(Washington,
D.C.) – Today, Senator Patty Murray, Senator Maria Cantwell, Congressman Adam
Smith, Congressman Dave Reichert, Congressman Norm Dicks, Congressman Jim
McDermott, Congressman Jay Inslee, Congressman Brian Baird and Congressman Rick
Larsen sent a letter to Lieutenant General Robert Van Antwerp urging the U.S.
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 permanent fixes to the Howard
Hanson Dam are underway.
“As we all know, a permanent fix for the Howard Hanson Dam is not a simple
task, and that such construction projects take time to execute properly and
safely. We appreciate the hard work of the Corps to quickly complete the
study and design phase,” wrote members of Congress. “In order to ensure
the well-being of the people and the region while the permanent fix is
completed, it is imperative that the Interim Risk Reduction Measures move
forward as quickly as possible. We realize that this may involve
reprogramming funds previously appropriated to other projects, but as you are
aware, this project is critical to the safety of our constituents and the
economy of the Green River Valley, and therefore should be a priority for any
unspent Corps funding.”
A
copy of the full letter appears below:
Lieutenant
General Robert Van Antwerp
U.S.
Army Chief of Engineers and Commanding General
U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers
441
G Street, NW
Washington,
DC 20314-1000
Dear
Lieutenant General Van Antwerp:
Thank
you for your ongoing leadership and work on a permanent fix for the Howard
Hanson Dam in Washington State. We write to express our continued concern
about the level of protection offered by the Howard Hanson Dam and the
increased flood risk it poses to the Green River Valley.
We
appreciate the progress that has been made to date on interim measures,
including an initial grout curtain, work on the dam’s drainage tunnel, and
deployment of flood barriers in the most vulnerable areas. The result of
this work has reduced the estimated probability of flooding from 1 in 3 to 1 in
25, which has been an important achievement toward improving the safety of
those who live, work, or own businesses in the Green River Valley.
As
you may know, tens of thousands of people are at risk if the Green River Valley
were to flood. In addition to the threat to peoples’ lives, the Green
River Valley would suffer enormous negative economic impacts as it is home to
the second largest industrial park on the West Coast, and is the fifth largest
in the nation. Over 95,000 jobs in the area make up approximately 8
percent of all jobs in King County. This represents $107 million per day
in total economic output – 12 percent of Washington State’s gross state
product.
Until
the full protection offered by the Howard Hanson Dam is restored, it remains
difficult for residents and businesses in the Green River Valley to feel
secure. Toward that end, we have been briefed by Major General William
Grisoli and other Northwest Division-based officials on additional Interim Risk
Reduction Measures for the dam that will further reduce the risk of flooding to
an estimated probability of 1 in 140 by extending the grout curtain over a
deeper and wider area of the right abutment. We understand that this will
allow the dam to store higher levels of water for short periods of time and
protect the Green River Valley from several severe rain events, at a cost of
$44 million.
It
is our intent to continue to work closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
to come up with funds to allow the Corps to move forward expeditiously with the
Interim Risk Reduction Measures as outlined to us, as well as moving forward
with a long term solution. Given the enormous economic consequences to
the Green River Valley, and that we are currently in the middle of an appropriations
cycle, it is imperative that the Corps work diligently to find funds within its
budget. Therefore, we request that you, without delay, critically
review and assess your budgets and previously obligated funds to determine the
availability of funding to reprogram for this vital project.
We
ask that you look at all previously appropriated funds, including regular order
appropriations, previously appropriated disaster or supplemental funds, and
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. It is our understanding
that the Interim Risk Reduction Measures are ready to go and construction on an
extended grout curtain can begin quickly once funding is made available.
As
we all know, a permanent fix for the Howard Hanson Dam is not a simple task,
and that such construction projects take time to execute properly and
safely. We appreciate the hard work of the Corps to quickly complete the
study and design phase. In order to ensure the well-being of the people
and the region while the permanent fix is completed, it is imperative that the
Interim Risk Reduction Measures move forward as quickly as possible. We
realize that this may involve reprogramming funds previously appropriated to
other projects, but as you are aware, this project is critical to the safety of
our constituents and the economy of the Green River Valley, and therefore
should be a priority for any unspent Corps funding.
Thank
you for your attention to this request, and we look forward to hearing back
from you on the availability of funding for the Interim Risk Reduction Measures
at Howard Hanson Dam.
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