[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 96 (Tuesday, July 16, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1269]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     INTRODUCTION OF BENEFICIAL USE OF DREDGED MATERIAL LEGISLATION

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                          HON. WALTER B. JONES

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 16, 2002

  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform the 
House of Representatives about the introduction of legislation to allow 
for the transfer of dredged material onto our Nation's beaches.
  In my home state of North Carolina, our beaches are economic engines, 
providing thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in revenues. 
However, beach erosion threatens the existence of these economic 
engines and frankly the federal regulatory and statutory regimes do not 
move quickly enough to replace this lost infrastructure.
  The current standard used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
requires the disposal of dredged material obtained from a Federal 
navigation project in the least costly manner. This method almost 
always results in the offshore placement of sand. However, when these 
facilities are dredged, the disposal of the dredged material offshore 
may not be the least cost disposal method. The offshore disposal option 
increase the costs of erosion so the regional and national economies 
are damaged by a reduction in recreation spending.
  Therefore, I have introduced legislation today making it easier to 
place sand dredged from authorized navigation projects onto beaches in 
order to provide shore protection for years to come. My legislation 
would amend the least cost disposal method to allow municipalities to 
take these dredged spoils and place them on nearby beaches while 
adhering to the current 65/35 cost-share ratio.
  Mr. Speaker, I would ask my colleagues to join me today in 
cosponsoring this legislation. Four times more Americans visit the 
Nation's beaches than our National Parks every year. Beach nourishment 
is good economic policy and this proposal will allow the Army Corps of 
Engineers to supplement its effective shore protection programs.

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