COCHRAN: MISSISSIPPI WATER PROJECTS FUNDED IN NEW LAW
President Signs FY2010 Energy & Water Appropriations Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) today confirmed that the President has signed into law the FY2010 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill (HR.3183), a measure that will provide funding for levee construction and maintenance projects in Mississippi.
Cochran helped craft this measure as the ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee and as a member of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee. It was signed on Wednesday.
“I am pleased this legislation has been signed into law so that these resources can be put to work in Mississippi,” Cochran said. “The funding in this bill will ensure more progress on the levee system that protects Mississippians. Through the Department of Energy, continued funding will be invested in our universities to develop new approaches to energy production and conservation.”
HR.3183 provides funding for the Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Energy and independent agencies like the Appalachian Regional Commission and Delta Regional Authority.
The new law contains $56.0 million for levee construction and maintenance in Mississippi in FY2010, as well as $24.0 million for the operation and maintenance of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. Within funding outlined for the Department of Energy, universities in Mississippi are in line for energy-related research and development projects.
The following are highlights of Mississippi projects funded in the new law:
Water Projects
- Mississippi River Levee Construction & Maintenance -- $56.0 million for levee construction ($44.7 million) and maintenance ($11.3 million)
- Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway -- $24.0 million for operation and maintenance, in addition to $2.5 million for wildlife mitigation activities
- Mississippi Water and Wastewater Projects -- $10.0 million for water and wastewater projects authorized under the Water Resources Development Act/Section 592
- DeSoto County Regional Utility Authority -- $8.0 million to support the DeSoto County regional wastewater system
- Mississippi River Flood Control – More than $80.0 million directed to harbor and river projects in Mississippi
Department of Energy
- Sustainable Energy Research Center, Mississippi State University -- $10.0 million to support engineering and scientific research related to creating renewable transportation fuel industries
- Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Richton -- $25.0 million for engineering and site characterization
- Gulf of Mexico Hydrates Research Consortium, University of Mississippi -- $1.2 million to continue development and deployment of an integrated multi-sensor station for continuous monitoring of hydrates and the gas hydrate stability zone in the Gulf of Mexico
- Nanostructured Materials for Improved Photovoltaics, University of Southern Mississippi -- $1.0 million to develop photovoltaic devices for commercial renewable energy use
- High-Speed Wind Turbine Noise Model With Suppression, University of Mississippi -- $1.0 million to investigate blade modifications to control wind turbine noise
Independent Agencies
- Appalachian Regional Commission -- $76.0 million
- Delta Regional Authority -- $13.0 million
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