Extension of Funding To Process Permits

EXTENSION OF FUNDING TO PROCESS PERMITS -- (House of Representatives - December 05, 2006)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. BAIRD. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I thank my good friend, the chairman of the committee from Alaska, for his insight and leadership in bringing this to the floor.

As has been said, this legislation would extend section 214 of the Water Resources Development Act until December 31, 2008. It is a commonsense bill. It will save jobs, protect the environment, and promote economic growth.

Section 214 was enacted in WRDA 2000 to permit non-Federal public entities to contribute funds to the Army Corps to help expedite the processing of Corps permits. This is especially important in regions such as my own where we have endangered species listed and the permitting load has grown exponentially in recent years. This permission has allowed municipalities and ports to move forward with vital infrastructure projects, and these entities that provide funding are given no partiality by the Corps in their review of the project.

However, by funding additional staff to work on specific time-intensive permits, the staff and the Corps budget is freed up to work on their permit backlog. In fact, in utilizing this authority, the Army Corps of Seattle District has seen their total average review time per project reduced from 804 days to just 69 days in the first 3 years of implementation. And the City of Seattle alone estimates the cost savings at over $5 million, again from a piece of legislation that does not cost the Federal Government a penny.

Additionally, due to urgent construction needs, thousands of Corps staff have volunteered to serve in the Katrina area as well as reconstruction areas in Iraq and Afghanistan. Again turning to the Seattle Corps as an example, they have deployed a total of 233 civilian and military staff, approximately 29 percent of their staff, to these areas. First, we appreciate the service of those staff members and their courageous work in those combat areas. At the same time, however, their departure has left a limited number of staff remaining to handle the needs of the regional area. The deployments of the soldiers and men and women serving overseas can range from 30 days to a year or more, again leaving a substantial gap. It is during such times of increased deployments and increased demand for permits that we need expedited processes such as 214, and they are vital in continuing regional growth and economic need.

This section, as was mentioned, was enacted last year unanimously as H.R. 4826, and currently is unfortunately set to expire on December 31. What we are seeking is simply an extension until the committee finishes their work on WRDA before the end of the 110th, and I share my colleague's frustration that in spite of the House, as my good friend from Alaska said, we passed it across the aisle. We are with you across the aisle; it is across the Capitol that we have got the problem with the other body, as we say.

This provision is absolutely vital to Corps activities. Although this authority exists for all regions in the country, it has been particularly utilized in the Pacific Northwest by the City of Seattle, Ports of Tacoma and Long Beach, as well as the City of San Diego and public entities in Florida as well and around Sacramento. In the Northwest we have seen the backlog in the past had grown to 1,000 permits per year, but we have been able to lower that thanks to this legislation.

I am pleased to have support of all Washington State House Members as cosponsors of the bills, as well as Members representing Oregon, Idaho, and California. Again, I would thank the chairman, Mr. Young, Ranking Member Oberstar, Water Resource Subcommittee Chairman Duncan and Ranking Member Johnson, as well as their staff; and I look forward to working with them. Finally, let me give special thanks to my staff member Katie Stephens who is leaving my office this year but has worked diligently on this piece of legislation and has worked for me for several years and prior to that for Cal Dooley. I wish her all the best and I am grateful for her service

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

http://thomas.loc.gov/