Congress Passes Bill Containing Great Lakes Priorities
While Congress continues to negotiate a final package to move the FY 2023 appropriations bill, last week it was able to pass a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that includes numerous key Great Lakes provisions. Included in the FY 2023 NDAA is the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which authorizes most U.S. Army Corps of Engineers programs. More specifically, this year’s WRDA included the following key provisions that will benefit the Great Lakes region:
Amends the Brandon Road Lock and Dam project that seeks to prevent the transfer of aquatic invasive species between the Mississippi River and Great Lakes basins to be funded at 90 percent federal cost, as opposed to the original 85 percent;
Provides a new authorization for the new large lock at Sault Ste Marie, Michigan at $3.2 billion; and
Requires the USACE to conduct a report on the economic benefits of recreational boating in the Great Lakes basin.
Additionally, the NDAA also includes an updated Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act, which had previously been introduced by Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in each chamber. Key provisions in the Great Lakes Winter Commerce include:
The authorization of the construction of a new heavy Great Lakes icebreaker at a cost of $350 million;
Requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a report that considers the economic impact of vessel delays in the Great Lakes due to ice coverage, the impacts that Coast Guard icebreaking performance standards would have in the Great Lakes, and the critical resources needed to support an effective icebreaking fleet in the Great Lakes; and
Requires the U.S. Coast Guard, within 90 days of completion of the GAO’s report, to submit to Congress a plan to implement GAO’s recommendations.
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