A number of projects ranging from the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System to private developments around Army Corps of Engineers Lakes are part of the Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 passed this week by the U.S Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
Oklahoma U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe is the ranking Republican on the committee and praised the unanimous passage of America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018.
“America’s Water Infrastructure Act is about modernization—updating our aging water infrastructure and maintaining our economic competitiveness. This bill contains real benefits for communities in Oklahoma and across the country by giving state and local stakeholders expanded authorities to fund projects that matter to them, cutting red tape and continues the biennial water resources authorization process I helped recommit Congress to in 2016.
“Provisions included in this legislation would support key projects in Oklahoma, like the MKARNS deepening and economic development on Eufaula Lake, as well as certainty in water storage pricing for Bartlesville and authorization for the Booster Pump Station in Midwest City. Its passage continues to show that the Senate is committed to passing an infrastructure bill this year. I am pleased that it received bipartisan support from the Committee and urge its swift consideration on the Senate floor.”
“I would like to thank Senator Inhofe for his leadership on water infrastructure issues as Chairman of the EPW Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, and for his authorship of this important legislation,” said OWRB Executive Director Julie Cunningham. “Many of the programs included in this legislation are critical components to helping Oklahoma’s rural water systems and municipalities address the state’s $82 billion water and wastewater infrastructure need between now and 2060.”
McClellen-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS)
Because of Sen. Inhofe’s leadership, America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 clarifies that previous operations and maintenance funds used for activities related to deepening the MKARNS channel is now considered to have been from the construction account. This will allow the deepening project to be considered an ongoing project, protecting it from deauthorization and making it eligible for further construction dollars. Deepening the MKARNS will expand economic opportunity for Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas by allowing for heavier barges with more cargo.
“Chairman Barrasso and Senate EPW Subcommittee members deserve high praise for their attention to America’s waterway infrastructure needs, ensuring the competitiveness of America’s farmers, manufacturers and energy producers. On behalf of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System stakeholders, I applaud the efforts of Senator Inhofe, Senator Boozman and Senator Moran to protect the public and private investments already made and to capture additional benefits for future generations,” said Scott Robinson, Director of the Port of Muskogee.
Enhanced Private Development on Lakes Created by the Army Corps of Engineers
There is tremendous opportunity for economic development on Corps lakes in Oklahoma, like Lake Eufaula. In previous water resources bills, Senator Inhofe has encouraged the Corps to be innovative in working with developers around Oklahoma’s lakes. However, current Corps authorities limit many enhanced development plans. In America’s Water Infrastructure Act, Sen. Inhofe updated past legislation to allow job creators to responsibly develop land around Corps lakes, bringing needed economic activity to rural Oklahoma.
“This is what effective stewardship looks like,” Grant Humphreys, founder of Carlton Landing, said. “Our natural resources, like Lake Eufaula, possess great value and untapped potential that can be uncovered through economic development. As opportunities for enhanced development are created by legislation such as this year’s WRDA bill, we can begin to recognize the value of our community to create jobs, grow our tourism industry, and enhance public recreation. It can also serve as a funding source to provide for recreation, conservation, and improvements to public infrastructure. Carlton Landing is excited to participate in this demonstration project. We appreciate Senator Inhofe’s commitment to rural development and helping Oklahoma lakes realize their full potential.”
Limitation on Water Storage Costs
In 2016, Bartlesville learned purchasing additional water supply from Hulah and Copan lakes could cost over $100 million over 10 years based on the current pricing structure for purchasing water from the U.S. Army Corps lakes. Sen. Inhofe secured a provision that would make it affordable for municipalities, like Bartlesville, to contract with the Corps for water supply.
“On behalf of the City of Bartlesville, I would like to thank Sen. Inhofe for his tremendous work and leadership in securing language in the Senate version of the ‘America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018’ that will help ensure needed and affordable water supply for Bartlesville and its surrounding communities,” Bartlesville Mayor Dale Copeland said. “This language is vital to the over 50,000 people in the region who depend on access to reliable water storage in order to keep up with regional growth and to foster economic development.”
Rural Electric Cooperatives
Currently, rural electric cooperatives transmission lines cannot cross Corps property without a direct benefit to the Corps, even if the Corps is a customer. Routing transmission lines along the most direct path keeps costs down, allowing for cooperatives to pass those savings on to their customers. Sen. Inhofe worked to ensure all cooperatives can receive reasonable easements on Corps land, if needed.
“Oklahoma’s Electric Cooperatives are very pleased with Senator Inhofe’s support and inclusion of provisions in the WRDA bill to help rural non-profit service providers secure necessary infrastructure easements across US Army Corps of Engineers managed property,” said Chris Meyers, General Manager of Oklahoma Electric Cooperatives.
Midwest City Booster Pump Station
The Water System Booster Pump Station and Storage Reconstruction project for the City of Midwest City, Oklahoma, was authorized in the Water Resources Development Act of 2007. Unfortunately, this project has never been appropriated and is at risk of being deauthorized at the end of this fiscal year. Sen. Inhofe secured language in theAmerica’s Water Infrastructure Act to allow for Midwest City to extend their current authorization, if funding is not made available before September 30, 2018.
“The City of Midwest City would like to thank Senator Inhofe for inclusion of his provision to extend the authorization for the City’s proposed Booster Pump Station and Storage Tank Reconstruction Project in the recently Committee passed WRDA bill,” stated Midwest City Mayor Matthew Dukes. “We continue to work with the Tulsa District Corps of Engineers to ensure this project is funded and comes to fruition in the near future.”
Corps Real Estate Transparency
When various projects are in need of right-of-ways, it can be difficult to ascertain where the Corps has real estate holdings. Sen. Inhofe included a provision to establish a publically available database so all stakeholders can see where the Corps’ land holdings exist, signaling to likely applicants the need to obtain special authorization and streamline the permitting process within the Corps of Engineers, as well.
This provision was supported in a joint letter by the American Petroleum Institute, Associated General Contractors, the National Waterways Conference and the Waterways Council. The letter reads in part: “We support the provision to establish a publicly available central portal for those disclosures so that all stakeholders can more easily view the depth and breadth of the Corps’ holdings. This public database would alert potential applicants of the need to obtain special authorization in a given area and would relieve the Corps of the need to enumerate its real estate interests every time a prospective applicant requests this information. The establishment of a Corps real estate database reflects good Government and optimizes resource requirements for applicants and the Corps. We look forward to continuing to work with you on S. 2800, America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018.”
Altus-Lugart Dike Rehabilitation
In 2015, the Bureau of Reclamation completed a Corrective Action Study of the W.C. Austin Project within the Altus-Lugart Irrigation District. The study identified several modifications needed to reduce the probability of dam or dike failure. Sen. Inhofe has provided for the modifications to be done at 100% federal cost share, saving the users of the system possible rate increases to comply with the required upgrades.
Allow Remote Survey Data for Permitting Process
Many vital infrastructure projects, like pipelines, can span hundreds of miles, making time-consuming and expensive to manually collect survey data. Sen. Inhofe worked to include a provision in the legislation that would allow aerial survey data to ensure the necessary permits are processed in a timely manner, upon verification on the ground at a later time.