WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, yesterday participated in a hearing to examine the benefits of investing in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) water infrastructure projects. Witnesses included West Virginian Robert McCoy of Sissonville, president and CEO of Amherst Madison.

HIGHLIGHTS:

LOOKING OUT FOR SMALL & RURAL COMMUNITIES: “You mentioned a lot about small and rural communities with the flood risk management projects and how difficult it is to get those funded and off the ground. How can we improve that process? Is it capacity to develop these projects—besides the money issue?”

ADJUSTING COST SHARES: “We championed the provision in WRDA 2020 that you mentioned in your statement that changed the construction cost share for navigation projects on the waterways. What effect do you think this will have changing that cost share? Are you seeing any of the effects of that? I know these things go into a process, but what kind of effect would you see on that?”

COST OF AGING INFRASTRUCTURE: “I know in the upper Ohio [River], a lot of locks and dams in that area are very old. You mentioned this in the answer to your last question. Could you quantify that for people? What is a ‘very old’ lock and dam and when is the last time major maintenance was done on those?...Does your business have delays and other things associated with the inadequacies of those locks to function to hold up commerce?” 

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