Washington, D.C. — Today, the full House of Representatives passed, by a vote of 399-18, the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA), which includes U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda’s (HI-02) priorities benefiting Hawaii.The bill is expected to be passed by the Senate and later sent to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
Top priorities for Hawai‘i secured by Rep. Tokuda include:
Increasing the Maui Environmental Infrastructure authorization from $20 million to $50 million to assist with the wildfire recovery.
Studying the Lahaina Watershed on Maui, including the coral reef habitat north of Lahaina, which will examine the mauka to makai impacts of the wildfire to better protect the community from flooding and the coast from runoff.
Assessing the Kaiaka-Waialua Watershed on Oʻahu to helpprevent future flooding and climate change impacts.
Modifyingthe Laupāhoehoe Harbor project on Hawaiʻi Island to allow for the repair of the harbor’s breakwater structure.
Evaluating sources of flooding and proposing solutions to reduce flood damages in the Hanapēpē River watershed.
“From hurricanes to flooding to wildfires, Hawai‘i has seen an increasing number of extreme weather events that can pose catastrophic damage to our island communities. I am proud this bill includes projects across all four counties to help protect our communities from future disasters. We must continue to do all that we can to ensure our state has the ability to withstand devastation and rebuild when necessary,” said Rep. Tokuda.
Congress generally passes a WRDA every two years to provide for conservation and development of water and related resources. These bills also authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct studies, construct projects, and conduct research activities that can lead to the improvement of rivers and harbors across the country.
A full summary of the Water Resources Development Act of 2024, as passed by the House of Representatives, can be found here.
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