A bipartisan amendment offered by U.S. Reps. Garret Graves (R-LA) and Steve Scalise (R-LA) made it into the House energy and water spending bill to redirect dredged sediment to coastal restoral projects instead of into the Gulf of Mexico.
“Coastal Louisiana is America’s coast. It is one of the most productive natural resource assets in the country and it’s worth saving,” Rep. Graves said. “This amendment simply applies common sense by ensuring that when our navigation channels are dredged, the sediment is used to help restore the coast rather than being wasted in the deep waters of the Gulf.”
The Louisiana Republicans joined U.S. Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA) in cosponsoring the amendment to the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2022, H.R. 4549, which provides fiscal year 2022 appropriations for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works projects, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Department of Energy, and independent agencies such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
“I appreciate the bipartisan leadership and vision of Congressmen Scalise and Carter to help make this a reality,” said Rep. Graves.
Rep. Scalise commended passage of the amendment, which he said highlights “the need for critical funding for coastal restoration in southeast Louisiana.”
“Our coastal wetlands serve as a first line of defense against powerful Gulf storms and protect Louisiana communities, families and businesses, while also providing critical habitat for wildlife and fisheries,” said Rep. Scalise. “Rebuilding our coast is essential to preserving our culture and strengthening our economy. Support for the Louisiana Coastal Area program ensures that coastal restoration projects that utilize dredged sediment are able to move forward, guaranteeing that this material is used to rebuild our vanishing coast, not just wastefully dumped in the Gulf of Mexico.”