In a vote   of 417 to 3, the House of Representatives passed the Water Resources Reform   and Development Act (WRRDA). The Ohio Soybean Association (OSA) supports the   bill, and congratulates House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee   leadership following its passage.

“OSA   applauds the recent passage of the WRRDA bill and commends Chairman Shuster   and Ranking member Rahall, as well as Subcommittee Chairman Gibbs and Ranking   Member Bishop, for their persistence and support in the process of addressing   our waterways infrastructure,” said Bret Davis, OSA president and soybean   farmer from Delaware County.

The WRRDA   bill includes provisions to streamline environmental reviews; establish hard   deadlines and cost caps on project studies; allow non-federal interests to   contribute funds to expedite project components; annually increase the amount   of funding that is provided from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) for   port maintenance and dredging; and free up money and increase the capacity of   the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF)  and requiring the Corps to study   and report on bonding, user fees, and other potential funding sources.

The House   bill will now move on to conference with the Senate’s Water Resources Development   Act (S. 601) to iron out areas in which the two bills differ. S. 601 includes   similar provisions supported by OSA to annually increase the amount of   funding that is provided from the HMTF for port maintenance and dredging; to   streamline the process for Corps of Engineers projects and reduce project   completion times; and to free up money and increase the capacity of the   Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF).

Additionally,   the Senate version includes an amendment supported by the OSA that would   exempt small farms that store oil in aboveground tanks from federal oil spill   regulations. The amendment would set storage tank thresholds below which   agricultural operations would be excluded from U.S. EPA’s Spill Prevention,   Control and Countermeasure Rule (SPCC).