(July 1, 2009) -- On Tues. June 30, Cong. Laura Richardson (D., Carson-LB) provided a tour of the Ports of LB-L.A. and area infrastructure for Cong. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D, TX), who chairs House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. That Committee oversees the Corps of Engineers and the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), the latter used to fund water infrastructure projects nationally. Alongside Cong. Richardson for the harbor tour was LB Harbor Commissioner Dr. Mike Walter.
Photo: Cong. Richardson's office
A release by the Congresswoman's office focused on Breakwater funding. (Release text: "[T]he breakwater currently prevents large waves from disrupting the operations of the port and possible residences. The existence of the breakwater, however, has significantly decreased waves along the shore and caused pollutant buildup in the harbor. Many believe that the area’s water supply has been adversely affected by the breakwater as well")
As previously reported by LBReport.com, Congresswoman Richardson recently managed to have a $100,000 Earmark included in a House Appropriations subcommittee reported bill that could fund Corps of Engineers evaluation of a Federal interest in reconfiguring the LB Breakwater.
However the itinerary for the visit went well beyond the Breakwater: the Congressmembers took a helicopter tour of multiple facilities in and around the 37th Cong. district with water resource and environmental implications (the subject matter of Cong. Johnson's committee). These included the Leo J. Vander Lans Advanced Water Treatment Facility (AWTF) in Carson; the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP), Carson; LB Water Reclamation Plant (WRP); LB Seawater Desalination Project, Long Beach; Southeast Resource Recovery Facility (SERRF), Long Beach...and the Alameda Corridor and Ports of LB/L.A.
"I was honored to have my colleague come out and tour the Port of Long Beach with me today," Congresswoman Richardson said in a release. "Since my election to the House of Representatives in 2007, I have secured over $12 Million in water resource development and infrastructure appropriations projects. Having Chairwoman Bernice Johnson vouch for future projects in the 37th District will only help in my continued efforts to earn more essential federal dollars."
In her release, Congresswoman Richardson noted that she had previously brought a Cabinet Secretary and four Committee Chairmen and Chairwomen to tour the 37th Congressional District. "This equates to House of Representatives leadership witnessing firsthand the needs of the District and its people and their subsequent support of the issues that impact the region. This many high profile visits in such a short period of time has never been done in the 37th District," Congresswoman Richardson said. "It is a crucial part of building relationships that will benefit the District when Congress next considers infrastructure legislation including the Water Resources Development Act or a bill to authorize federal funding for the Long Beach Breakwater."
Congresswoman Richardson added in the release: "Long Beach will have another advocate pushing this funding through Congress now that the Chairwoman has seen the breakwater firsthand," Congresswoman Richardson said in her release.
Photo: Cong. Richardson's office
The visit comes as Cunningham Report.com reports that "Executives from six major West Coast ports traveled to Washington last week to ask for more federal funding for freight movement and intermodal projects. The group - which included directors from the Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach, Port of Oakland, Port of Seattle, Port of Tacoma and Port of Portland - met with members of Congress and with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood...The ports want Congress to create an assistant secretary for intermodalism or freight movement at the Department of Transportation. They also want the reauthorization of the federal highway bill to include a freight movement program and dedicated funding for freight projects of regional or national significance."
