The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) today applauded the US Senate’s passage, by a vote of 95-3, of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which will authorize more than $10 billion worth of projects to improve navigation, replace and restore aging locks and dams, and provide aid to Flint, Mich. and other communities in need of replacing pipes, sewers and other drinking water infrastructure.
“The steel industry relies heavily on seaports and inland waterways to move raw materials necessary for steelmaking and bring finished steel products to market. A bill to improve water infrastructure is long overdue, and today’s passage is a critical step toward ensuring more efficient and cost-effective navigation that will help our nation remain globally competitive,” said Thomas J. Gibson, president and CEO of AISI.
“Our nation’s seaports are heavily congested and not dredged to full capacity, while our inland waterways include obsolete and aging infrastructure that often results in costly delays. WRDA reauthorization will help restore some of our nation’s precious ecosystems while enhancing critical infrastructure and creating jobs. We applaud the Senate’s commitment to bipartisanship in passing this bill.”
Gibson noted that the House could consider their version of the measure as early as next week.