Graves and Scalise secure Morganza-to-the-Gulf money in house expense bill – The Observer

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WASHINGTON DC – US Congressman Garret Graves and Republican House Whip Steve Scalise are secured $ 19.3 million in funding for the construction of a key Morganza-to-the-Gulf valve in a recently released appropriation spending bill. This exclusive Morganza dedicated construction funding opportunity through the Army Corps of Engineers was announced today by Graves and Scalise and the bill will be considered by the House Appropriations Committee in the coming days.

This designation of Morganza as a priority project builds on recent progress the two have made in advancing this critical piece of Louisiana’s flood protection footprint. Earlier this year, Graves and Scalise announced that the Morganza-to-the-Gulf Hurricane Protection Project would also receive $ 12.46 million in funding for the construction of new departures through the Corps of Engineers, who initiated the pre-construction phase of the project. . Graves and Scalise have co-authored a provision to make the project eligible for this new funding stream. The eventual completion of this project will provide the level of protection against hurricanes that the citizens of the parishes of Terrebonne and Lafourche deserve.

“It took years to build on the Corps and fight the bureaucracy to break the deadlock on Morganza, but we actively engaged them to bring the project to fruition. We are making significant progress, including working with individuals such as the CAPL and Levee Districts to utilize all available federal funding opportunities. This is an important step in the realization of the East Floodgate, a key part of the Morganza project. And that is in addition to the commitment we got earlier this year for $ 12.46 million in New Start Construction funding from the Corps of Engineers, which was the pre-construction phase that got us. helped to take the next step. We worked with Representative Scalise and state and local leaders to reinvent this project, slashing its price by almost two-thirds and pooling nearly $ 1 billion in state and local funding to complement our federal efforts. These efforts translate into major progress – proving that we can provide the hurricane protection that the people in the parishes of Lafourche and Terrebonne – all of southern Louisiana – deserve, ” says Graves.

“I commend the House Supply Subcommittee for Energy and Water Development for including significant funding for the Morganza-to-the-Gulf Flood Protection Project, which will provide critical flood protection for the thousands of families and businesses in southern Louisiana. I am proud to have worked with Congressman Graves to secure these vital dollars and will continue to fight to ensure that Project Morganza receives all the resources necessary for its completion. This announcement is another step towards completing Morganza-to-the-Gulf and protecting the billions of dollars of economic activity transported through our state, ” mentionned To scale.

Louisiana leaders and stakeholders also applauded Morganza-to-the-Gulf funding:

“This $ 19.3 million is another important step towards the completion of the Morganza Levee and Floodgate system. It is refreshing to see the federal government come forward to fund this project. The people of the parish of Terrebonne have imposed themselves to build a system that has already protected this sector and this system can only improve with federal help. Thank you to our Congress delegation who made this possible ”, said Gordy Dove, president of the parish of Terrebonne.

“The people of Terrebonne appreciate the efforts of our federal delegation, in particular the efforts of Garret Graves and Steve Scalise. Morganza to the Gulf is the only state project to have the local and state match on the ground protecting area residents. About $ 600 million of state and local funds have been spent and put in place for the dikes and gates, and $ 420 million has been spent from the BP spill for the HNC lock which is currently under construction. People are tired of school and expect to see their money put to work – and Morganza is an example of how good decisions can make that happen. When Garret was in charge of ACPL, we were able to strike a deal where all local dollars spent on the project were matched by the state. Without this deal, we wouldn’t have turned the dirt on this project or reached this point, outright., ” mentionned Tony Alford, Terrebonne Levee Conservation District Council Chair. “Morganza is ready and authorized and we are excited to engage our Federal partner (65% cost share) with the state and local (35% cost share) so that we can complete this great project on time. timely. We are grateful to have received our OMB number, the $ 12 million last year and the $ 19 million this year so far. “

The Morganza Project has been underway since 1992, when Congress authorized the Corps to determine what needs to be done to ensure south-central Louisiana receives adequate protection. Many thanks to Congressmen Graves and Scalise for leading the way in each of these steps, and today’s move is an incredible step in starting construction of the Morganza Project., ” said Reggie Dupre, General Manager, Terrebonne Levee & Conservation District. “With federal New Start funding and today’s announcement, we are moving closer to our goal of having 100 years of protection by 2035 so our citizens have the right protection they need and enjoy. also the financial benefit of lower insurance premiums. The point we have reached would not be possible without the leadership of our delegation to Congress, the Dykes District, CAPL, our governors and the citizens of these parishes who have stepped up to move the project forward.

