Charleston Leader

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, has announced the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024. The bill was released in collaboration with Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.), Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.).

The WRDA 2024 authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to continue key projects and studies addressing water resources challenges in communities across the country, including several in West Virginia. The EPW Committee is set to consider the legislation at a business meeting on May 22, 2024.

“The Army Corps of Engineers conducts critical work in communities across the United States by building out water resources infrastructure, including projects that manage risks posed by flooding. Every two years, the Environment and Public Works Committee supports the Corps in carrying out its civil works mission through the Water Resources Development Act. This year’s WRDA 2024 contains significant wins for West Virginia and I’m proud of the EPW committee’s bipartisan work once again on this important legislation,” said Ranking Member Capito.

The act includes measures to support flood control and prevention efforts, enhance assistance for environmental infrastructure projects, and strengthen the Corps’ authorities to address water resources needs. These include increasing funding levels for USACE's environmental infrastructure programs which support drinking water and wastewater projects across West Virginia, urging expedited completion of various flood risk management studies/projects, improving USACE's outreach efforts to communities facing water resources challenges, among others.

It also requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a review of and prepare a report to Congress on USACE's efforts to accelerate feasibility studies by implementing environmental review provisions in existing authorities as well as project cost estimates for completed and ongoing water resources development projects.