Napolitano Praises Committee Passage of Water Resources Infrastructure Bill

(WASHINGTON, DC) Today, Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-El Monte) praised the passage of H.R. 8, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2018, by the full House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issuing the following statement:

"I thank Chairman Shuster, Ranking Member DeFazio, and Chairman Graves for their work on this legislation. It is encouraging to see our Committee continue in a bipartisan fashion on this legislation every two years. I am confident that when enacted, this bill will provide drought-prone regions like mine with the tools necessary to increase water supply and water conservation measures, and be better prepared for future storm events to capture and reuse water that would have otherwise been lost. I thank my constituent water agencies for their input throughout this process, including the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, the Three Valleys Municipal Water District, the San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, the San Gabriel Valley WaterMaster, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works and my local Corps leadership in General Helmlinger, Colonel Gibbs and David Van Dorpe."

Napolitano, the highest-ranking California member of the Committee, successfully included in the bill key provisions for her state:

• Section 109 that will require the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to work with local governments on integrated water resources planning to incorporate into Corps projects locally developed plans for stormwater management, water quality improvement, and water recycling
• Section 107 to provide for forecast informed operations in water control manuals to ensure that dams are being used effectively to maximize local water supply
• Section 115 to provide a comprehensive report on the operation and maintenance backlog of Corps projects so that Congress has a full accounting of the unmet needs of authorized water resource projects.

The full text of H.R. 8 can be viewed here, and Napolitano's full opening statement from today's hearing can be viewed here.

Napolitano is the ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, which has jurisdiction over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the EPA Clean Water Act Programs.

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