Potentially big news for the environment:

This week Congress passed the Water Resources Development Act. This is bipartisan legislation where separate versions were already passed by both the House and Senate, and finally agreed on a compromise to allow this to become law after being stalled since 2014. The bill authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Program to carry out projects to improve the nation’s ports and harbors, inland waterway navigation, flood and storm protection.

The good news:

• Brings federal government back into coastal management
• Relies on independent external peer review of projects
• Includes expansion of Chesapeake Bay Oyster Recovery Program
• Includes a study of Delaware Inland bays restoration
• Includes study of Delaware Bay coastline in Sussex County DE (and NJ?)
• Includes study of NJ coastal erosion on Atlantic side
• Included study to recommend NJ coastal ecosystem restoration (living shorelines?)
• Addresses Public/Private partnership projects
• Includes renewal energy projects
• Eases rules for expanding broadband internet to underserved rural areas (like Money Island)
• Includes study of impact of EDA funding on rural underserved communities (Cumberland County?)
• Establishes a Mid-Atlantic Regional Commission

The not-so-good news:

• It will be incredibly expensive
• No funding is included in this bill
• The Army Corp of Engineers has a notorious track record in past environmental projects
• There is no indication yet of any direct impact on the Delaware Bay

A summary is posted at https://transportation.house.gov/uploadedfiles/final_section_by_section_of_house_amendment_to_s_4367.pdf