[Senate Hearing 117-253]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 117-253
EXAMINING SHORELINE AND RIVERBANK RESTORATION IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE
CHANGE
=======================================================================
FIELD HEARING
before the
COMMITTEE ON
ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
FEBRUARY 23, 2022
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov
______
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
47-534PDF WASHINGTON : 2023
COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware, Chairman
BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West
BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont Virginia
SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island Ranking Member
JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma
EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota
TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois CYNTHIA M. LUMMIS, Wyoming
DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan RICHARD SHELBY, Alabama
MARK KELLY, Arizona JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
ALEX PADILLA, California ROGER WICKER, Mississippi
DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska
JONI ERNST, Iowa
LINDSEY O. GRAHAM, South Carolina
Mary Frances Repko, Democratic Staff Director
Adam Tomlinson, Republican Staff Director
C O N T E N T S
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Page
FEBRUARY 23, 2022
OPENING STATEMENTS
Carper, Hon. Thomas R., U.S. Senator from the State of Delaware.. 1
WITNESSES
Graham, William, Major General................................... 7
Prepared statement........................................... 10
Kelly, Jason E., Brigadier General............................... 16
Prepared statement........................................... 18
Edwards, John Bel, Louisiana Governor............................ 32
Prepared statement........................................... 36
Carney, John, Delaware Governor.................................. 47
Prepared statement........................................... 50
Lock, Kathleen, Slaughter Beach Mayor............................ 52
Prepared statement........................................... 56
Brockbank, Derek, Executive Director, Coastal States Organization 63
Prepared statement........................................... 66
EXAMINING SHORELINE AND RIVERBANK RESTORATION IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE
CHANGE
----------
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2022
U.S. Senate,
Committee on Environment and Public Works,
Washington, DC.
The committee, met, pursuant to notice, at 10:00 a.m. at
Bethany Beach Town Hall, Hon. Thomas R. Carper (chairman of the
committee) presiding.
Present: Senator Carper, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt
Rochester.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. THOMAS R. CARPER,
U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF DELAWARE
Senator Carper. All rise.
I was just kidding. Congresswoman, this is an audience with
a sense of humor. Our son Ben when he was in the third grade,
gave advice to his fellow third graders at Brandywood
Elementary School, home of the Bumble Bees just up north in New
Castle County. And his advice to them was humor is everything.
People say where did he get that. I'm not sure, but you can
never have too much of it. Even in the midst of all the
challenges we face here at home and around the world, there's a
reason to be optimistic.
I'd like to quote Albert Einstein, who used to say in
adversity lies opportunity, in adversity lies opportunity.
Albert Einstein was a professor at Princeton, about halfway
between here and New York City. And he used to take the train a
lot out of Princeton.
And one day he got on the train and he was looking for his
ticket. And he looked in his coat, he looked in his pants, he
looked in his shirt, he looked in his briefcase. He couldn't
find his ticket.
And the conductor comes along. And Albert Einstein is
pretty anxious. And the conductor said Dr. Einstein, we know
you, we know who you are, we know you ride the train a lot, so
don't worry about it, you're OK.
And then he walks away, the conductor walks away and starts
to go into the next car. And just before he goes into the next
car, he looks back into the car and he sees Dr. Einstein down
on his hands and knees looking for his train ticket. And the
conductor rushes back there. He says Dr. Einstein, Dr.
Einstein, don't do this, you ride the train all the time, we
know who you are, we know who you are. And Dr. Einstein looked
up from his hands and knees and he says young man, I know who I
am, too. I just don't know where I'm supposed to go.
We're going to talk a little bit today about where we need
to go, where we need to go. I'm delighted to be joined here by
Lisa Blunt Rochester, who serves our State in so many different
capacities. And we're delighted to be joined here by our
leaders, leadership from the Army Corps of Engineers. I'm a
retired Navy captain. I always say when I'm around people in
the Army, different uniforms but the same team.
And here in this--I'll just get this off my chest. We love
the Army Corps of Engineers. And you and the folks that you
lead have helped out State in so many ways, continue to help
our State in so many ways from the Maryland line all the way up
to Pennsylvania. And we probably don't say thank you enough. We
try to, but thank you for all that and your folks do for us, do
with us, and thank you for joining us here today.
I have about a 2-hour statement that I will open with. Then
we'll have lunch. It won't seem like 2 hours, but it's a lot
shorter. I can assure you. But we brought this gavel in. And if
I don't use it, my staff will kill me. There you go. And if
people nod off, I'm going to use it again. I see here in the
audience we're joined by my former colleague, Mary Landrieu.
Mary, stand up.
Let's give Mary a nice round of applause. Her husband,
Ernest Frank. Mary, like me, is a former State treasurer and
she and I served together. Pretty good partners for any number
of years in the Senate. And delighted to see both of you here
today. The letter C figures prominently in the history of our
State. The letter C figures prominently in the history of our
State. Many, many years ago, colonists came from all over the
world, from the Netherlands, the Dutch, we had Swedes, the
Finns. Just people came from all over the world to settle
Delaware and settle this country. But the letter C, colonists.
A lot of them raised corn. And as time would go by, a lot of
them would raise chickens, which would eat the corn.
Over 100 years ago, we changed our Constitution in order to
make Delaware an attractive place for companies to incorporate.
And today I think there are more Fortunate 500 companies
incorporated in the State of Delaware than in any State in the
country. So corporations is a big deal. Constitution. We were
the first State to ratify the constitution. About 70, 80 miles
up the road in Dover, 25 white guys gathered at the Golden
Fleece Tavern for two or 3 days, drank a lot of milk, reviewed
the document that had been sent down from Philadelphia. And
after 3 days of debate, ratified it unanimously. So we became
the First State.
Cars. There was a time not that long ago where we built
more cars. We had a huge plant, as Lisa remembers, as our
lieutenant Governor remembers. Huge plant, a Chrysler plant in
Newark and a huge GM plant near New Port, Delaware.
And so we are also famous for our credit cards. Raise your
hand if you have a credit card on your body or your purse. If
you have a credit card, there's about a 60 percent chance that
it was issued from a bank in Delaware. For those of you who
don't always promptly pay your fees, thank you. You are
forgiven and encouraged.
A lot of companies here, a lot of companies here over the
years. A lot of them are mom and pops, but some of them are
pretty big. The DuPont Company is just one of those that are
really big. We have some of the biggest banks, corporations
really around the world. And big companies like AstraZeneca
call Delaware their American home headquarters. We have also
leaders like Carney, John Carney, our Governor. Like Castle,
who was our Governor and our Congressman. Like Carper. And then
we have LBR, Lisa Blunt Rochester.
Congresswoman Rochester. Forget Coons.
Senator Carper. Oh, Coons, our Senator.
And we have LBR. No C there. So somebody said one time
maybe no C, but a really cool Congresswoman. There you go. Can
I get an amen? Can I get an amen? Amen. And we have coasts. We
have a big coast here for a little State. And we have a lot of
five-star beaches. The last time I checked, we had more five-
star beaches than any State in America, something we're really
proud of. And one of them is named after our Lieutenant
Governor Bethany Hall, Bethany. Nice round of applause.
Thank you.
Senator Carper. And we have a couple of other Cs that are
more troublesome. And one of those is climate change. It's not
something I thought a whole lot about when I used to come here
as a guy in graduate school right out of the Navy. Didn't think
a lot about climate change at that time. Just thought about
having a good time, and we certainly did. I made my decision to
run for State treasurer at the age of 29 just a few miles up
the road from here on a beach, a Delaware beach just up the
road. My wife and I for many years would come to Bethany Beach
with our sons when they were younger, just little guys. And we
actually made the decision, a family decision for me to run for
Governor right here in Bethany Beach out of Bethany West where
we had rented a house. So this place has a special meaning for
me and for our family.
And the other C I want to mention is the Corps, the Army
Corps of Engineers. I'm privileged to serve as chairman of a
committee called Environment and Public Works. We have
jurisdiction over roads, highways, bridges, climate change,
clean air, clean water, drinking water, wastewater, sanitation,
flooding. And the Army Corps of Engineers is really part of our
entities that we oversee. And it's really a source of joy, just
a source of joy.
That was an ad lib. That was a riff. And now I have to get
even more serious and because the business before us is
serious.
And we are here today to discuss two immensely important
and related topics, climate change and coastal restoration.
Having this discussion in the communities that directly feel
the impacts of climate change bring new perspectives and a
greater sense of urgency to our work.
So everyone who has traveled to Bethany
Beach, whether you live around here or you've come from
another State or upstate, we're happy that you have and we want
to welcome you warmly.
I'll thrilled that Lisa is here, our Congresswoman. And
we've partnered on so many things in the past. I'm happy and
delighted to be partnering with you today.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a principal steward of
our Nation's water and infrastructure. The Corps plays a
critical role in the construction and maintenance of much of
the infrastructure we see around us in Delaware, such as our
Port of Wilmington, our wetlands, our marsh, and our beaches.
The Port of Wilmington is being expanded to the north.
Basically doubled in size, doubled in employment. We expect
another couple thousand people to be working there in a few
years. And none of that would happen without the help of the
Army Corps of Engineers. So we've grateful for that.
If you had a banana with your breakfast today and you
bought it on the east coast, that banana came through the Port
of Wilmington. We are the top banana port on the east coast.
The Corps is also responsible for operating America's water
highway, 12,000-mile long system of inland waterways that are
vital, vital to domestic and international commerce. Each year
this expansive system moves more than 500 million tons of
commodities, 500 million tons of commodities. The includes 6
percent of our Nation's agricultural exports.
The Corps' action to operate and maintain the system
results in economic benefit of nearly $14 billion each year,
$14 billion each year in economic benefits, tens of thousands,
hundreds of thousands of jobs actually. As Joe Biden would say
actually good paying, good union jobs. Want to work that in.
The Corps is also tasked with protecting our communities
and our infrastructure from floods and from coastal storms. In
2020 alone, these efforts amounted to more than $250 billion in
damage prevention, in damage reduction. And that's not all.
As we see in Delaware and across our nation when these
ecosystems are protected by the
Corps, communities are protected and important wildlife
habitat is conserved.
These restoration activities also drive tourism and
ecotourism economies. For example, people travel from all over
to enjoy our beaches and observe our beloved horseshoe crabs
and our migratory birds.
In the United States, more than 128 million people, this is
a great stat, in the United States there are more than 128
million people who live in coastal counties. That represents
more than 40 percent of our Nation's population.
Get this. If America's coastal counties were their own
nation, just imagine all the counties on the coast were their
own nation, their gross domestic product would rank third in
the world, exceeded only by China and by the U.S. as a whole.
Unfortunately, today these population centers, these
engines of our economy face a growing unrelenting threat from
climate change and many times do not compete well for Federal
assistance due to antiquated budgeting procedures.
Since 1901, global sea levels have risen by nearly ten
inches. Well, that may not sound like much, but it is. And the
story gets worse, because in the days to come, the years to
come, we're going to witness not just ten inches of sea level
rise, but a whole lot more.
A recent report released actually earlier this month by
NOAA, not Noah the flood, the ark, but
NOAA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, they
released a report that got a lot of attention. It's going to
continue to get a lot of attention.
They project with respect to sea level rise that it's going
to accelerate in the next 30years unless we intervene. The
report explains that the United States will experience a
profound increase in the frequency of coastal flooding, even in
the absence of storms or heavy rainfall.
The signs are clear. We must make our infrastructure both
more resilient and more nature-based to withstand our changing
climate.
And while we simultaneously address the root cause of
climate change, too much carbon dioxide in our atmosphere,
trapping emissions from all sort of places, our cars, our
trucks, our vans, our power plants, our manufacturing
facilities.
