Moolenaar: Conferees take critical action to advance water infrastructure bill benefitting Mich.

U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI) welcomed the bipartisan, bicameral agreement reached on Sept. 10 by U.S. Senate and House conference committee leaders on a comprehensive water resources infrastructure bill that would benefit Michigan and the nation.  

Conferees released the bipartisan America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, S. 2800, which among numerous provisions would reauthorize the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 related to expedited consideration of water resources infrastructure through 2024, according to the congressional record summary.

One of the projects that would be funded under the legislation is construction of a second 1,200-foot lock at Soo Locks, a state and national priority because the set of parallel locks, which are operated and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Detroit District, allow ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes.

“The authorization included in this water infrastructure package is another major step forward in our goal to build a new lock,” said Rep. Moolenaar. “As the process continues, I will work with my colleagues to ensure this project remains a priority and receives the necessary funding.”

The Army Corps of Engineers in June recommended that S. 2800 include federal funds to build a second lock because of the Soo Locks strategic and economic importance.

In the Corps’ Soo Lock Economic Validation Report, engineers said it was necessary to build a second freighter-sized lock to bolster service alongside the aging Poe Lock, according to Moolenaar’s office. The Corps estimated the overall price to construct a new lock would be $922 million over 10 years.

“Each additional year we depend on the 50-year old Poe Lock, we risk detrimental effects to our economy,” Rep. Moolenaar said, adding that both the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and President Donald Trump support the proposal.

In fact, the congressman advocated for the new lock during an April meeting with Trump during his presidential visit to Michigan. U.S. Reps. Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Paul Mitchell (R-MI) also attended the meeting to gain the president’s support.

“This authorization is a huge step forward for building a new Soo Lock and many of us have been working together in Congress to make this happen,” said Rep. Moolenaar. “Through my meetings with Army Corps officials, I know they are ready to start on this important infrastructure project.”

As a member of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, the congressman added that he plans to continue efforts that “advance this vital priority for our state” and to make sure the project “receives the funding it needs to move forward.”

Rep. Bergman, whose district includes the Soo Locks, also welcomed action on S. 2800, which he said could prevent an unexpected closure at the location that would negatively impact the United States. “The authorization included in this water infrastructure package is another major step forward in our goal to build a new lock,” he said.

Rep. Mitchell, who also serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said he’s “proud that through teamwork and persistence, we are finally seeing movement forward on this essential project to upgrade the locks.”

Any failure that might occur at the Soo Locks could create a disastrous ripple effect on the U.S. economy and could make the nation more vulnerable, Mitchell added.

S. 2800 is expected to be considered on the House floor soon, according to House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA).

“Water Resources Development Acts – WRDAs – are critical to building the infrastructure that moves goods, grains, resources, and energy products throughout the entire nation, from our coasts to the interior, and everywhere in between,” Rep. Shuster said on Sept. 10 following conference committee action. “WRDA, as included in the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, will ensure that we stay economically competitive with other countries.”