Senate Passes Capito Bill That Advances Flood Control Projects

The Water Resources Development Act passed by a vote of 93-1.

The U.S. Senate passed a bill Thursday that advances flood control and water infrastructure projects in West Virginia.

The Water Resources Development Act passed by a vote of 93-1.

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, the senior Republican on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, helped secure the bill’s passage.

It advances the Lower Mud River flood control project in Milton and increases the federal funding formula to 90 percent from 65 percent.

It supports flood control studies in the Kanawha River basin and for the city of Huntington. It also will expedite the completion of the Bluestone Dam rehabilitation project.

“We know that natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes can strike at any time and have devastating consequences for our communities,” Capito said.

Severe flooding devastated parts of eastern Kentucky this week and threatened southern West Virginia. Southern West Virginia experienced severe flood damage in 2016.

The bill authorizes U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects that protect coastlines and inland communities vulnerable to flooding.

Author: Curtis Tate

Curtis is our Energy & Environment Reporter, based in Charleston. He has spent more than 17 years as a reporter and copy editor for Gannett, Dow Jones and McClatchy. He has written extensively about travel, transportation and Congress for USA TODAY, The Bergen Record, The Lexington Herald-Leader, The Wichita Eagle, The Belleville News-Democrat and The Sacramento Bee. You can reach him at ctate@wvpublic.org.

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