Congress passes water resources bill that could mean millions of federal dollars for Western Pennsylvania
WASHINGTON — Efforts to clean up pollution from Pennsylvania coal mines, and protect current hours of service for the locks along the Allegheny River were included in legislation that cleared Congress before lawmakers went home for the holidays.
They were authorized in the Water Resources Development Act, which is renewed every two years and allows the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to plan and proceed with these and other projects.
U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, said they “will protect our waterways, create jobs, and help ensure our region’s future is cleaner, greener, and more resilient.”
The bill authorizes $50 million to clean up pollution from acid mine drainage in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia; and $25 million for a new statewide environmental infrastructure program that will provide federal funding for water and sewer systems and resource protection. It also says that the current service at locks along the Allegheny River should be maintained “to the maximum extent practicable” while the Army Corps of Engineers completes a study on navigation and ecosystem restoration.
“This legislation addresses critical needs in Pennsylvania — revitalizing our communities, safeguarding our environment, and spurring economic growth,” said U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa.
Ms. Lee said Pennsylvania lawmakers were unable to get full federal funding for the Montgomery Lock and Dam project along the Ohio River in the water resources bill. The money is needed to improve and maintain the system, first built in the 1930s, that remains a key cog in a water-based transportation system that carries coal, petroleum products, chemicals, and other goods across the country.
Funding for the work was included in President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law, but Ms. Lee said that rising costs are threatening to delay the project’s completion and therefore more money is needed.
“The exclusion of full federal funding for the Mon Lock and Dam project underscores the need for continued advocacy,” she said. “Pittsburgh’s future is tied to these investments, and I won’t stop until we get the funding we need.”
