April
29,
2016
Dear
Friends,
This
winter,
Delaware
and
our neighbors in
the
Northeast
were
struck
by
a
historic
nor’easter
one
of
the
strongest
winter
storms
we’ve
experienced
in
decades.
Across
the
state,
and
especially
in
our
coastal
communities,
we
prepared
for
the
worst
when
we
realized
the
tides
and
winds
wouldn’t
be
in
our
favor
and
could
result
in
significant
damage.
Fortunately,
our
preparations
in
the
days,
months
and
years
leading
up
to
that
storm
-
like
the
great
work
building
our
sand
dunes
to
prevent
severe coastal flooding
-
meant
that
our
communities
were
ready.
Delaware
is blessed
to
be situated
between
the
Atlantic
Ocean,
the
Chesapeake
Bay,
the
Delaware
River
and
Bay,
and
rich
with
inland
bays,
rivers
and
tidal
marshes. These
bodies
of
water
support
the
First
State
in
countless
ways,
providing
leisure
activities
and
facilitating
commerce.
But
that
also
means
that severe
weather
events
and
storms
like
this
winter’s
nor’easter
can
pose
a
threat
to
the
quality
of
life
and
livelihoods
of
those
of
us
who
call
Delaware
home. That’s why
one
of
my
top
priorities
in
the
Senate
is
ensuring
that
Delaware
has
the
resources
it
needs
to
prepare
for
extreme
weather,
protect
our
communities
and
preserve
our
world-class
beaches.
The
Army
Corps
of
Engineers
is
a
valued
partner
in
managing
our
state’s
waters
and
beaches through
navigation,
flood
control
and
environmental
restoration
projects
and
the
Water
Resources
Development
Act
(WRDA) is
the
primary
legislation
that
authorizes
the
U.S.
Army
Corps
of
Engineers’
key
civil
works
activities.
This
week,
the
Senate
Environment
and
Public
Works
Committee
came
together
and approved
a
WRDA
bill
to enhance
protections
for
our
natural
resources
and
water
systems,
and
boost
our
infrastructure
in
ways
that
would improve
public
safety
while
also
strengthening our
local
and
national
economies.
As
one
of
the
top
Democrats
on
the
Environment
and
Public
Works
Committee, I am
proud
of
the
committee's broad
bipartisan
support
for advancing the
WRDA
bill to
the
Senate
floor
for
consideration
by
the
full
Senate. The
legislation
we
approved
this
week
contains
a
number
of
critical
provisions
for
Delaware,
including
protections
for
our
beaches
to
mitigate
against
damage
from
severe
weather
events.
The
bill
also
includes
provisions
to
expand
our
state’s
ability
to
reuse
dredged
material
to
build
up
our
beaches’
resilience
and
restore
vital
ecosystems. These
programs
are
critical
to
Delaware’s
ongoing
beach
replenishment
and
protection
efforts.
I’ve
long
believed
an
ounce
of
prevention
is
worth
a
pound
of
cure,
and
that’s
what
we’re
doing
with
this
bill.
In
the
First
State,
we
know
that
extreme
weather
and
other
natural
events
out
of
our
control
can
wreak
havoc
on
our
water
systems
and
coastal
areas.
That’s
why
it’s
absolutely
critical
that
we continue
to
invest in
our
infrastructure
so
that
we
ensure
we’re
prepared
for
future
storms
-
WRDA
helps
us
to
do
that. I’ll continue
to
work
every
day
to
ensure
this
bill
continues
to
make
its
way
through
Congress
and
on
to
President
Obama
for
his
signature.
As
always,
I
look
forward
to
hearing
from
you
on
this
issue,
or
any
other
through
email,
or
by
contacting
me
on
Twitter
@SenatorCarper
and
on
Facebook
at
facebook.com/tomcarper.
|