U.S. House Passes Legislation to Help Carolina Beach Renourishment Project

The U.S. House of Representatives has unanimously passed legislation authored by Congressman McIntyre to stop the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Corps from terminating the Carolina Beach renourishment project. The legislation was attached to the Corps budget bill and passed with unanimous support.

Specifically, the language of the amendment would prohibit the use of funds for the termination of 50-year coastal storm damage reduction projects, and the first project that is set to expire is in Carolina Beach in 2014.

Congressman McIntyre stated, “This is one more step toward victory for Carolina Beach! We must do everything we can to keep the Carolina Beach renourishment project going forward, as it is important for the economy and the environment of New Hanover County. This amendment should compel the Army Corps of Engineers to move forward with providing necessary guidance on the reauthorization of these projects to local communities in North Carolina and throughout the country. These projects are too important to be left in legal limbo!”

McIntyre continued, “Beach renourishment is critical to public safety and for the protection of private property for businesses and homeowners. Ending this project and initiating a new start project from scratch would require potentially millions of dollars to be spent on duplicative reconnaissance and feasibility studies. That kind of spending is wasteful and unnecessary, would require many years of delay, and could put lives and property at risk from hurricanes and harsh weather.”

Congressman McIntyre has been working several options to address this problem including an effort to expand by ten years the authority for these 50-year projects. This amendment is necessary because no clear direction has been given for how 50- year projects are to be reauthorized upon expiration. Congressman McIntyre is committed to working with his colleagues in Congress and policy makers at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to find a solution for this problem.

Congressman McIntyre has long been a supporter of investments to coastal infrastructure and Coastal Storm Risk Management Projects and has worked throughout his time in Congress to provide assistance to the coastal communities in Southeastern North Carolina. He is the founder and Co-Chairman of the Congressional Waterways Caucus.

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Dredging Today Staff, June 8, 2012; Image: house.gov