In Delaware, we've demonstrated that we can protect
communities and the environment while also growing our economy.
It's not a choice. We can do both and we need to do both.
But the continued threats from climate change are
threatening this balancing act. The same can be said for
Louisiana. On any given day, Louisiana loses, get this, a
football field size piece of wetlands to the sea every 100
minutes.
Think about that. Think about a football field every 100
minutes. That piece of land is gone to the sea.
That, if you add that up since 1930, it's an area the size
of Delaware. So it's huge, huge. And it's going larger and more
quickly. Think about it.
These losses will only speed up if we fail to respond and
take the action that's called for. The science is clear. The
science is clear.
One of my favorite songs by Thomas Dolby, a one hit wonder,
was She Blinded Me with Science. And we don't want to be
blinded with science. We want to be guided by science, guided
by science.
And the science is clear. We must attack this crisis on all
fronts, addressing both the root causes of climate change while
also repairing the damage that we've already experienced. The
latter is where the Army Corps of
Engineers plays a vital role. Despite the Corps' historical
effectiveness of managing flood and coastal storm damages, the
growing threat of climate change demands that this agency adapt
to better protect our coast. And to help the agency to do so,
Congress needs to give the Corps a proper budget and necessary
authorities.
Last year, in fact, last fall, not that many months ago,
President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
Act into law, which I had the privilege to help write and to
manage on the floor. A large part of it came out of my
committee that I'm privileged to chair.
This law, combined with the expected annual appropriations
and supplemental spending, are expected to provide the Army
Corps of Engineers with an additional $100 billion to spend
over the next five years.
I'll be honest with you. That's a lot of money. It's
probably not enough money to meet all the requirements and all
the challenges that are facing them. But it's a huge amount of
money compared to what we've provided them in the past.
This historic investment will allow the Corps to begin to
clear its deck of backlogged projects across our country and
free up additional funds that must be used to address key
initiates in our battle against climate change.
To incentivize, rather to increase the focus of the Army
Corps' mission around climate change, Congresswoman Blunt
Rochester, Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy, and Congressman
Graves from Louisiana. What's his first name; do you know?
Congresswoman Rochester. Garret.
Senator Carper. Garret. Thank you. And I have introduced
legislation known as the Shoreline Health Oversight Restoration
Resilience and Enhancement Act. Try to put that on a bumper
sticker. But fortunately, there's an acronym, as there is in
most cases. And this one is the word SHORRE, the word SHORRE
with two Rs, two Rs. I didn't do that well in spelling.
If enacted, the SHORRE Act will empower the Corps to
protect our Nation's coast from the effect of climate change.
And our bill does this by elevating coastal restoration to a
primary mission of the agency and promoting the development of
sustainable nature-based resilience projects. Our legislation
also facilitates the Corps' work with
State and local partners and climate mitigation and
ecosystem restoration projects. We look forward to discussing
the SHORRE Act with our colleagues in Congress and working to
include it as part of our biannual water infrastructure
legislation that the Congress will take up this year.
We take up Water Resources Development Act every 2 years.
And we passed it with huge bipartisan margins. We are hopefully
taking that up on the floor later this year and hope we get the
same strong response and support. And part of that we hope will
be the SHORRE legislation that I just talked about.
And that leads us to today's hearing. We'll soon hear from
a diverse panel of witnesses, wonderful witnesses, including
two highly regarded coastal Governors, our own Governor and the
Governor of Louisiana, senior Army Corps officials and
stakeholders who are deeply invested in the health and
resiliency of our Nation's coasts.
And we were grateful to each of you for your presence and
really for your leadership and eager to hear from this panel
and others that will follow us as we discuss the critical
intersection of climate change with our coasts and the US Army
Corps of Engineers.
Now a few introductions. First, Major General William,
Butch, Graham, proud Panther. Graduate of the University of
Pittsburgh. He was Army ROTC there. I was Navy ROTC there. Not
there, but not far away in Ohio State. But where he's the
current deputy commanding general for civil and emergency
operation at headquarters U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. If that
sounds like a big job and a big deal, it is. He has a huge,
huge job and challenge.
There he oversees all the Corps' civil works activities
along with a $7 billion annual program and responses to storms
and other natural disasters.
His previous Corps assignments included commander of the
Corps' North Atlantic Division in Pittsburgh district. He's
literally served our nation all over the world. And we're
grateful for that and honored by his presence today.
General Graham is no stranger to Delaware. He's many times
received parking tickets here in Bethany Beach. Never been
towed, never been. No, he's not received any parking tickets
until today.
And I'm sure we can get it written off if you do. The nice
thing about this time of the year is there's no parking meters.
This is just great.
I love it, love doing it at the beach in the winter.
But anyway, we're grateful for his support and assistance
and that of the men and women that he leads.
General Graham, you're now recognized to make your
statement. Welcome and thank you.
STATEMENT OF MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM GRAHAM
Major General Graham. Chairman Carper, Representative Blunt
Rochester, I'm surely honored to testify before you today and
thank you for this opportunity to discuss the important topics
of shoreline and riverbank restoration and resiliency.
The Corps, as you said, sir, has a primary responsibility
for the planning and construction of flood and coastal storm
risk management systems along our Nation's shorelines and
rivers. The coastal storm risk management project that includes
Bethany Beach and South Bethany provides critical
protection from severe Atlantic storms and rising sea levels
all along the Delaware coast.
Incorporating natural and nature-based features, such as
sand-filled beaches and dunes, and certainly appreciate the
photographs that the team has assembled in front of us, this
project provided vital protection during Hurricane Sandy in
October of 2012, as well as during several nor'easters
experienced in recent years.
Project features incurred damages due to those significant
coastal storms. Public and private property located landward,
where we are, of the project received relatively little damage.
The Corps and its partners have been able to reconstruct
these project features after these events, demonstrating an
ability to prepare, absorb, recover, and adapt to the
continuing threat of coastal storms, and Senator, I would say
climate change as well. This is the very definition of
resiliency, Delaware resiliency.
Looking regionally, examples broadly such as this clearly
demonstrate the need for a more coordinated and resilient
systems-based approach to flood and coastal storm risk
management.
Also in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Congress provided
significant authorities and appropriations to conduct a
comprehensive study along the north Atlantic coastline. This
effort, called the North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study,
highlighted the long-term challenges from coastal storms facing
this part of the Nation. It underscored the need to support
resilient communities. And Senator, as you mentioned, the
ecosystems there as well.
While still promoting equity and encouraging economic
growth, the North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study emphasized
a need to transition, where possible, from traditional
structural measures, gray infrastructure, to non-structural,
natural, and nature-based systems, green infrastructure.
Further, given projected sea level and climate change
trends that I mentioned earlier, the report concluded that
further investments and development in science and engineering,
to include research and development, is critical to ensure that
the Corps continue to provide sound storm risk reduction
solutions.
This broad regional study identified nine high risk focus
areas for more in-depth investigation. The city of Norfolk's
Coastal Storm Risk Management Study was one of those focus
areas. The Norfolk study was undertaken to evaluate risk
management solutions for a major city that is predicted to be
heavily influenced by rising sea levels.
Approved in the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 and
initially funded for construction through the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act, this recommended project includes four
storm surge barriers as well as numerous non-structural
features, such as flood proofing and building elevations.
Additionally, the plan includes construction of oyster
reefs and living shorelines to increase resiliency via the
incorporation of natural and nature-based features.
And Senator, when I leave this hearing today, I'll travel
down to Norfolk to link up with Mr. Conner, our assistant
secretary for the Army for civil works, to tour this very
project.
Senator Carper. Give him my best. Thank you.
Major Graham. Will do, Senator.
Across the country----
Senator Carper. Norfolk is where the USS Delaware was
built, most modern fast attack nuclear submarine in the world,
which comes to Delaware Port of Wilmington on May--March 30th,
March 31st. Be there.
Sorry. That was a commercial.
Major General Graham. That's a hard act to follow.
Senator Carper. Where were we?
Major Graham. Senator, across the country, new and ongoing
Corps planning efforts continue to build upon the lessons
learned in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
The recently completed Coastal Texas Protection and
Restoration Study, another one of these large regional studies,
has employed a similarly comprehensive regional approach. The
recommended plan includes a combination of aquatic ecosystem
restoration and coastal storm risk management features that
function as a system to reduce the risk of coastal storm damage
to natural areas and manmade infrastructure.
Looking nationally, the Corps continues to look ahead at
the changing landscape of risk reduction and anticipates
delivering a large nationwide study known as the National
Shoreline Management Study by the end of this year.
The National Shoreline Management Study, which is near and
dear to I'm sure a lot of people in this room here today,
builds on a series of eight regional assessments that explore
shoreline erosion and accretion characteristics, certainly a
subject that's near and dear to the State of Delaware.
These assessments included extensive stakeholder and tribal
engagements to make sure that our recommendations are in line
with the changing climate.
So moving forward, as outlined in our Climate Action Plan,
the Corps is committed to evolving our procedures, our planning
efforts, and project operations to bolster adaptation and
increase resilience to the impacts of climate change. In doing
so, the Corps seeks to develop opportunities to enhance the
effectiveness of our civil works project and reduce risks to
vulnerable communities.
Chairman, thank you and thank you, Representative Blunt
Rochester, for providing us the opportunity to testify here
today. And I look forward to answering any of your questions.
[The prepared statement of Major General Graham follows:]
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Senator Carper. Thank you very much, General.
The second witness is Brigadier General Jason E. What does
the E. stand for?
Brigadier General Kelly. Eric, sir.
Senator Carper. General Kelly, commanding general for the
South Atlantic Division of the Army Corps of Engineers. General
Kelly did not go to the Naval Academy. Where did you go to
school? Was it west? By a point?
Brigadier General Kelly. Chairman, I'm a proud graduate of
the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Senator Carper. Navy salutes you.
General Kelly is responsible for 25,000 square mile area,
which includes all or part of the eight southern states,
including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. General
Kelly comes to us with a different perspective that given the
destructive hurricanes that settled over Puerto Rico and Virgin
Islands and wrecked such havoc will be critical as we work on
these policies. General Kelly, we're delighted that you're
here. Thanks for bringing the General with you. And you're
recognized to give us your statement.
Thank you.
STATEMENT OF BRIGADIER GENERAL JASON E. KELLY
Brigadier General Kelly. Chairman Carper, Representative
Blunt Rochester, I'm honored to testify before you today and
greatly appreciate the time you've allocated for me to present
features of the United States Army Corps of Engineers South
Atlantic Division Civil Works Program.
I welcome the opportunity to share ongoing shoreline and
riverbank restoration improvement efforts. Our productive and
positive use of dredge material, the many ways that we're using
innovation and efficiencies to address comprehensive benefits,
identify and assist economically distressed and historically
underserved communities, and enhance resiliency to accommodate
sea level rise and other impacts from global climate change.
Most importantly, I look forward to working with this
committee, the Congress, and the administration to help address
the Nation's water resources challenges. The South Atlantic
Division has a diverse Civil Works Program that includes
projects in commercial navigation, flood and storm damage risk
reduction, and ecosystem restoration.
Our region includes the navigation channels, ports, and
waterways in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama,
Mississippi, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
We're responsible for the Enterprise Deep Draft Navigation
Center of Expertise and the Everglades restoration effort, the
largest ecosystem restoration program in the world.
I'm especially excited to highlight the South Atlantic
Coastal Study, commonly referred to as SACS, the largest
coastal risk assessment ever conducted by the Corps of
Engineers, covering more than 60,000 miles, six states, and two
territories.
This is a mammoth undertaking, a great example of our goal
to maximize the use of research and development, while
promoting community resilience through partnering.
It best illustrates our effort to overcome institutional
barriers and adapt to climate change to include sea level rise.
