Kilmer Hails House Passage of Bipartisan Water Projects Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) hailed passage of the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) by a vote in the House of 412-4. The bill strengthens investments in projects that will help enhance ports and other waterways infrastructure and assist in ecosystem restorations—all vital for Washington state. The legislation now goes to the Senate where it is expected to pass, and if it clears Congress, on to the President’s desk for his signature.
“Moving goods quickly through our region creates more opportunities for jobs – from Tacoma’s docks to storefronts in Grays Harbor,” said Kilmer. “Today, we passed legislation so we can move forward on projects that will make it even easier to ship products on our waterways. Most importantly, some of our ports – including Tacoma – that ship large amounts of freight receive pennies on the dollar from shipping taxes that are supposed to help them stay globally competitive. This will help level that playing field while also making key investments in our smaller ports to strengthen their ability to grow, create jobs, and support local economic activity. We needed a bill that preserves our waters while maximizing opportunities for business and commerce and in this bill Congress has actually made great progress toward that goal.”
According to the Seattle Times, Washington state’s largest port is Tacoma. The Port of Tacoma is also seventh biggest in the nation when measured by cargo value. In 2013, Washington state set a record for sales of exports, shipping $81.9 million in goods.
The WRDA bill includes a provision to reform the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) that will impact the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma. The two sites are known as ‘donor ports’ that receive pennies for every dollar contributed to the HMTF from shipping taxes. The WRDA bill authorizes $25 million for ‘donor ports’ like Seattle and Tacoma that could be used to improve port infrastructure and extend rebates to importers and shippers moving freight through the ports.
The legislation also calls for 10 percent of the HMTF to be used for small ports and emerging harbors through 2022. The provision will support needed investments in channel maintenance and jetty repairs, potentially including a number of ports along the Olympic Peninsula and across the state.
One other important provision for the region is that Section 214 of WRDA is made permanent. This means that local governments and ports can use their own resources to pay for expediting the Army Corps of Engineers’ permit review process. Speeding this process along means that ports in our region can get needed port improvement projects underway as soon as possible. In an effort to fight invasive species, the WRDA bill bolsters the Corps’ ability to protect Washington state waters from invasive species like quagga mussels.
Rep. Kilmer wrote a letter with member of the Washington Congressional Delegation to leaders of the House transportation committee calling for the inclusion of the HMTF reform in the overall WRDA bill. He also joined his colleagues in sending letters supporting the provisions to assist small ports, make Section 214 permanent, and measures to fight the spread of invasive species through Washington state waterways.
###