NWC News Alert

July 11, 2024

Good evening NWC members,

I just wanted to give you a quick heads up about a few things that happened this week:

As always, if you have any comments or questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Best,

Julie

 

Secretary of Defense Announces Maj. Gen. Graham as Next Corps of Engineers Leader

Maj. Gen. William H. (Butch) Graham Jr. has been selected as the next Chief of Engineers and commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Currently serving as the deputy chief of engineers and commanding general for civil works and emergency operations, Graham’s appointment was announced on July 10. His nomination is pending Senate confirmation. Graham has held senior Army positions domestically and internationally and has also held several Corps positions including commanding the North Atlantic Division in Brooklyn, N.Y., leading the Pittsburgh District, and serving as the Corps’ chief of staff in Washington, D.C. Graham’s previous Army assignments also include directing the Coalition-Joint Engineering Directorate for the Combined Security Transition Command in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.

If confirmed, Graham will succeed Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon, who is concluding his four-year term as Chief of Engineers on September 13. Like Graham, Spellmon advanced to the Chief’s role from positions overseeing civil and emergency operations programs.

 

HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE PASSES FY2025 FOR ENERGY/WATER BILL

On Tuesday, the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY2025 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies appropriations bill which funds the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works program, the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Energy, as well as several other independent federal agencies. The bill was approved by a vote of 30-26.

The overall bill provides $59.19 billion, which is $999 million over FY2024 funding and $139 million below the President’s budget request. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) would receive $9.96 billion, which is $180.2 million below FY2024 enacted levels and $2.7 billion over the President’s budget request. The Bureau of Reclamation would receive $1.951 billion under the bill which is $28.5 million over FY2024 amounts.

Corps civil works FY2025 funding highlights:

  • Investigations: $159 million
  • Construction: $3.01 billion
  • Mississippi Rivers and Tributaries: $370 million
  • Operations and Maintenance: $5.714 billion
  • Regulatory Program: $218 million
  • Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program: $200 million
  • Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies: $45 million
  • WIFIA (Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act) Revolving Loan Program: $5 million administrative expenses to carry out the direct and guaranteed loan programs.

Other sections of interest: Under the bill, the Corps may transfer up to $8.73 million to the Fish and Wildlife Service under “operations and maintenance” to mitigate for fisheries lost to Corps projects; requires the Corps and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to update appropriate Congressional committees on the status of “Waters of the U.S.” guidance implementation; prohibits rulemaking to change PL84-99 eligibility requirements from moving forward; and prohibits federal agencies from spending funds to modify or amend rules on “Reissuance and Modification of Nationwide Permits.”

Bureau of Reclamation FY2025 funding highlights:

  • Water and Related Resources Account: $1.773 billion (For management, development and restoration of water and related natural resources including operation, maintenance and rehabilitation)
  • California Bay-Delta Restoration: $33 million
  • Policy and administration: $66.794 million
  • Rural Water projects: $125.5 million
  • Water storage projects (WIIN Act): $134 million
  • Reclamation Safety of Dams Act: Fully funded at $211.2 million

Under Community Project Funding, the bill includes $899.274 million for 97 Corps and Reclamation projects, which were requested by 77 members. This includes $32.9 million for Corps project studies; $593.97 million for Corps project construction; $93 million for Corps construction in the Mississippi River and Tributaries Account; $164.4 million for Corps operations and maintenance and $9 million for Reclamation projects.

The House is tentatively expected to act on this bill in the coming weeks.

Resources:

 

FEMA finalizes Federal Flood Risk Management Standards rule

On July 10, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released a final rule on its planned implementation of the Federal Flood Risk Management Standards (FFRMS). FEMA states that this new standard is designed to improve community resilience against flooding by utilizing the best available scientific data to anticipate both current and future flood risks, thus enhancing the protective measures for federally funded projects. FEMA’s rule adopts a more comprehensive approach to flood risk. Previously, non-critical projects were required to be protected against the 1% annual chance flood, and critical infrastructure projects—like hospitals and police stations—needed protection against the 0.2% annual chance flood. The FFRMS expands these requirements by increasing both the flood elevation and the breadth of the floodplain to account for potential future conditions as well as current risks. The implementation of FFRMS will necessitate certain design adjustments in new construction, substantial improvements, or repairs following substantial damage. FFRMS also applies to Hazard Mitigation Assistance projects involving structure elevation, dry floodproofing and mitigation reconstruction. In Dec. 2023, NWC submitted detailed comments on the proposed rule. In the comments, we stressed the need to balance flood risk with sensible development; requested clear definitions and procedures on how FFRMS would work, expressed concerns about the economic cost benefits analysis and highlighted the need for specific, workable and feasible metrics. The rule will become effective on Sept. 9, 2024.