America's water resources, rivers, wetlands, inland and
coastal waterways, and more, support billions of dollars in
recreation and commerce, affect public safety, restore much-
needed habitat for fish and wildlife, and provide water supply
benefits.
Army Corps of Engineers' decisionmakers must ascertain the
Federal interest for competing alternatives and recommend plans
worthy of Federal investment.
In addition to the national economic benefits account,
innovative methods of determination are being implemented now
to fully capture maximum benefits that may be affected by other
accounts, to include regional economic development,
environmental quality, and other social effects.
Examples in my region of responsibility include the South
Atlantic Coastal Study, Selma, the Charleston Peninsula, and
the San Juan metro flood risk management projects. The
aforementioned projects are but a sampling, intended to
highlight how the South Atlantic Division is addressing
comprehensive benefits, identifying and assisting economically
disadvantaged and distressed communities to include rural and
tribal communities, and enhancing the resiliency of our
shorelines and riverbanks to accommodate sea level rise and
other global climate change impacts.
As emphasized in Lieutenant General Spellman's testimony to
this committee last month, the Corps continues to seek
opportunities to identify and document the full spectrum of
economic, environmental, and other benefits to the Nation.
The projects that I've mentioned are all recent examples of
this commitment in action. We're committed to ensuring that the
South Atlantic Division will continue to seek innovative ways
to identify the most equitable and efficient solutions to our
Nation's water resources, issues in a manner that is of high
engineering and economic and environmental quality.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my statement.
I appreciate the opportunity to testify today. I look
forward to answering any questions you may have. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Brigadier General Kelly
follows:]
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Senator Carper. Thank you very much.
Thank you both for your testimonies.
My recollection is that you both have children. Is that
right?
General Graham, what do you have? Boy, girls, a couple of
boys? What do you have?
Major General Graham. Senator, I've got two older girls and
a younger boy.
Senator Carper. OK. General Kelly?
Brigadier General Kelly. Sir, I have two boys.
Senator Carper. Congresswoman Blunt Rochester, our
lieutenant Governor, Bethany Long Hall, and others here, other
elected, being joined by our Governor and the Governor of
Louisiana, we go to schools a lot. We get invited to all kinds
of schools, from kindergarten up through graduate schools and
colleges.
And I love going to grade schools and we'll do assemblies.
And I'll always remember going to this one grade school
down here in Sussex County. And I was introduced to speak. In
the auditorium was the kindergarten all the way back to I think
the fifth grade. And a little girl in the third grade stood up,
and she said, after I made my remarks, and she said what do you
do, anyway. And I said well, I'm a United States Senator. And
she said well, what do you do. And I said well, I help make the
rules for our country.
I asked if they had rules for her school. She said yes. I
said do you have rules on your bus. And she said yes. I said
you have rules at home. She said yes. I said we have rules for
our country.
And along with 99 other senators, 435 U.S. Representatives,
and the president, we help make the rules for our country.
The little boy sitting next to her said what else do you
do. And I responded we help people. We help people in all
different kinds of ways.
And as parents yourselves, if you're in a school in
Delaware or some other place, and a third and fourth grader
stood up and said what do you do at the Army Corps of
Engineers, General Graham, how would you explain it so that
child might be able to understand the importance of what you
do?
Major General Graham. Senator, we help people, too. We help
communities like we're standing in here today. And that's why
the 34,000 men and women who make up the Army Corps of
Engineers have joined us, because they value this work. They
love delivering for the State of Delaware. Certainly the
Philadelphia district that supports the State is absolutely
committed to that.
So Senator, I think the way I would answer that is similar
fashion, we help people.
Senator Carper. Good.
I can barely see General Kelly's lips move when you gave
that answer. So I think you two are in harmony. OK. All right.
General Graham, you have previously testified that the
Corps accounts for climate change when it formulates a project,
and that's true.
But it's clear that the Corps only formulates projects to
address coastal and river storm surge and not the other impacts
of climate change, such as extreme rainfall and sea level rise.
In places like Delaware and Louisiana, the Corps' failure
to account for a full range of climate impacts excludes a good
number of projects from consideration and severely
disadvantages these states.
Here is my question. How can the provisions of this
legislation I described earlier, the SHORRE Act, how can the
provisions of that legislation help the Army Corps of Engineers
better address the impacts of climate change as you design
projects to work on? Go ahead, please.
Major General Graham. Chairman Carper, thank you very much
for that question.
At the request of your team, we are currently working to
answer that very question and preparing effect statements on
the provisions of the SHORRE Act. And those will be available
shortly.
After the hearing, I'll certainly get on the phone and make
sure that we'll check on the progress to make sure that those
effect statements are on track.
Chairman, regarding how we currently consider climate
change, our authorities are based on the analysis of specific
storm events. And to that end, we analyze all aspects of the
flooding problem, including contributions from rainfall, high
rivers, and sea level rise, which is known as combination
flooding.
And certainly to the testimony that you're going to receive
after us, the folks coming up from Louisiana, combination
flooding with the Mississippi River, the Gulf, and hurricanes
rolling in off the Gulf, they are at ground zero for that
combination flooding.
We are, the Corps of Engineers, consistently updating,
innovating, and improving our engineering processes, our key
modeling, and the research and development that underpins all
of that engineering.
Senator Carper. Thank you. Thanks very much.
Maybe a follow-up, quick follow-up. How should the Army
Corps and the Office of Management and Budget alter their
budgeting process so that the Corps can better plan for and
execute projects designed to address a broader range of climate
change impacts?
Major General Graham. Chairman, thank you for that
question.
General Kelly touched on this earlier. And we've been
working together for many, many years. But the Corps strives
always to maximize the benefits to help people.
Our job is to provide Mr. Conner, the assistant secretary
of the Army for civil works, with our best technical
recommendation.
Mr. R.D. James, who was the previous assistant secretary of
the Army for civil works, he provided about 2 years ago the
Corps guidance to use all four of the PR--principles,
requirements, and guidelines benefit categories that General
Kelly spoke to earlier, the national economic development
benefits, the regional economic development benefits, the
environmental benefits, and the other societal benefits.
We hadn't been allowed to use those all in the past. Mr.
James allowed us to use those. And Mr. Conner has told us that
he supports that decision and he's going to provide us refined
guidance in the future.
So that's what our teams are currently working on to be
able to provide all those benefits.
Senator Carper. Thank you. Another question for General
Graham relating to climate change in project formulation. As
you know, the new NOAA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, sea level rise report just came out on February
15th, not even two weeks ago. This report paints a very
sobering, very sobering picture for our country, really for the
world, but for our country at large about the needs to address
climate change. But it also has real implication for coastal
communities, like this community right now.
As our Congresswoman, as our lieutenant Governor, and as
our Governor knows, Delaware is the lowest lying State in the
country. Our State is sinking. And the seas around us are
rising. If that doesn't get our attention, something is wrong.
But here is my question. The report of NOAA on sea level
rise really underlines the need to address climate change. But
it also has real implications for coastal communities, like
right now.
Technical assistance provided to my staff during the
drafting of both this SHORRE legislation I keep talking about
and the coming Water Resources Development Act, which we hope
to fold the SHORRE Act into, the larger piece of legislation,
later this spring. We were told that when the report is final,
the Corps will, and this is a quote, consider and update the
technical guidance and if appropriate, update those documents.
Given the Corps was the coauthor of the report, what are
the next steps for the agency in the process of incorporating
the findings and updated sea level projections into project
design and implementation?
I'll just say, our witnesses know this, if you go back 30,
40, 50, maybe 60, 70 years look at sea level rise, it's maybe
eight, nine, ten inches over close to a century. That's going
to continue.
That's the bad news.
The really bad news is it's going to continue a lot faster.
And the question is are we fast enough on our feet to get
ready for it and turn it around before it's too late?
General Graham, go ahead.
Major General Graham. Chairman Carper, that is--the
question is not if the sea level behind us is going to rise,
it's when.
And we've been incorporating for decades various sea level
rise scenarios that address that very question. Not if, but
when.
And we will take a look at the specific geographical area
and we'll look at three scenarios; a high, medium, and low.
And it's not, again, Chairman, when the sea level is going
to rise--sorry. It's not if the sea level is going to rise,
it's when.
In General Kelly's area, we're expecting one to two feet.
In the Gulf region, certainly two feet. In this region, about a
foot to 18 inches is what we're expecting, as the NOAA report
said, over the next 50 to 60 years. And Chairman, as you said,
that's accelerating.
So sir, you have our absolute commitment that we are going
to ensure that our guiding engineering doctrine incorporates
that in real time.
Senator Carper. All right. I'm going to turn now, General
Kelly, to a question or two for you if I could.
On the scope of feasibility studies, as a leader of the
South Atlantic Division, you currently oversee a number of
studies and projects for communities in the southeast, I think
in Puerto Rico also, that are at risk from climate change.
In the course of study of the Charleston Peninsula in
southern Carolina, in South Carolina, the initial project
recommendations by the Corps raised significant public
concerns, as you know.
The public felt that there were several shortcomings in the
Corps' decisionmaking, including an over reliance on
constructed project elements. Also, the exclusion of
economically disadvantaged communities from the project benefit
area and a failure to identify holistic solutions that would
address flood risk other than storm surge.
Here is my question. What are the key lessons you learned
from the Charleston Peninsula study process? And are there
provisions in the SHORRE Act, this legislation I keep talking
about, that will help future studies avoid the problems that
you've encountered?
Brigadier General Kelly. Chairman Carper, for me, the first
lesson and one that continues to provide benefits for my
command, good partnership, the value of good partnership,
persistent engagement, and transparency cannot be overstated.
The Charleston Peninsula has a high level and risk
vulnerability to coastal storms. And this is exacerbated by the
combination that General Graham mentioned of sea level rise and
climate change. And that was true over the period of analysis.
The study investigated storm surge, but we also recognize
that this area is prone to flooding, specifically sunny day
tides. And that was not investigated in the study.
The recommended plan has a robust benefit to cost ratio of
11 to one. And it will reduce risk posed by coastal storm surge
and also enhance the city of Charleston's ability to quickly
recover from storm surge disruptions.
As you mentioned, the prominent feature of the plan is a
storm surge wall, but it also includes three areas of non-
structural measures where a storm surge wall was not optimal
based on topography and location of the storm surge sources.
Two particular areas that I call out is the Rose Mont and
Bridge Water Village, both economically disadvantaged
communities within the study area. The non-structural measures
recommended in these communities include flood proofing and
structural elevation raises.
When I think about the lesson learned and the persistent
engagement, the study team engaged with residents and business
owners during the planning process through a series of outreach
meetings. And based on this feedback, we recognize the need to
migrate from an environmental assessment to an environmental
impact statement to make sure that we disclose the potentially
damaging environmental, cultural, and visual impacts of the
project.
This EIS is underway. And it will include a more detailed
mitigation plan and a more robust environmental justice
analysis.
The Corps is currently preparing the effect statements, as
General Graham mentioned, for the specific SHORRE Act, but I
support a holistic process for flood risk management and full
consideration of environmental justice for disadvantaged
communities without doubt.
Senator Carper. That's encouraging.
Thank you very much.
One last question. And I'm going to turn to our
Congresswoman, and then bring out our next panel.
General Graham, with respect to improving outreach and
improving partnering, at the Water Resource Development
Oversight, the hearing that our committee held in Washington
last month, General Spellman acknowledged that the Corps has a
consistency problem when it comes to district outreach and
partnering activities with local project stakeholders.
Apparently some districts reach out to communities within
their areas of responsibility proactively and they do it often,
as you know.
While other districts largely leave communities in the dark
to fend for themselves when it comes to identifying the
opportunities that the Corps programs provide.
We have experienced this at times in Delaware, and I
believe we are on a path to resolving this problem here.
