House Passes Bipartisan Water Infrastructure Bill with Lipinski Priorities to Protect Lake Michigan from Carp, Restore Bubbly Creek, & Address Local Shoreline Erosion

Press Release

The House of Representatives has passed the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020 which contains a number of Congressman Lipinski's local infrastructure priorities. WRDA 2020, which Lipinski helped craft in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, authorizes the study and construction of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects that build and maintain inland waterways locks and dams, ports, and water infrastructure, as well as provide flood relief.

"As the senior Illinois member on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I have worked diligently over the years to advance water infrastructure projects that are essential to Chicagoland and the region as a whole," said Congressman Lipinski. "WRDA is vital to maintaining the Illinois Waterway system which runs through the middle of the Third District and is critical to the local and regional economy. I was also proud to get important wins for our region to prevent the spread of Asian carp, advance the restoration of Bubbly Creek, and develop plans to fix our eroding shoreline and restore the Chicago Area Rivers eco-system. I am confident that we will complete WRDA this year and have the bill signed into law."

Congressman Lipinski's Key Provisions in the 2020 Water Resources Development Act

Funding the Bubbly Creek ecosystem restoration project.
Authorizing the Brandon Road lock and dam project in Joliet at 80% federal cost share in order to help prevent the spread of Asian carp into Lake Michigan.
Directing the Army Corps to prioritize completion of a study to fix the eroding Chicago Shoreline.
Authorizing a study to develop eco-system restoration projects for the Chicago Area Rivers system.
Incorporating more natural infrastructure, including green infrastructure, into the Army Corps of Engineers work to reduce flooding and restore ecosystems in a more sustainable, less costly way.
Raising the federal cost share for inland waterways system infrastructure projects from 50% to 65%, to help the Army Corps of Engineers modernize our inland waterways system more quickly and effectively.

Source