(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator
Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee,
announced the final passage of the $44
million she secured in emergency funding for critical repairs to the Howard
Hanson Dam. The funding, which will go to the Army Corps of Engineers, was
included in the Fiscal Year 2010 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations
bill that passed the Senate last night by unanimous consent. The bill will now
go to the House for consideration.
“This is an investment in the safety of
homes and businesses in one of the most economically vital regions of our state
– the Green River Valley,” said
Senator Murray. “I’ve worked hard to secure the funding for the Corps to
conduct critical repairs because a flood in the valley would have devastating
impacts that would ripple throughout Washington state.
“I have heard from the entire Green River
Valley community and I’m proud to have secured this funding, and see it pass
the Senate today. With this vote, we are one step closer to repairing the dam
and giving the families and business owners of the Green River Valley the peace
of mind they deserve.”
Since Howard Hanson Dam sustained damages
during storms in January of 2009 that weakened its structure, Senator Murray
has spearheaded Congressional efforts to provide support for protective
measures (see timeline below). In March 2010, the Army Corps of
Engineers identified a set of interim repairs costing $44 million that would
further increase protection against a major flood event. However, the Corps
also indicated that in order to move forward with those repairs it would have
to have funding in hand. This meant that funding would have to be found
in the current Fiscal Year budget.
The funding Murray secured has been a focal
point of intense lobbying efforts by state and local officials, as well as
local business leaders and homeowners. In May, Senator Murray invited a
delegation from Washington state to Washington D.C. that included Governor
Gregoire, King County officials, and four Green River Valley Mayors to meet
with Corps and FEMA officials to discuss the potential impacts of a flood.
Murray hosted the
meeting to ensure that federal officials understood the grave threat that a
weakened Howard Hanson Dam presents to families, businesses, and the region’s
economy.
The economic effects of a flood in the Green
River Valley would be devastating. The region produces 12 percent of Washington
state’s total gross state product, includes 95,000 employees, and 90,000
commuters pass through each day. A flood would affect approximately 170,000
residents living in the area and in other areas due to highway closures, work
stoppages, schools closures, and disruptions in utility service. A flood event
with levee failures has been estimated to cause $3.7 billion in
building-related damage in the Green River Valley.
Howard
Hanson Timeline
September 16, 2009: After Governor Gregoire sent a letter to Army Corps
requesting Advance Measures, Senator Murray along with other members of the
delegation sent a letter to the Corps supporting the request (press
release). Senator Murray then spoke to Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of
the Army for Civil Works to push for the Advance Measures request so that local
authorities would have what they needed to stave off an imminent threat.
Senator Murray also discussed the Army Corp’s work on the grout curtain and
drainage tunnel. And she invited Darcy to tour the site, which she ultimately
did.
September 18, 2009: Senator Murray met with local mayors to discuss their
concerns and level of preparedness.
September 27, 2009: Senator Murray holds a press conference in Kent
with Col. Anthony Wright to announce the Army Corps’ release of $3.45 million
at the end of September to purchase sandbags and supersaks to help the local
authorities prevent flooding. When combined with the Corps’ work on the grout
curtain and drainage tunnel. These actions reduced the estimated threat of
flooding from 1in 4 to 1 in 33. (Kent
Reporter story)
September 30, 2009: King County Councilmembers Dow Constantine and
Julia Patterson praised the efforts of Western Washington’s Congressional
delegation in securing a $3.45 million from the Corps to purchase 400,000
sandbags and other flood-fighting materials for use in the Green River Valley.
“I asked Sen. (Patty) Murray for help in getting increased federal support and
she delivered,” said Constantine, chairman of the County Council. “This
short-term funding is important for the preparation effort, but my goal is to
see a permanent end to the flooding threat to Green River Valley residents and
businesses.” (Auburn
Reporter story)
October 22, 2009: Senator Murray calls on the Departments of Commerce
and Interior to provide critical weather forecasting and river monitoring
resources from the National Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey to
address the flood threat posed by structural damage to the Howard Hanson Dam,
in a letter sent October 21st. (Kent
Reporter story)
November 2, 2009: FEMA delivers the flood monitoring tools that Senator
Murray requested (NPR
story)
November 18, 2009: Senator Murray met with FEMA Administrator Craig
Fugate to make sure he understood the situation and was prepared to respond
should flooding occur.
February 4, 2010: Senator Murray, delegation send letter to Corps urging
it to continue working at full speed to complete the study phase of the
Howard Hanson Dam fix and move into the design and construction phase of the
project. The delegation called on the Corps to explain in full how they plan to
complete the study phase by June, 2010 in order to ensure that the project can
be considered for Fiscal Year 2012 construction funding. (press
release)
March 11, 2010: At an Senate Energy and Water Appropriations
Subcommittee hearing, Murray pushed Lt. General Van Antwerp, commanding
General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to assure her that the Corps is
doing everything possible to meet the critical June deadline for completion of
a Howard Hanson Dam study. Unless this study is completed on time, the project
will not be eligible for Fiscal Year 2012 construction funding. Van Antwerp
told Murray that the study would be ready. (press
release)
March 18, 2010: Local officials continue to request money for fix.
Alex Glass, a spokeswoman for Murray, said temporary and permanent repairs to
the dam are “a top priority for her. We know that this is important for
the community and the economy, and she’s going to be looking at every possible
way to help get this funding. It is a tough budget year and a tough lift.”
(Seattle
Times story)
March 23, 2010: Renton Mayor Denis Law comes to D.C to request
funding. Law pointed to U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell as taking
the lead in fighting for federal dollars for dam repairs and helping ensure
that key timelines are met so the interim measures could be finished in time
for the next flood season. “They have heard us loud and clear,” Law
said of the region’s federal representatives. Dam repair is the delegation’s
priority, Law said.
April 21, 2010: Senator Murray sent a letter to Lieutenant General
Robert Van Antwerp urging the Army Corps of Engineers to make unused funding
available for short term fixes to protect the tens of thousands of residents
and 95,000 jobs of the Green River Valley from catastrophic flooding while the
study of permanent fixes to the Howard Hanson Dam is underway. (press
release)
May 6, 2010: Senator Murray invites Washington state political
and business leaders to Washington, D.C.to meet with federal officials to
stress the need to make speedy repairs at Howard Hanson Dam on the upper Green
River. ( SeattlePI
story, press
release)
May 13, 2010: Senator Murray secures $44 million in the
Fiscal Year 2010 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill for Howard Hanson
Dam repairs.
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