Question. Would you please share a few of the details about
the Corps' new partnering guidelines and play book and explain
how this new guidance will help the Army Corps of Engineers be
a better partner in the future?
Major General Graham. Chairman Carper, again thank you for
that question.
So the Corps doesn't do anything on its own, as we
witnessed here in the State of Delaware.
Improving partnerships and transparency has been a priority
for Lieutenant General Spellman from day one.
Our updated partnership guidance are focused on creating
and maintaining sound partnerships to enable the safe delivery
of quality projects that are on time and within budget.
Sound partnership requires proactive engagements at all
echelons, and it's rooted in three mutually supported elements:
Commitment, collaboration, and most importantly, collaboration.
And communication, sorry. Let me get that again.
Commitment, collaboration, and communication.
Senator Carper. That's a lot of Cs.
Major General Graham. It's a lot of Cs.
It's not corn, chicken, and corporations.
Senator Carper. Say those Cs again.
Those are good.
Collaboration, right? What were the others?
Major General Graham. Commitment and communication.
Senator Carper. There you go.
Major General Graham. So Senator----
Senator Carper. That's also a secret for a long marriage.
Major General Graham. It is.
Regarding----
Senator Carper. That's a hearing for another day. Please.
Major General Graham. Chairman, to some of the challenges
we experienced here in Delaware, when you get new authorities--
and I've got to pause here for a second to certainly thank this
committee for getting a Water Resource and Development Act
every 2 years. That allows my team to get good at taking those
new authorities and putting those to work for the American
people.
Getting implementation guidance to General Kelly so that we
can put those to work.
So we greatly appreciate, sir, your leadership and having
those bills every 2 years.
That's wonderful.
Senator Carper. Teamwork makes the dream work.
Major General Graham. Absolutely. The challenge we've got
is I've got to help the divisions and the districts take those
new authorities and put them to practice.
And that was probably my failing here in Delaware is that I
didn't help out the Philadelphia district fast enough to
understand some of these new authorities and bring up some of
the expertise.
General Kelly has an amazing team down in Mobile that had
that expertise. And it was my failing for being too slow to
connect General
Kelly's expertise to the need here with the Philadelphia
district to support Delaware.
So Senator, that's my commitment is to do a better job in
making those connections.
Senator Carper. Well, you have atoned for your sins, and
we're going to go forward and do good work here. Thanks so
much.
OK. Congresswoman, you're now recognized for the next hour.
Congresswoman Rochester. Thank you, Senator. I think it's 5
minutes.
Senator Carper. Oh, OK.
Congresswoman Rochester. But I'll take an hour.
First of all, I want to thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your
leadership. We know that here in Delaware, this is not new for
you. These are not new issues for you. And we want to thank you
for walking the walk and not just talking the talk and also for
allowing us to participate in today's field hearing.
Senator Carper. You can go ahead and take the full hour.
Congresswoman Rochester. And I also want to thank all of
our witnesses for your testimony.
And as the chairman was saying, all of our Cs of chickens
and cards and chemicals. I don't know if you said chemicals,
but chemicals. All of the different Cs. I see the mayor shaking
his head on this one.
I also want to highlight another C, which is strong
communities. And really one of the reasons we're here today and
even doing this field hearing where we're doing it is because
we have strong communities in Delaware that have spoken up
about the needs and sounded the alarm about the sense of
urgency for our economy, for our environment, and also for our
quality of life.
And so I want to thank all of the community members, the
mayors, the town councils2, everyone who is participating
today, our lieutenant Governor and Governor, because we are a
strong community.
I'm also honored to participate in this important hearing
and am proud to have introduced HR6705, the bipartisan SHORRE
Act, which the---- I almost called you Governor. Harken back.
Governor
Carney looked up very quickly. Which the chairman has
already shared with you is the Shoreline Health Oversight
Restoration Resilience and Enhancement Act, along with my
colleague Representative Graves.
I think it's important to note that this bill, this
legislation, is bicameral, meaning in the House and the Senate,
which means it has a great chance of passing. And it's
bipartisan.
And I also think that's important to antiparticlenote,
particularly in this moment where people feel we can't problem
solve. And we're coming together to find common ground to
problem solve for our coastlines, our riverbanks, and our
shorelines.
And so I want to thank you for your leadership.
And the goal of this legislation is simple. It's to address
the ongoing flooding crisis that our coastal communities and
riverbank communities continue to face.
And if I were asked what the Army Corps, what would I say
to a fifth grader, I would say they're problem solvers. They
help us to problem solve and help us to really attack these
issues.
I want to thank you again, Senator Carper and also Senator
Cassidy, for your leadership.
And I will have my first question. And my first question is
to General Kelly. Shore protection and restoration projects
that utilize nature-based features, such and dunes, are highly
adaptable to climate change. However, it's unclear whether the
Corps interprets existing authorities to permit projects to be
modified in order to increase their resilience.
Having assumed command of the South Atlantic Division in
2020, you have firsthand knowledge of the Jacksonville
district's efforts to modify federally authorized shore
protection projects for enhanced resilience.
I have a three-part question for you. You might want to
take a note.
How has the Jacksonville district worked to enhance the
resiliency of federally authorized shore protection projects?
Were there legal hurdles? That's No. 2. And are there
authorities needed that could support rebuilding or repairing
coastal projects at a higher level of resilience?
Brigadier General Kelly. Representative Blunt Rochester,
thank you so much for that question.
I get excited about such things because innovative and
efficient approaches to incorporate dunes in our existing
projects is something we're working hard to do.
We have some challenges in the Jacksonville district. We
had a re-nourishment effort program for over a dozen projects
but only constructed one. And we were unable to construct
because making betterments to projects funded with flood
control and coastal emergency funds with construction funds is
not something we could do.
But I've got some good news I want to share in that story,
something I consider a win. We set precedent in trying to do
this, in that when we better understood what funds we could
use, we used that knowledge to bring several projects up to a
modern standard. So we looked back. And we're now moving out
with this under our regular program.
And so in this tale is good news that we're now using to
improve the resiliency in Florida as a result of existing
authorities.
And so to the third part of your question, additional
authorities, I absolutely favor any effort that helps us build
innovative climate resilient infrastructure, but we've also got
to maximize the authorities we have. And that was the lesson I
took from the aforementioned effort in Jacksonville.
Congresswoman Rochester. Excellent.
So again, there are some authorities that we could use
more, and then you will share with us additional ones that
you'd like to see.
My next question is for General Graham.
And I like that answer because, as we were talking about
going from gray infrastructure to green infrastructure and
being more resilient. And I know there are some folks in the
audience as well that I saw that focus on these issues as well.
General Graham, as you know, what works in Delaware doesn't
necessarily work in other states.
Each project design and problem comes with unique
environmental and engineering needs.
The Corps historically has had a rigid, perceived, some in
here would say yes, I see a few shaking heads, top down
approach to project design and execution. And in some ways,
this top down approach is necessary, but a more ground up
community-based approach is also needed to accurately identify
projects and community needs.
What flexibilities are needed for the Corps to better
incorporate community input and to account for individual
project needs, while still dressing the needs of regions and
the country as a whole?
Major General Graham. Representative Blunt Rochester, thank
you so much for that question. And there's multiple answers to
it.
First and foremost, we've got to empower our divisions and
our districts to get innovative.
We've got to ensure that we're empowering our divisions and
their subordinate districts to reach out to communities to make
sure that we're clearly listening to them.
Now, when we give authority and funding to the divisions to
do these feasibility studies, we start a clock ticking on them.
They've got to have them done in 3 years. We can extend it
beyond that 3 years. Congress has given us the flexibility to
do that with the approval of the assistant secretary.
So we want to work rapidly to find solutions to those
problems, as you mentioned. But we also have to be mindful that
sometimes reaching consensus with the communities who we're
partnering with might take a little bit more time.
And so we're trying to strike that right balance of
ensuring that we're delivering safely quality projects on time
within schedule to include our feasible studies, but also
acknowledging that reaching out and making sure that we're
truly listening to communities, like in Charleston, might take
a bit more time.
And that's why I'm using Charleston as an example. We went
from environmental assessment to a full-blown environmental
impact statement. And the big difference there, for the lay
people, and I know this is an audience mainly of experts, but
it's really that we're listening more and making sure that
citizens have their voices heard about what we're doing in
their communities.
Congresswoman Rochester. As a follow up, one of the
challenges that we've all talked about is time. There really
isn't the time.
And I wonder as a part of the listening is also reaching
out to communities to ask how to work better with them. I think
that might be a good listening starting point as well. So I
think that would be something that we'd love to follow-up on as
well. What ways concretely and in an expeditious manner,
because we know time is of the essence.
My next question is to you, General Kelly.
As you know, climate change is exacerbating coastal
flooding across the country, but the coastlines of the United
States and territories also face unique regional challenges.
The Corps completed the North Atlantic Coastal
Comprehensive Study in 2015. And you are in the process of
finalizing the report, as was mentioned, for the South Atlantic
Coastal Study.
How do coastal protection and restoration challenges facing
communities in the northeast and in the southeast of the
Continental United States compare?
Brigadier General Kelly. Representative Blunt Rochester,
having been a commander in the North Atlantic Division under
General Graham's charge, I'm very familiar with that effort.
I was the commander in Norfolk. So much of the work that is
now underway that General Graham and Mr. Conner will see, I was
the commander when that commenced.
Very familiar with the challenges in the northeast, at
least the southern boundary I guess if you use by a watershed
in Norfolk. But now in the southeast.
I'd like to compare the North Atlantic Coastal Study with
the South Atlantic Coastal Study that's underway now using that
knowledge.
Both studies seek understanding. Both studies address
coastal storm, flood risk to vulnerable populations, property,
ecosystems, and infrastructure. I think that's the same in the
northeast and in the southeast.
Perhaps the biggest difference when I think about the North
Atlantic Coastal Study and where we are with the South Atlantic
Coastal Study, is the North Atlantic Coastal Study was on the
heels of Sandy. And though we had Irma and Maria in the
territories, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, we have an
opportunity to take that understanding that's not unique to the
north or the south and apply it here in the Continental United
States.
The other thing that I offer between the two studies, and
as I use that as my attempt to compare and contrast, what we're
doing different with the South Atlantic Coastal Study now is
the tools are available, the coastal hazard system.
We're sharing and able to make decisions.
So whatever differences there may be, we're apprized, we're
alive and aware, and we're communicating that to our partners.
So I think some of the communication that you asked us to
do in a more aggressive way earlier, this particular effort is
going to help us do that.
And I think we'll reap benefits from it.
Congresswoman Rochester. Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, I am under my hour allotted time, and I yield
back.
Senator Carper. Thanks so much. Thanks for your wonderful
stewardship in the State of Delaware in so many ways and for
being here today and for providing your leadership in the House
of
Representatives as a member of the Energy and Commerce
Committee.
There's a bunch of committees in the House. The committee
that everybody wants to be on is the Energy and Commerce
Committee. Not everybody can serve on it. She does, which is a
good thing for Delaware and I think a very good thing for our
country.
All right. Well, Generals, General Graham, General Kelly,
we appreciate your continued dedication and service to this
country.
I want to say I wish all of you could be sitting up here
with us and just watching the expressions on their faces, their
eyes, as they talk about the work, the responsibilities that
they have and the relish with which they address them.
And I like to say everything I do, I know I can do better.
And we've heard from the Army Corps that as good as they are,
they know they can do better as well, and that we're in this
together, and together we're going to make a huge impact and a
huge difference at a time when that's very much needed and
expected by the people in this country.
So thank you.
I never ask when we hold hearings in Washington for people
to give a round of applause for a panel of witnesses. I don't
think I've ever done that. But the Army Corps of Engineers are
extraordinarily important in this State and such great huge
help in this State. I'm going to refrain from applauding, but I
want everybody else to. Go ahead, give them a nice round of
applause.