“I would like to thank Graves Congressmen for their hard work in securing this funding and for the work to integrate the Morganza system into the new startup program with the Corps of Engineers. Projects like Morganza mean that our economy can continue to grow and our residents can continue to prosper here knowing that we are protected by one of the best flood protection systems in the world., ” declared the president of the parish of Lafourche, Archie Chiasson.

“A gate on the intercoastal canal connecting the Morganza program to the Lafourche Ridge is important because it is part of the overall approach we need to take on the Louisiana coast. We would be able to protect the whole area with the padlock. This is one example of the years of continued attention Congressmen Graves and Scalise have given to flood protection and flood insurance needs in southern Louisiana, ” said Windell Curole, General Manager, South Lafourche Levee District. “The erosion and subsidence that we see in the Barataria basin allows water to enter the coastal area very quickly. This new construction will protect more than 200,000 people. This is a great opportunity to provide real protection against hurricanes and floods.

Description of the Morganza-to-the-Gulf project: The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority requests the Corps of Engineers to initiate and complete the East Floodgate engineering and design phase of the Morganza-to-the-Gulf project, including but not limited to limiting, data collection and sampling, engineering and design, modeling and other related services for the design of the structure. The Eastern Intra-Coastal Gulf Waterway (GIWW) flood gate is a major component of the Morganza-to-the-Gulf project. Additionally, the design of this door can be reused for the door at the west end of the system, reducing the need for additional funding for the design of the second door. Nearly $ 1 billion has been invested in the Morganza system all the way to the Gulf through local and state funds, with residents pushing for more than 20 years to build the project. The project will also protect an industrial base that supports 20% of the energy produced in our country and protect the shipyards that are currently building ships for the US Navy, US Coast Guard, NOAA and NSF.

Background:

  • The Corps worked with the State of Louisiana and local Dike Districts to reduce the project’s cost estimate from over $ 10 billion to around $ 3 billion. The Army’s Assistant Secretary for Civil Works RD James approved the updated project cost analysis in 2019.
  • In October 2019, Scalise and Graves met with the Army’s Assistant Secretary for Civil Engineering, RD James, to advocate for additional resources for Morganza-to-the-Gulf.
  • In January 2020, Scalise and Graves secured $ 1.25 million in federal funding to conduct pre-engineering and design (PED) assessments on the project. This was a critical step in preparing the project to qualify for significant federal funding. The $ 1.25 million in federal funds would be reallocated to revise designs for the Morganza-to-the-Gulf Hurricane Protection Project to reflect construction progress and substantial cost savings. These funds will be used to help update the project from an unaffordable $ 14 billion to more realistic figures.
  • In February 2020, Scalise and Graves held a meeting with Interim Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Russel Vought, to advocate for federal funding for the Morganza hurricane protection system. -to-the-Gulf.
  • In order for the project to be eligible for federal construction funding, Scalise and Graves secured language in the Fiscal Year 2021 Home Energy and Water Credit Bill to allow eligibility for New Start for the Mississippi River and Tributaries Corps account, which is home to the Morganza-to-the -Gulf project and has not historically received New Start eligibility. Since this provision was not included in the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Bill, Scalise and Graves fought for the House’s position to be included in the bipartisan relief package. bicameral Omnibus & COVID. Their language was promulgated at the end of December.
  • In January 2021, Representatives Graves and Scalise wrote a letter to the Deputy Secretary of the Army for Civil Works and Director of the Office of Management and Budget to formally advocate for federal funding for Morganza. This letter was followed by several calls with the two agencies to discuss the significant national value of the investments made in the project.

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