[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 207 (Tuesday, December 8, 2020)]
[House]
[Page H7026]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     CRITICAL WATER INFRASTRUCTURE

  (Mr. KELLER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, today's passage of the Water Resources 
Development Act of 2020, as amended by the Senate, marks a new chapter 
for a critical infrastructure project that is very important to the 
residents of Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District.
  The Williamsport levee, located in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in 
the heart of PA-12, is in dire need of repair to protect the 
livelihoods of local residents and businesses.
  The flood zone behind the 20-mile levee system is responsible for 
nearly 87 percent of Lycoming County's economic activity. This area 
employs more than half of the region's workforce and is home to 24 of 
the county's 50 largest employers.
  This bill authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out a 
feasibility study of the imminent threat the levee poses to Lycoming 
County's residents and economy. This study is a precursor to 
construction and funding for the levee and represents an important step 
toward addressing this critical infrastructure need.
  I will continue to do everything in my power to work with the Army 
Corps of Engineers to prioritize this project. Today, we take an 
important step forward in our community's collective effort to get this 
infrastructure project across the finish line, and for that, I am 
grateful.

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