All right. That's enough. Never enough.
Thank you so much. And you're now excused.
And we're going to transition to our second panel. They'll
get a big round of applause, too, I'm sure when they finish.
We're delighted to welcome our second panel of witnesses,
which consists of four unique voices in the coastal community.
This includes two sitting Governors, a mayor, and the director
of a nonprofit dedicated to coastal State issues.
If you'll come up and join us, that would be great.
First, let me warmly welcome not one but two Governors, two
distinguished Governors, from the State of Louisiana, from the
State of Delaware.
Governor Edwards took office in 2016 as I think the 56th
Governor of Louisiana. He did such an outstanding job, that
Louisianians elected him to a second term in 2020. That doesn't
always happen in this business, especially when the kind of
challenges that we face today, as you face today as Governors.
Before taking office, Governor Edwards, a West Point
graduate, served as lieutenant in the U.S. Army, eventually
rising to command a rifle company in the 82d Airborne Division
before stepping down with the rank of captain.
It is an honor to have you here with us in the First State,
Governor Edwards. You're recognized for your remarks.
Common sense, practical, smart, surrounds himself with
really smart people, respected by Governors across the Nation,
and certainly respected by the people within his own State.
His senators, who are both Republicans, speak very highly
of this man, who is a Democrat.
We're delighted that you're here. And along with John
Carney, somebody who is really good at working across the aisle
and getting stuff done.
Governor, welcome aboard.
Governor Edwards. I'm not sure I'm on. I think I am now.
Senator Carper. There we go.
STATEMENT OF LOUISIANA GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS
Governor Edwards. Thank you, Senator Carper, Representative
Blunt Rochester. It's great to be here with you all this
morning. I appreciate the opportunity to be here with my
friend, Governor Carney, as well.
I think your committee's focus on restoring shorelines and
riverbanks to address climate change is very important. It
resonates with me as we strive in Louisiana to save our coast
from what is a land loss crisis.
Additionally, I'm grateful that you and your colleagues
passed a Disaster Supplemental to help us recover from
Hurricanes Ida and Laura and Delta, as well as bipartisan
infrastructure law.
This funding has given us a historic opportunity to make
significant progress for our coasts, and we thank you very
much.
In Louisiana, we obviously depend upon a very close
relationship with the Army Corps of Engineers. Our economy, our
environment rely upon their success in achieving their mission
to promote navigation, provide flood control, and restore
aquatic ecosystems.
Coastal and rivering areas show the need to manage for all
three independent objectives as impacts related to climate
change become increasingly apparent and severe.
I commend the committee for considering how to improve the
synergy between the Corps mission and the need to restore our
Nation's shorelines and riverbank ecosystems. I endorse the
heightened focus on these coastal issues and encourage the
Corps to elevate its commitment to coastal protection and
restoration.
As you may know, Louisiana was built largely by the
movement of the Mississippi River as it spread out, the
collected soils from across the drainage basin that now covers
31 states and two
Canadian provinces. Yet, that river no longer sustains our
coastal landscape.
Since 1930, Louisiana, as you noted, Mr. Chairman,
Louisiana has lost 2,000 square miles of coastal wetlands. And
as you also noted, that is about the size of Delaware.
The loss began following the great flood of 1927, when
Congress charged the Corps with ensuring navigation and
providing flood control.
The Corps succeeded. But interventions such as levies
unfortunately keep the Mississippi River sediment trapped until
it spills into the Gulf of Mexico. And so it no longer provides
land sustaining benefit to the coast. It doesn't replace that
sediment and nourish our coastline. And as a result, we
continue to lose a football field every 100 minutes.
If it weren't for recent hurricanes, however, our State was
poised to start building more land than we were losing for the
first time since 1930. But just in Hurricane Ida, we lost 106
square miles of land. Now, some of that will naturally
regenerate, but it still will be a net loss at the end of the
day.
With each acre converted to open water, our vibrant
ecosystems shrink, our infrastructure becomes more exposed, our
communities face heightened risk, and our natural carbon sinks
lose capacity to offset greenhouse gas emissions. Every day the
importance of restoring our coastal and rivering ecosystems
becomes more evident.
Coastal land loss is an immediate existential threat to our
State, and climate change will only intensify the impact.
While sediment starvation and subsidence have been major
drivers of historic land loss, sea level rise from climate
change will become a dominant cause of our coastal wetland loss
in the near future, magnified by more frequent and more intense
storms.
For decades, coastal land loss was a slow-moving
catastrophe that was left unaddressed.
It took the devastating hurricane season of 2005,you'll
always remember Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, to galvanize our
State into action.
We created the Coastal Protection Restoration Authority,
call it the CPRA, to be the single entity in the State charged
with integrating hurricane protection and coastal wetland
restoration. We recognize that protecting communities and
coastal ecosystems do go hand in hand, and strategic planning
is foundational.
CPRA develops, with significant input from the public and
stakeholders, a science-based coastal master plan every 6
years. And each update has been adopted by our State
legislature with unanimous support.
That master plan calls for coastal protection and
restoration projects over 50 years of projected investment of
$50 billion. And I am proud to say that we are now committing
over a billion dollars each year to improve our coast.
Reconnecting the Mississippi River in order to harness the
sustaining land building power of its sediment is a cornerstone
principle of the Coastal Master Plan. And I'm also happy to say
that we're making great progress.
CPRA is in the final year of Federal permitting for the $2
billion Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project that would
reconnect the
Mississippi River to the Barataria Bay Estuary, which has
the highest rates of land loss in south Louisiana. This project
is a critical component in our continued recovery from the Deep
Water Horizon oil spill, also.
The State has entered the Federal permitting process for a
similar project on the east bank of the Mississippi River, the
Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion Project. And these projects have
been supported by three consecutive Presidential
administrations through the permitting process.
However, even with that support, getting to the decision
point has been a real challenge.
One way this committee could help would be to encourage
Federal agencies, such as the Corps, EPA, and the Council on
Environmental Quality, to ensure timely decisionmaking.
Simply put, we're in a race against time, and we can't
afford unnecessary delays. The projects are designed to improve
the overall environment. And the sooner they are constructed,
the sooner our coastal communities can experience their
benefits.
After Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana greatly benefited from
the Federal investments in the Hurricane Risk Reduction System,
also known as HRRS.
And we want to thank you all for the very generous help
that you provided to our State. It provides hurricane
protection and resiliency to the greater New Orleans area.
And your committee heard how valuable the investment proved
to be after Hurricane Ida made landfall this past August as one
of the strongest storms to ever strike Louisiana.
The previous storm that matched its intensity was 1 year
before, which gives evidence to the increasing frequency and
severity of our weather.
Your committee heard how important it was and how well it
performed withstanding the storm and preventing billions of
dollars of property damage.
The strengthened system protected hundreds of thousands of
people and tens of thousands of businesses from the worst
impacts of the storm, and it was the first major test of the
Hurricane Storm Damage Risk Reduction System since it was
built.
And it absolutely performed as it was intended to.
And I'm very proud that General Spellman testified to this
committee that a key element of the success of that system
during Hurricane Ida was the presence of a number of
restoration projects that had been constructed by the State and
by local government.
I encourage the Corps to seek additional opportunities to
connect ecosystem restoration projects with protection
projects. Granting credit to restoration projects within the
same area of the protection projects that require mitigation
achieves this goal.
And we have an example in Louisiana right now under
consideration. It would be the use of the Maurepas Swamp
Freshwater Diversion Project as mitigation for the west shore
Lake Pontchartrain hurricane protection system. The project
would provide in-basin mitigation by sustaining 45,000acres of
swamp, optimize cost savings, and reduce risk to the west shore
levy system once it's constructed.
Through our Coastal Master Plan, Louisiana has articulated
a clear, widely supported vision for a more sustainable coast.
And I'm hopeful that the Corps will work closely with us to
achieve it.
And I want to tell you we're no longer just reacting to
disasters. We're taking action. Earlier this month, the Climate
Task Force that I established completed its work and submitted
the first ever Climate Action Plan for our State, which is a
balanced, implementable plan that charts a comprehensive
pathway to net zero. The plan received unanimous backing from
the members of the task force and it's the first Climate Action
Plan created by any State in the deep south.
I've included a copy of the executive summary of our
Climate Action Plan as an attachment to my testimony.
[The prepared statement of Louisiana Governor Edwards]
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Mr. Chairman, this is the overarching view of the
challenges Louisiana faces from major environmental threats and
how we're responding to them. Alignment with the Corps is
absolutely critical to our success. And therefore, I want to
commend you and Senator Cassidy, Representative Blunt
Rochester, and Representative Graves. This really is a
Louisiana Delaware--or I should say a Delaware Louisiana
effort.
The bill would----
Senator Carper. We did come first.
Governor Edwards. I understand. The bill would apply the
urgency that Louisiana has to address the challenges along our
shores and rivers nationwide. And I greatly appreciate the
provisions of the SHORRE Act that would help my State, such as
authorizing the upper Barataria basin risk reduction system
funding ecosystem restoration for (inaudible), helping the
State receive credit from the Corps for the projects that we
do, and conducting the lower Mississippi River Comprehensive
Study.
As I detail in the written statement, I also encourage the
committee to direct the Corps to use its existing authority to
be more flexible on the land rights it requires for restoration
and mitigation.
Louisiana has worked well for decades with private land
owners on many restoration projects without purchasing land
outright. Conservation easements are entirely sufficient.
They're faster, they are cheaper, and they allow for a more
favorable cost benefit ratio for these important projects. So I
encourage the Corps to adopt the same approach.
Obviously funding is paramount to achieving our goals.
Revenue shared from offshore oil and gas development through
GOMESA has been an essential funding source for coastal
restoration protection in Louisiana. That's how we've gotten to
over a billion dollars a year in these investments.
And I want you to know our constitution dedicates every
dollar to coastal restoration and protection.
However, for years, we've received a very limited amount of
impact assistance compared to the revenue collected with
respect to how interior states are treated, I should say.
While this bill is not in your committee's jurisdiction, I
do implore you to support the Rise Act. The legislation makes
long overdue improvements to GOMESA. And for the first time
ever, would establish revenue sharing for offshore wind
production, which is important for your state and for mine.
Offshore wind is something that we are strongly pursuing.
Mr. Chairman, we've developed an ecosystem restoration
program that is as comprehensive and forward thinking as any
other such plan in the world. We are attempting to restore a
coastal ecosystem where over 2 million people live, where
billions of dollars of industrial investment in critical
infrastructure exists. The importance of our working coast to
our State and to the country simply cannot be overstated. And
so we must restore it, we must protect it.
And ensuring the Corps has the authority but also the
direction to increase its focus on coastal shoreline and river
and ecosystems is of the utmost importance to the overall
sustainability of the State of Louisiana.
So I thank you for the opportunity to be here today, and I
look forward to receiving and answering your questions.
Senator Carper. Governor Edwards, we're delighted to be
your partner in all of this and other issues as well.
How many people here are from Delaware?
Raise your hand. How many here have actually personally met
Governor John Carney? How many of you think you know him pretty
well? I'll mention a couple of things that you may not know and
then yield to him.
We talked a lot about football fields.
Every 100 minutes they lose in Louisiana a piece of land
the size of a football field to the sea.
John Carney knows a thing or two about football fields. And
Governor Edwards is a high school football star. He was a great
athlete, basketball, football, other sports. But he was All
State quarterback for us. Played in the Blue Gold Game.
He went onto school. He was wait listed at Ohio State, but
he managed to get into Dartmouth somehow and was a stellar
athlete there. All Ivy defensive back as I recall there.
