WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) voted to pass the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022 to protect and reinforce New Jersey watersheds and keep them clean for coastal and riverside communities. WRDA, which authorizes water projects conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), is passed by Congress every two years.
“I’m proud to have joined with Republicans and Democrats from around the country to pass the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act. This bill is essential for our country’s ports, harbors, and inland waterways - all major drivers of our national and local economy,” said Congressman Kim. “This is an investment in good paying New Jersey Jobs. The bill will also help provide clean water for families to drink, safer recreational boating areas, more resources for desperately needed flood mitigation in both Burlington and Ocean counties, and ecosystem restoration to help create healthy animal and marine habitats from the Delaware River to the Jersey Shore.”
Congressman Kim’s priorities passed in WRDA include:
- Providing an additional $25 million to expand an existing Army Corps program for wastewater treatment, sewer overflow, infrastructure improvements, and other stormwater management practices to include the Lower Delaware River Basin, which would include Burlington County. This funding will provide critical assistance to flood-prone communities around the Rancocas Creek and elsewhere throughout Burlington County.
- Adding the NY-NJ Watershed to a list of priority watersheds for USACE to study potential new restoration projects. This puts the NY-NJ Watershed in a better position to receive assistance to address sea level rise and invest in coastal storm damage reduction and shoreline protection. Congressman Kim is a cosponsor of the New York-New Jersey Watershed Protection Act, which would require a watershed-wide restoration strategy.
- Congressman Kim and Congressman Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02) worked together with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to add a provision requiring the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to submit a strategic plan to use dredged materials for water resource projects.
- The Army Corps has used this method of using dredged rock and sand as a resource to help restore the health of wetlands ecosystems and create natural storm surge barriers to keep our Shore communities safe from future storm weather.
- Creating a program to help address the impacts of harmful algal blooms in New Jersey’s waterways. Congressman Kim has advocated for competitive grant funding that provides assistance to address harmful algal blooms in the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations process.
You can find a full fact sheet on WRDA here
Congressman Kim is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Committee on Small Business. More information about Congressman Kim can be found on his website by clicking here.
Original source found here.
