it to be designated as read. I will explain it. I want to thank the Chair, and the subcommittee chair and ranking members for your fine work on this bill. And this amendment will make it even better. This amendment is an authorization that is not an earmark and requires no money, it only requires common sense. And this is an example of if you look to the right or left that’s saying you’ve met the enemy it’s ourselves because we have a current, outdated law that needs to be changed. The current law prevents states and local governments from exploring foreign sources of sand to replenish their shorelines without the Army Corps first certifying that there are no domestically sources of sand and big surprise we have tied the Army Corps up in knots for 17 years. I feel like I have the 17-year jinx here. But anyway it is a 17-year old law that really because of numerous hurricanes it’s a very, very outdated law, and seriously it is threatening the economy of South Florida because we have in Dade and Broward county run out of usable sand to dredge off our coasts and put back on our beaches. We are depleted. This amendment would lift the restriction so that the Army Corps can take into account the very many different local and regional conditions that go into finding sand for shore protection. It will probably come as no surprise that Florida is the top travel designation in the world. We have 87 million visitors, $67 billion impact to Florida’s economy. I see Mr. Webster and I know you think Disney World is no. 1 but actually Fort Lauderdale and South Beaches get more visitors than Disney World and that will only be true if we can keep our beaches. Listen, beaches do play a big role. The beaches play not only a role for visitors obviously but for shore protection, for protection of property, protection of people and the environment. We heard before about water wars, we are now engaged in South Florida in sand wars because the Army Corps has suggested Mimi and Broward get their sand from Port St. Lucie County. Port St. Lucie has said ‘no we will not let you have our sand’, so we’re in sand wars. And some people are even suggesting we grind up the glass to go put on the beaches. There is a simple solution and the simple solution is to let us, let the Army Corps take a look at taking sand from the Bahamas…the sand from the Bahamas actually creeps into the waters where the Florida Keys are and some people may consider that a foreign invasion of the sands, I can tell you it’s not harmful at all…I don’t want to continue this other than to say that we’ve all seen how hurricanes have ravaged this country. And the shorelines are going away...We can have our sand if we could use some common sense. 17 years is an outdated law, I know Mr. Chair what you were telling me, I’m going to be very respectful…I will withdraw this amendment and respectfully allow me to work with you so we can save South Florida’s beaches.”

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