And came back to Delaware. And my recollection is he was
great at resume, but a guy named Tubby Raymond was our football
coach for like ever at the University of Delaware. 300 wins,
which, as you know, is a lot of wins for college football. And
John Carney was one of his assistants during part of that time.
And later on, worked as a top aide in Delaware to Joe Biden
when Joe was a mere mortal.
He was our U.S. Senator.
Ended up helping run New Castle County, where about two-
thirds of our people live. And as the deputy chief of staff to
a lucky Governor at one time, he negotiated the purchase of the
Port of Wilmington from the city of Wilmington, which had no
money to invest in the port, and engineered the turnaround for
the Port of Wilmington, which is now just a standout port and
one we're enormously proud of.
He helped lead a team of Delaware officials to Wall Street
and convince the major rating agencies, Moody's, Standard and
Poor, and Fitch, for the first in the history of Delaware, to
raise our credit rating to a AAA. Proud it's rating that we
continue to enjoy.
Other than that, he's not done much. That's just a very
brief overview of what he's done. But the real test for John
Carney was to be Governor during the worst pandemic in 100
years.
I was fortunate to be Governor during eight good years.
Started hard, and then it got better and better and better. But
he's had to lead us through incredibly difficult, and he's done
it with the heart and with great communication and a
willingness just to be courageous and to provide the leadership
by example that we so admire in our staff.
Other than that, can you think of anything else good to
say? That just scratches the surface.
That just scratches the surface.
But he's now our Governor. Serves us----we have only one
representative, and that's now Lisa. But served as our
Congressman for 6 years and did so extraordinarily.
Go through the Wilmington train station.
There's a great photograph of John Carney, Chris Coons, and
I walking arm in arm down the platform of the train station, a
shot taken of us from behind.
And it's one of my all-time favorites.
And what I will say to other, when I get off the train at
the end of the day and we have people from other states, they
say to me, we walk by the pictures, beautiful pictures, and say
who are those three guys. And I tell them who. And they say
John Carney, you're so lucky that he's your Governor. You know,
we really are. We really are.
John, welcome. Thank you for joining us today. Thank you
for being a staunch advocate for coastal funding and for
fighting to help keep our beaches and keep them some of the
finest in the world.
And you're recognized for your opening statement. Thank
you.
STATEMENT OF DELAWARE GOVERNOR JOHN CARNEY
Governor Carney. Thank you very much, Senator Carper. I
almost called you Governor Carper there. When somebody
mentioned that earlier, I was ready to say you want to be
Governor again, you can have it.
Thanks for that introduction. It reminds me of something my
brother-in-law says, which is the older we get, the better we
used to be. I think in my case, people, it's been so long,
people don't remember. So they can't verify the facts there.
I've had a great example in leadership with you, Mr.
Chairman. And I appreciate everything that you've done for me
in my public service.
Senator Carper. John Carney is oftentimes referred to as
one of the two finest Governors we've ever had.
Governor Carney. I'm really delighted to be here with
Governor Edwards. We are colleagues in the National Governors
Association.
He's one of the most respected Governors in our country,
for the reasons that you outlined and you can hear his command
of the material in his opening statement. We certainly
appreciate his service to our country. He's a graduate from the
U.S. Military Academy at West Point and his service there.
But he's been a great leader in a very difficult time for
the State of Louisiana. I'm just delighted that he's here with
us.
I'm also happy to be here with so many of the elected
officials that are our partners. You're going to hear from the
mayor here at Slaughter Beach. I missed the tour yesterday.
Apologize for that. But they are clearly partners in all this
work.
I couldn't recognize most of them because they had masks
on, but I did see Mayor Becker across from me. And he's a great
partner in Lewes.
Last year, the Department of Natural Resources and
Environmental Control launched Delaware's Climate Action Plan,
Governor. We heard about Louisiana's Climate Action Plan. And I
would recommend this to every Delawarean. It's got great
information. It's really an easy read. It sets the technical
standards right at the top.
It was the result of a long process involving residents,
businesses, and technical experts. Congresswoman, to your point
about community engagement.
This roadmap shows how Delaware can prepare for climate
change and must prepare for climate change in the decades ahead
by reducing two main objections. Reducing carbon emissions and
focusing on coastal resilience, which is what this hearing is
about and your legislation.
In 2017, Delaware joined the US Climate Alliance with many
other states and local governments, committing to reduce our
carbon emissions by at least 26 percent by 2025 over 2005
levels. We're not there yet, but we're making progress.
Right now, the estimate is that we're between 18 and 19
percent reduction. So we do have some work to do there.
We're here today, though, to talk about the impacts of sea
level rise caused by climate change. Delaware has already
experienced over one foot of sea level rise at the Lewes tidal
gauge since 1900. So over the last century, a foot of sea rise
there in Lewes. By mid century, sea levels are projected to
rise another nine to 23 inches. And by the next century, up to
an additional five feet.
This threatens our Atlantic beaches and bay communities,
neighborhoods, businesses. And for the residents of those
communities importantly, it threatens their way of life.
Delaware, as has been mentioned, is our country's lowest
lying State. Governor, you probably thought you were the lowest
lying State.
And I guess in some areas, you're below sea level best I
could tell.
Here in Sussex County, tourism employs 17,000 people and
contributes $213 million in State and local taxes. These might
not sound like big numbers to our friends in larger states,
including in Louisiana, but those are big numbers for the State
of Delaware, with just under a million residents.
During COVID-19, we've made decisions with the
understanding that you need to have a healthy community to have
a healthy economy. You got to strike a balance there. It's also
true that you need to have a healthy environment to have a
health economy. One, in particular in this case, affects the
other.
To that end, we're grateful, extremely grateful for the
investments in infrastructure that are coming to Delaware
through the bipartisan infrastructure bill that both of you
were part of passing, championed by you and by the president.
And I know it achieves exactly what President Biden
intended, which was a bipartisan piece of legislation that
enables us to build back better. And I think those words hit
the nail on the head when it comes to climate change, because
these investments will give us the opportunity to build back
better by embedding climate resiliency in all infrastructure
projects and focus on reducing carbon emissions.
This will help us meet those goals for carbon emission
reductions by 2025, because it includes a $17 million
investment, which is a big number in Delaware, to expand
Delaware's electric vehicle charging network. And this is a
critical investment as we move toward more, to electric vehicle
transportation in our State. And it's critical to us meeting
those carbon emissions.
Congresswoman Blunt Rochester mentioned the idea of nature-
based features in resilience projects. And we know of one. We
have an active one right now in Prime Hook Wildlife Refuge,
which is a Federal-owned asset. And they've restored the dunes
which were destroyed by a number of northeast storms over the
last ten or more years.
They have restored those dunes with the expectation that
they will let Mother Nature runs its course in the years ahead,
as opposed to continuing to restore the dunes on a kind of
regular basis as the storms come through.
You can see the effect there more dramatically I think than
anywhere because the parking lot that used to be at the edge of
the beach is now 20 yards out into the Bay. And that's really
what the kinds of effects that we're talking about here in our
State.
The ocean and bay beaches are part of Delaware's history.
The Delaware Bay was a lifeline and resource during the early
Colonial period. It fueled transportation and a maritime
economy that ultimately supported the foundation of our State.
Today we are approaching a new normal under climate change.
Storms, hurricanes, and other weather events are more
prevalent. We're seeing so-called 100-year floods every few
years instead of once in a lifetime it seems.
When I took the oath of office to become Delaware's 74th
Governor, I pledged not only to uphold our constitution, but
to, and I quote, respect the right of future generations to
share the rich historic and natural heritage of our State.
Both of you have taken that pledge before. We live in a
beautiful State. And we should take care to preserve that
heritage as we pledged to do. That includes upholding the goals
laid out in our Climate Action Plan, incorporating the action
plan's objectives into the resources provided by the Federal
bipartisan infrastructure bill. And we will do that.
We can only do this by limiting carbon emissions. We need
to expand clean and renewable energy, put in place energy
efficiency measures, transition our transportation sector to
zero emission vehicles, and reduce and manage greenhouse gases
beyond carbon dioxide.
We also need to prepare for the environmental challenges
we're just now beginning to see. Resiliency efforts, like
improving real time data collection of coastal flooding and
providing training tools and technical assistance on climate
change impacts may sound simple, but they're critical for us to
be prepared and to act.
Let me end by thanking both of you for your leadership for
our great State. You, Senator Carper, for being a mentor, for
your leadership of this committee, and for this piece of
legislation that will help us as we attempt to implement
Delaware's Action Plan and address the coastal resiliency
issues that we'll need to address.
Thanks very much.
[The prepared statement of Governor Carney follows:]
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Senator Carper. Thank you so much. And thank you. We have
mentored each other. And I might say the same thing for our
Congresswoman. And thanks for your extraordinary leadership,
John, and for being with us today.
We're going to hear from Mayor Lock, we're going to hear
from Derek, and then I'm going to take a quick break, take a
phone call, get an update on the Ukraine, and come right back.
And while I'm doing that, I'm going to ask Lisa to preside for
the beginning of the questioning of this panel.
Mayor, 46 years ago, 46 years ago. I understand you and
your mom and dad bought a place in Slaughter Beach. And still,
you're not just still living there, still have a place there,
but you're the mayor, you're the mayor.
Have you ever been the vice mayor at Slaughter Beach? Have
you ever been the vice mayor?
STATEMENT OF SLAUGHTER BEACH MAYOR KATHLEEN LOCK
Mayor Lock. I was.
Senator Carper. How about secretary? How about treasurer?
How about Council person at-large?
All the seats. You've been through all of them. And you
retired from the government consulting arena after enjoying a
career specializing in large-scale Federal Government
procurement and acquisition projects. You are amazing.
And you're a great gift from your parents. And we're glad
that they brought you here all those years ago and you stuck
around and continue to provide wonderful leadership for not
just Slaughter Beach, but for all of our beaches. Thank you.
You're recognized.
Mayor Lock. Thank you, Senator. And thank you, Chairman
Carper and Congresswoman Blunt Rochester and esteemed members
of this panel who are testifying with me today. It's an honor
to be here.
It was an honor to have been invited, and I can't tell you
how happy I am to be representing small coastal towns as we
confront the challenges of sea level rise and increasingly
violent coastal storms.
On behalf of the entire Delaware Bay communities, I would
like to thank you for this opportunity.
Let me tell you about Slaughter Beach quickly, if I might.
Slaughter Beach is one of three incorporated towns on the
Delaware Bay.
Senator Carper. First of all, take 30seconds. Tell us why
it's called Slaughter Beach.
Everybody asks me that question. And I say call the mayor.
Mayor Lock. There are so many reasons.
Senator Carper. All right. We'll make that an addendum to
your testimony.
Mayor Lock. Some stories are much funnier than others.
Senator Carper. Oh, good, good. Humor is everything.
Mayor Lock. But the town consists of over 12,000 acres, 98
percent of which are in conservation and owned by the Federal
Government Department of Interior as part of Prime Hook
National Wildlife Refuge or the State of Delaware, the Milford
Net Conservation Area, or the Delaware Nature Society.
We enjoy living next to an unspoiled and pristine saltwater
marsh. And it is one of the last few saltwater marshes left in
the United States.
The residents of Slaughter Beach are stewards of over three
miles of Delaware Bay shoreline, and we take our stewardship
responsibilities very seriously.
We are a horseshoe crab sanctuary and a certified wildlife
habitat community.
We maintain 20 access points to the Bay shore and welcome
the public to our beaches.
Our beaches are primary breeding ground for horseshoe crabs
and are an important stop on the Atlantic flyway for migrating
shorebirds, most especially the endangered red knot, a small
bird that feeds on horseshoe crab eggs to fuel their annual
migration from the furthest tip of South America to their
Arctic breeding grounds.
