Funding will help maintain Delaware River channel and port system
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Arlen Specter and Bob Casey today announced that the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has approved federal funding for several energy and water initiatives in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The projects are contained in the Fiscal Year 2010 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill.
“This federal funding is crucial to maintaining and building the infrastructures that are vital for the economy of Southeast Pennsylvania,” Senator Specter said. “I am pleased my colleagues have recognized the importance of these projects.”
“I am grateful that my colleagues approved funding for these important projects,” said Senator Casey. “This money will go a long way to help build and maintain infrastructure, improve flood control systems and cultivate new clean energy jobs in Southeastern Pennsylvania.”
The bill must be approved by the full Senate, the House of Representatives and signed into law by the President before funding is final.
Pennsylvania projects in the bill include:
Water Development
• $250,000 for Southeast PA floodplain management in Chester, Delaware, Philadelphia, Montgomery and Bucks Counties. Identified problem areas will be investigated with new topographic, hydrologic and hydraulic data and modeled accordingly to provide assistance and advice to local governments.
• $820,000 for dredging from Philadelphia to Trenton on the Delaware River to maintain the channel that provides commercial and military vessels' access to Delaware River ports.
• $19.6 million for maintenance dredging from Philadelphia to the Sea on the Delaware River to maintain commercial and military vessels' access to Delaware River ports.
• $10 million for the Delaware River Main Channel to deepen the existing 40 foot channel to 45 feet in order to enhance the efficient movement of vessels through the ports along the Delaware River.
• $166,000 for the Delaware River dredged materials utilization study, including the transfer, transport, drying and re handling of dredged material as it relates to watershed management, ecosystem restoration, navigation, water quality, abandoned mine reclamation and cover material for landfills.
• $12 million to maintain the Hopper Dredge McFarland in a ready reserve status. The McFarland is one of four oceangoing hopper dredges owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as its “minimum fleet” for national security, and is the only dredge in the world with triple capability for direct pumpout, bottom discharge and sidecasting or boom discharge.
• $200,000 for maintenance dredging on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia County to maintain navigational channel depths.
• $214,000 for ecosystem restoration in the Wissahickon Creek Watershed. This study will examine solutions to correct the region’s stream flow variability and overall ecosystem imbalances.
Energy-related
• $500,000 for East Penn Manufacturing in Berks County for new, advanced lead acid battery energy storage technology to assist in better use of wind and solar energy. This technology would produce larger, safer, cleaner, and more affordable energy storage options than are currently available and will benefit the transition to renewable power generation.
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