Washington, DC -- Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is pleased with today’s Senate passage of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) that includes funds for important South Florida projects.  On top of the billions the bill provides for Everglades restoration, the funds will also allow for:

1) Phase III authorization for the 50-52 foot dredging project at the Port of Miami. The legislation authorizes the project for a total cost of $125,270,000, with an estimated Federal cost of $75,140,000 and an estimated non-Federal cost of $50,130,000.

2) Language which exempts the Miami Harbor General Reevaluation Report (GRR) from 2004 revised cost sharing rules governing GRR’s.   Miami was one of only two ports provided with the exemption language in this bill.  

3) $6,250,000 authorization for the Miami - Dade proposed water reuse transmission pipeline

4) Authorization for reimbursement to the Seaport Department for costs incurred for partial completion of “useable increments,” was replaced with generic language which allows credit for work accomplished by non-federal interests in advance of the execution of the Project Cooperation Agreement.  Report language indicates that the credit language shall apply to Miami Harbor. The credit can be applied to the Phase III construction dredging costs. 

5) Language allowing local governments to be reimbursed for Federal work completed prior to the signing of a Project Cooperation Agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers. This provision would allow the City of Layton in the Florida Keys to be reimbursed for the Federal cost-share it advanced to complete the City’s portion of the Florida Keys Wastewater Project.

Said Ros-Lehtinen, “This is an important bill that contains funds for several South Florida projects. It is my sincere hope that all political considerations will be put aside so that this legislation can become law.”

* The final Senate vote was 81 to 12.

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