As mayor, I bring the perspective of a frontline community
leader who lives with both the pleasures and threats of the
sea. I've worked closely with the mayor of Bowers Beach, Ada
Puzzo, and the mayor of Lewes, Ted Becker, who is here today.
As we follow the progress of the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers' beneficial use of dredge material for
the Delaware River Feasible Study, we were delighted by its
inclusion in the Water Resources Development Act of 2020. And a
special thanks goes to you, Senator Carper, and to you,
Congresswoman Blunt Rochester, for your leadership and your
support in making that happen for the Delaware Bay communities.
I'd like to say that horseshoe crabs play a significant
role in human health and wellness. I recently read about the
critical role that the blood of horseshoe crabs played in the
development of a COVID-19 vaccine. And there are countless
other pharmaceutical breakthroughs that have been dependent on
the blood of horseshoe crabs.
And due to coastal storms, horseshoe crabs require sandy
beaches to lay their eggs and breed. And due to the increasing
prevalence of coastal storms, we are losing our sandy beaches
and horseshoe crab breeding grounds at an alarming rate.
We had a storm that we experienced on October 29th of this
year. I do have some pictures? That I neglected to put up. But
it shows the loss of breeding grounds, a habitat breeding
grounds, and how every beach on the Delaware Bay was impacted
and affected by this one relatively mild storm.
Last year, the Town of Slaughter Beach, and I'm going to
briefly touch on this because I believe it shows the importance
of partnerships that we need to sustain to manage our coastal
and preserve our coastal properties. Last year, the Town of
Slaughter Beach invoiced approximately $90,000 in property
taxes. That was it. And of that amount of money, 60,000 went to
collect trash and recycling fees, leaving our entire operating
budget, with the exception of what we get from grants, at
$30,000 for our operating budget.
I think it displays the need for the partnership that we
have been trying desperately to build with Federal, State,
county, and local officials.
I'm very pleased, because of that, I'm very pleased with
the provisions of the SHORRE Act and would, again, like to
thank you, Congresswoman Blunt Rochester and Chairman Carper,
for cosponsoring this bipartisan and bicameral bill and for
your involvement and concern in Delaware's coastal towns,
beaches, dunes, and wetlands. You are national leaders who
truly understand the importance of our coastal communities and
the vulnerabilities we endure as the global climate warms,
weather becomes more erratic, and seas rise at unprecedented
rates.
This legislation envisions a better way for the Nation to
prepare for future needs to address the problems that will only
be exacerbated in the near future.
We, on the coast, rely on our partnerships with county,
State, and Federal Government officials to help us protect and
sustain our communities. In Delaware, the Department of Natural
Resources is an environmental control, is the non-Federal
partner on Corps projects. In our experience, however,
communication between the Corps, DNREC, and the communities in
need of assistance is limited, at best.
One exception to this is when Senator Carper's staff
arranged for a Corps 101 meeting for local Delaware
communities. That day, 3 years ago, now, was extremely
informative. And had it not been for Senator Carper's staff's
understanding and collaboration and information sharing that
was desperately needed, I doubt Corps staff would have had the
vision to coordinate the effort. And I suspect it will not
happen again unless someone outside the Corps arranges it. This
needs to change.
I implore Corps and DNREC leadership to strengthen
communication channels and see the world through the lens of
local elected officials. We usually have little or no knowledge
of how the Corps function or the regulatory constraints that it
must operate under.
And I'd like to note that frontline community leadership
changes hands frequently. So annual outreach efforts to educate
community leaders is a key component of cooperation and
collaboration.
The SHORRE Act is a valuable tool in clarifying the Corps'
mission, modernizing the Corps, and streamlining Corps
interaction with the communities it serves.
I call out three specific inclusions in the SHORRE Act that
I'm particularly happy about. First, the expansion of the
Corps' existing river flood mitigation and restoration
authority that will now include shoreline protection and
restoration for the first time as a primary mission of the
Corps.
Second, the identification of Delaware Bay beaches as a
priority area for implementation of projects under the amended
authority.
Finally, and perhaps the best news, section 15 modifies the
Delaware Beneficial Use of Dredge Material Feasibility Study to
permit the use of alternative borrow sources. This will
significantly reduce the cost to nourish the Delaware Bay
beaches.
This section also includes a special rule that allows the
Corps to provide emergency services to any of the bay beaches
included in the beneficial use study under the existing
continuing authority.
These inclusions will result in increased opportunities to
work with the Corps that we on the Delaware shore have not
enjoyed in the past.
Once again, thank you for providing me with the opportunity
to speak on this very critical issue.
[The prepared statement of Mayor Lock follows:]
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Senator Carper. Mayor, thanks for your leadership in
Slaughter Beach and thank you for extending that leadership
well beyond Slaughter Beach and joining us today. Thanks so
much.
Next, Derek, Derek Brockbank.
Mr. Brockbank is the executive director of the Coastal
States Organization, which represents our nation's coastal
states, territories, and commonwealth. Prior to that, he served
as the executive director for the American Shore and Beach
Preservation Association and as campaign director for a
collision effort to restore the Mississippi River delta and
coastal Louisiana.
Mr. Brockbank, you're recognized for your statements. We're
delighted that you have joined us. Thank you so much for
coming.
STATEMENT OF DEREK BROCKBANK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COASTAL
STATES ORGANIZATION
Mr. Brockbank. Thank you. Thank you, Chairman Carper,
Representative Blunt Rochester.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify today on behalf of
Coastal States Organization.
I am honored to be on a panel of what I consider absolute
coastal champions at multiple levels of government.
Since 1970, CSO has served as the collective voice for the
Nation's coastal states and territories on Federal policy
issues. CSO members are Governor-appointed delegates who run or
oversee State coastal zone management programs.
Our State members work closely with the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers to plan, permit, and implement projects in the
coastal zone, serving variously as partner, client, and
occasionally State watchdog of the Corps. And on behalf of our
members, CSO has worked and continues to work with the Corps to
develop and advance policies to better manage resources in the
coastal zone.
The topic of today's coastal hearing is of utmost
importance to every coastal manager in the country. Coastal
managers are facing unprecedented challenges, both caused and
exacerbated by climate change. But perhaps the most acute
climate change impacts along the coast are in shoreline
management and restoration.
Along saltwater coasts, what we've heard a lot about today,
rising seas and increasing storm intensity are expanding flood
zones and will increasingly inundate low-lying coastal areas.
But along freshwater great lakes coasts, lake levels are
also fluctuating at unprecedented rates. This has led to
increased pressure to restore our hardened shorelines on both
saltwater and freshwater coasts.
Although many communities are now beginning to look at what
we call managed retreat, the ability to move infrastructure
away from the water's edge, but the reality is that both are
needed. We cannot just restore or retreat. We need to restore
and retreat. Determining when and how to restore and when and
where to retreat is at the heart of coastal resilience.
Fortunately, coastal communities and Congress have made
significant strides to address coastal resilience. In
particular, the Infrastructure and Investment and Jobs Act,
together with funding and other recent supplemental
appropriations has provided states, the Corps, and other
Federal agencies an incredible opportunity to restore and
improve the resilience of the nation's shorelines.
In the past few word is Congress has enacted strong
policies for the Corps on coastal resilience and we've seen
great improvement in the Corps' consideration of climate
impacts.
However, the Corps' willingness or ability to use natural
infrastructure and focus on shoreline restoration across the
country has not reached the level of importance it should given
the magnitude of challenges from climate change.
Therefore, CSO is very pleased to support the SHORRE Act,
which significantly improves the Corps' ability to address
coastal restoration and resilience by elevating shoreline and
riverbank protection and restoration to a primary mission of
the Corps.
In many coastal regions, restoring a shoreline can serve
many purposes in the community.
Integrated beach, dune, and back bay wetland systems that
use natural and nature-based features can help a community
adapt to increasing flood risk, improve ecological value, and
can provide economic stability.
This balanced approach to shoreline restoration and
management might not fit neatly into any of the Corps' current
mission areas but is essential to a functioning and resilient
coast in an era of climate change.
CSO believes making shoreline restoration a primary mission
of the Corps will help develop these multi-use projects.
Additionally, the SHORRE Act gives local project sponsors
increased flexibility to account for climate change in the
design and construction of coastal projects and changes project
funding structures to support coastal communities, with special
consideration of economically disadvantaged communities.
And while CSO strongly supports the SHORRE Act, we would
encourage the committee to go to do even more to get the Corps
to prepare coastal communities for climate effects, climate
impacts, including planning on longer time horizons and
reforming the Corps' benefit cost ratio process.
The Corps should recognize that although there are
projects, there are coastal projects that are often built for
50-year authorizations, local sponsors' expectations are that
these projects last significantly longer than 50 years.
However, given a rapidly changing climate, coastal projects are
facing vastly different considerations than when they were when
they were originally authorized.
The Corps should plan and develop transition pathways for
existing projects that are reaching their expiration and
develop coastal adaptation projects for 50 to 200-year
projections for sea level rise and, if possible, lake level
change.
Finally, the current BCR analysis is keeping the Corps
stuck in 20th century thinking.
Thrilled to hear some of the progress that's being made,
the testimony from Colonel Kelly about how that BCR is
changing, but the reality of the coast is that it's multi-use.
Resilient coastlines have ecological benefits, social
cohesion benefits, public health benefits, even benefits of
racial justice. The Corps should be developing and using a
process to better quantify and incorporate the value of those
benefits. And we know they are beginning to develop that
process. But the sooner that can become used across the Corps,
the better off our coastlines will be.
Furthermore, the Corps' current BCR puts the Corps in a
position of investing in areas of existing wealth. Congress has
begun to direct the Corps to consider how to build resilient
coastal infrastructure for economically disadvantaged
communities, but this should go beyond pilot projects and
reduce cost share for historically marginalized communities
that have born the brunt of poor coastal planning and
decisionmaking.
The Corps needs to plan projects for a resilient and
equitable future, not simply rebuild the coastlines of the past
in ways that withstand climate impacts.
However, reevaluating the Corps BCR must start with a long
overdue implementation of the PRNG, as we heard from the
previous panel. And until we see what the Corps is recommending
to themselves for greater inclusion of benefits through the
PRNG, it's hard to make specific recommendations for how
Congress can direct the Corps.
I appreciate this opportunity to testify on behalf of CSO
before the committee on this critically important topic.
Just to reiterate, Congress can make an important step by
passing the SHORRE Act as part of (inaudible) 2022. We would
also encourage Congress to consider other studies and policies
that would help direct the Corps to improve the nation's
coastal resilience to provide oversight and guidance to the
Corps and improving the BCR and ensuring that project decisions
are based on forward-thinking values that consider our future
climate and principles of equity and justice.
We look forward to working with the committee, all of
Congress, and the Army Corps on these and other important
coastal issues.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Brockbank follows:]
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Senator Carper. Thank you for that. We look forward to
continuing to work with you and the folks that you lead.
I'm going to run to get a quick update on the Ukraine. I'll
be back in just a few minutes.
In the meantime, I leave it in very good hands. Our
Congresswoman.
Congresswoman Rochester. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And thank you all for your thoughtful and thorough
testimonies.
I also want to reiterate what Mr. Brockbank said about you
being coastal champions. I think your testimonies really showed
that.
And also thank you so much for the focus and inclusion on
all communities across our country.
My first question is for Governor Edwards.
Again, thank you so much for joining us today.
The Corps has multiple authorities that permit the agency
to conduct community outreach and planning assistance that help
communities better understand Corps projects and design their
own.
As the Governor of a State with significant rural and
coastal populations, as well as major cities like New Orleans,
how might the Corps provide better outreach to communities with
diverse needs?
And it leads right from your last testimony.
