Congressman Rick Larsen's Online Office

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) spoke to the importance of making Section 214 permanent at the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee markup of the Water Resources Development Act of 2010.  Section 214 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 allows local governments to fund additional U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff time to expedite the processing of permits for infrastructure and ecosystem restoration projects.  The bill considered by the Committee extended the Section 214 program until 2016, but Larsen proposed an amendment to make the program permanent.

"In a region where we must balance the most difficult environmental issues in the country with the second highest commerce and trade demands of any region in the nation, Section 214 has become key to overcoming permitting delay," Larsen said.  "It is long past time to make the Section 214 program permanent."

Larsen withdrew his amendment after getting a commitment from Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar to work together on making Section 214 permanent.  

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