Frank Pallone: “I am happy to rise today in support of the Water Resource Development Act of 1996 conference report. I would like to…”

“I am happy to rise today in support of the Water Resource Development Act of 1996 conference report. I would like to thank the chairman of the committee, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Shuster], the gentleman from New York [Mr. Boehlert], and our ranking Democrats, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Borski] and the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Oberstar], for their dedication to getting this bill passed in the 104th Congress. I would also like to thank my colleagues the gentlemen from New Jersey, Bob Franks and Bob Menendez, for their efforts on behalf of the Jersey shore and the Port of New York and New Jersey. This long-awaited bill contains several provisions that are vital to stopping ocean dumping of contaminated dredged materials in New Jersey while protecting jobs in the Port of New York and New Jersey. With this bill, we finally have Federal-local cost sharing of confined disposal facilities, so ports can be dredged and the sediments disposed of in a safe environmental manner. In addition, this bill reauthorizes a cutting edge sediment decontamination project for the New York-New Jersey Harbor area. Finally, and very important, thanks to the efforts of the House Coastal Caucus as well as the Senate Coastal Coalition, and the support of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, this bill also maintains the role of the Army Corps of Engineers in much needed shore protection.”