House-Passed Water Resources Development Act Includes Bipartisan Portman Wins for the Great Lakes

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) announced that several of his bipartisan measures were included in the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (WRDA) passed by the House of Representatives today. These Portman-led measures will protect and improve the Great Lakes by preventing Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes, promoting navigation, providing additional funding to maintain our harbors, and renaming the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation as the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

"We must protect Lake Erie and all our Great Lakes because they provide drinking water for 40 million people, contribute billions in tourism each year, and support hundreds of thousands of jobs across the region, and this bill makes important progress on that goal," said Portman. "I'm glad my bipartisan initiatives were included in the package passed by the House of Representatives today. I look forward to the Senate passing this important legislation and the President signing it into law as quickly as possible to send the strong message that our Great Lakes must be preserved and protected."

The House-passed Water Resources Development Act includes the following Portman-led initiatives:

The legislation includes Portman-led language to authorize the Corps to relocate access to the Port of Cleveland's confined disposal facility (CDF) for dredged material placement should such option be necessary to provide access to the CDF.
The legislation includes the Portman's request to authorize construction of the Brandon Road Chief's Report to help keep Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes through the Mississippi River and adjusts the cost share from 65% federal to 80% federal.
The legislation includes the Portman-led bipartisan Great Lakes Navigation Act, to ensure adequate funding to maintain Great Lakes harbors and ensure that the Great Lakes Navigation System is properly dredged so that vessels can continue to travel safely throughout the Great Lakes by requiring the Great Lakes Navigation System to receive no less than 12 percent of total annual funding from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF). The House-passed legislation goes above Portman's request by requiring a minimum of 13% of annual HMTF funding going to the Great Lakes Navigation System.
Finally, the legislation includes the bipartisan legislation to rename the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation as the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.
NOTE: Senator Portman continues to be a leader in Washington in bipartisan efforts to protect and preserve the environment. Whether it is protecting and preserving our national parks, protecting our forestland at home and abroad, promoting greater energy efficiency and recycling, or protecting our Great Lakes, Portman continues to deliver results for Ohio.

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