Governor Edwards. Thank you very much for the question,
Representative Blunt Rochester.
And I think Derek did an excellent job of summarizing how
important this is, because while we get attached to what we
have and we want to maintain it, and that's very important,
sometimes we have to go beyond what we've done in the past,
especially in the area of equity, because it wouldn't be an
equitable problem had we done it right the first time. And so I
think this is really important.
And what is going to have to happen I believe is, and the
SHORRE Act helps to address this, the Corps is going to have to
get off----continue to do its primary missions, flood control,
aquatic ecosystem restoration, and navigation, but we have to
elevate to an equal priority, put on par the mission of coastal
restoration and ecosystem restoration. And then within that
framework, make sure that we're doing so much of what the Biden
administration is talking about with respect to equity, and it
becomes a focus.
And by the way, it can be hard to define and quantify, but
that doesn't mean it's not important and that we shouldn't try
and that we can't do better.
And so that overall framework I think should permeate what
the Corps does every day. And then it should guide the
allocation of resources, which, even though we're going to be
much more generous as a country with the Corps than we've ever
been in the past, they will still be resource restrained. They
won't be able to do everything, but at least they will have a
focus and a mission that drives more investment in these
communities that have been suffering for so long.
Congresswoman Rochester. Thank you so much.
And as you mentioned, I mean one of the core functions of
this Corps Act is to include that fourth mission for the Corps
of restoration and protection of our coastlines as well as our
riverbanks.
And I think, as you specifically kind of tying it back,
when we--the reason why I think we have gotten the broad-based
support is because we are looking at these things that
intersect with different populations.
As the mayor mentioned, Slaughter Beach for the Corps might
seem like a very small population. And so it becomes
disadvantaged in a way from maybe larger places.
And so that's why this focus and looking at cost benefit in
a different way is really important for this moment.
Governor, I also wanted to ask, the Town of Grand Isle and
its barrier island were severely damaged by Hurricane Zeta in
the fall of 2020 and then again by Hurricane Ida, less than 1
year later as you mentioned.
Supplemental funds were provided to help repair the
federally authorized coastal storm risk management project
there.
Given that climate change poses a compounding threat to
communities like Grand Isle, should the Corps be authorized to
rebuild coastal storm risk management projects to a more
resilient and sustainable level when addressing post disaster
repairs? Why or why not?
I think I know the answer. Just asking.
Governor Edwards. Yes, ma'am.
Congresswoman Rochester. For the record.
Governor Edwards. Yes, ma'am. For the record, the answer is
yes, they obviously need to be able to do that.
It really gets back to the build back better. If we know
that the storms that we are currently experiencing are
absolutely obliterating what we have built before, then
continuing to rebuild to that standard is just foolish because
it's not going to provide protection, it's not a use good of
the funding.
And I will tell you, I've been Governor for a little over 6
years, I have made multiple trips to Grand Isle to look at
those systems and to implore the Corps to do better and not
just go back and redo what they've done.
And I think they're thinking along these lines now for the
first time. And it's a great leap for the folks down in Grand
Isle as well. But still a lot of work to be done there.
And Ida just slammed Grand Isle. We have people who are in
their 80's, and they've been through hurricanes forever. This
is, many of them, this is the first time they ever left the
island for a hurricane. And when they came back, they saw
devastation that they had never seen before.
And so it's very important that we improve the protection
system there and make that island more resilient. Yes, ma'am.
Congresswoman Rochester. Thank you, thank you.
And Madam Mayor, Mayor Lock, thank you for your leadership.
In addition to the economic concerns, Beach is home, as you
talked about, to a diverse ecosystem featuring a symbiotic
relationship between one of the largest horseshoe populations
in the world, which I understand from the vice mayor goes back
before the dinosaurs. I mean people here are shaking their
heads as well. And it relies on horseshoe crab eggs as a food
source.
How important is a healthy shoreline for the continued
survival of the local horseshoe crab population, and by
extension, the threatened red knot and other migratory birds?
Mayor Lock. Well, certainly, Congresswoman, it is a
critical component of the health and longevity and the
continued sustainability of horseshoe crabs. They lay their
eggs on sandy beaches.
You were at Slaughter Beach yesterday. We were able to see
some of them on our beaches. These are clumsy, it's a clumsy
species that crawls ashore.
Congresswoman Rochester. No offense.
Mayor Lock. Yes. Please don't take offense.
They're a slow moving, clumsy species. But they wouldn't be
able to traverse a hardscape. A sandy beach is really what they
need for their spawning.
And as I tried to say, they are critical to the health and
wellness of human life. I know the pharmaceutical companies,
I've read articles, they're trying to find something that would
replace the blood of horseshoe crabs. Haven't been totally
successful at doing that.
Congresswoman Rochester. Thank you so much.
I also wanted to ask you, last year Slaughter Beach
completed a study designed to evaluate management options for
the persistent accumulation of a mix of seaweed and marsh
vegetation caused in part by the sheltering effects of nearby
Corps-constructed jetties.
And again, yesterday I got a chance to see this on the
tour, exactly how the impact of all the sand coming down,
hitting the jetty, and what that would mean. And this debris is
detrimental to the local horseshoe crab population.
But we also know the jetty, all of this is important as
well to our national security and our safety as well. So one of
the solutions proposed by the authors of the study was to
establish a pilot program for the beneficial use of the
material in the construction and reinforcement of the dunes
lining Slaughter Beach.
Since the completion of the study, what steps have been
taken to manage the organic debris and what lessons have you
learned throughout the entire process?
Mayor Lock. That's a great question.
Actually, we have been in discussions with Delaware
Department of Environmental Control on this issue of habitat
restoration for horseshoe crabs and the red knot, the Division
of Fish and Wildlife.
And we've asked for their support as we go forward to apply
for grants to help us remove this buildup that's caused by the
jetty.
But again, we're going to the State to look for a
partnership and develop a partnership, when, in fact, it
appears from the studies that this is caused by the
deterioration of the jetty that was allowed to deteriorate in
this century.
So it's a multifaceted issue, a multifaceted problem. And
we're looking--we're only at the stage where we're looking at
grants from the partnership with the Delaware Estuary to help
us repair the damage.
Congresswoman Rochester. I want to also highlight that part
of what this hearing is also showing is, again, the
partnerships and the need for the partnerships.
We actually have Secretary Sean Garvin behind the Governor.
And I want to give him credit as well for the work that he is
doing with the communities as well.
My next question is for Mr. Brockbank.
The Federal Government has sometimes struggled to provide
coastal communities the assistance they need to address the
effects of climate change. Fortunately, many coastal
communities across the country have taken great strides to
protect their shorelines despite that lack of Federal support.
Absent support from the Federal government, how are coastal
communities addressing the impacts of climate change? And as a
follow-up, what more could the Federal Government do to amplify
these efforts?
And I know you said we're waiting to hear more from the
Corps on some of the suggestions you could give us. But what
are some of the lessons learned or the things that we should be
amplifying from local communities?
Mr. Brockbank. I was wondering if maybe the Governors could
hold up their Climate Action Plans again because I think that's
probably the best example of what the states are doing.
Congresswoman Rochester. We're not saying anything that
Delaware's plan is bigger than Louisiana.
Governor Edwards. This is a summary.
Congresswoman Rochester. Just saying, Governor Carney,
again.
Mr. Brockbank. I mean I think the planning efforts that are
happening at states, huge credit to both Governors for pushing
these through.
But in Louisiana, they've been moving forward with a State
Coastal Master Plan for 20 years now almost and have gone
through multiple Republican and Democratic administrations,
it's passed unanimously.
So there's a tremendous amount of planning that's going on.
States are increasingly investing their own funding.
But I think one of the real challenges, we've often seen in
big project implementation, you can do sort of small living
shorelines, good beach projects, you know, small pocket beach
projects, but those big programs have too often relied on
disasters and the funding that comes after the disasters.
Whether it's the BP oil spill, whether it's a hurricane.
And so I think the states have been able to do this
incredible planning work. But now we need, Congress and the
Federal Government needs to put the pocketbook to the test and
actually invest in these projects and actually invest ahead of
time.
It's been tremendous to see the infrastructure bill move
forward, but that's a one-time down payment. There needs to be
some consistent, regular funding so that the Governors and the
Corps can actually plan their project out, farther out.
Congresswoman Rochester. Excellent.
And I'm going to ask Mayor Lock, and it kind of dovetails
into that question, too, as was already mentioned, Delaware is
the lowest lying State in the country. And I will say lowest
mean.
I always have to add that mean in there so that Florida and
Louisiana don't come back at us and say no, we're lower, we're
lower. But Delaware is and has experienced sea level rise
greater than eight inches along its coast since 1960.
On top of that, increasingly frequent and intense severe
weather events, and as you called them, Mayor Lock, violent,
violent coastal storms, including Hurricane Ida and the recent
nor'easter, continue to damage our coastline.
Can you talk about, again, how your community, how your
town has dealt with sea level rise and climate change, how it's
affected you, but also what kind of things you're doing at a
local level to mitigate?
And I know it's micro, and we've got macro.
Mayor Lock. Again, an excellent question, Congresswoman.
We have, at a local level, we've been frustrated a bit by
what we view as communication barriers between the partners
that we're looking toward to provide guidance to protect
against sea level rise.
I'll be honest with you, this is way above my pay grade.
Congresswoman Rochester. Would you like me to take the
question back?
Mayor Lock. Please.
Congresswoman Rochester. But again, this is a great dialog.
And we're fortunate that we actually do have a Governor who has
been a Congressman, has been a Governor, knows financial
sector, and actually has a plan.
And Governor Carney, if you could just share what you think
are some of the challenges and opportunities of this moment.
Governor Carney. Well, I think Mr. Brockbank has really hit
the nail on the head, right. Up until this point, in my
experience anyway, and we have folks behind me--and by the way,
when I'm talking, I think Sean Garvin's lips are actually
moving. He's got----
Congresswoman Rochester. Hence the mask?
Governor Carney. I think he's got Tony Pratt sitting next
to him, who knows more about----has forgotten more about this
than many of us know.
So for so long, these restoration project shave been based
on a diaster-driven kind of an approach. And that's how the
money flows and it's based on cost benefit ratios that don't
consider some of the things you and the mayor talked about and
that are important parts of the calculation, whether there are
environmental damages, whether you're comparing a town like
Slaughter Beach to a town like Lewes, with Mayor Becker.
They're very different in terms of size, in terms of property
values, and all of that.
So how do you, and I think the SHORRE Act attempts to do
this, is how do you consider other factors in analyzing a go or
no go or limitations around what the Corps would participate
in.
There's a project, an inland project that comes to mind in
my experience called Glenville.
And you may remember the community of Glenville, which was
flooded out completely by one of the hurricanes probably 25 or
more years ago. 1989 I think was the first big flood there.
And it never quite made the cut with respect to the cost
benefit analysis. Wasn't a high income community. And
ultimately, this step, in part under Governor Carper's
leadership, took the bull by the horns and provided resources,
frankly, to purchase the properties, which were built in the
flood plane in the first instance.
And so those kinds of projects, projects like situations
like what we saw and we're seeing right here in Slaughter
Beach. How do you factor those in to a new way of proceeding on
funding for these projects through the Corps?
The problem is it's going to cost more money, right,
because you're going to open up more eligible projects. And
you're going to, I would assume, qualify other things that
wouldn't currently qualify.
The SHORRE Act is certainly a really big step forward in
that approach.
Congresswoman Rochester. Thank you.
And I yield back to the chairman.
Senator Carper. Thanks so much.
I had asked my staff in Washington to give me an update
just before we got to the end. So we can do a press
availability if there's anything new that we need to know about
what's going on in the Ukraine, we'd be prepared to respond to
questions.
Not to be alarmed. The situation is dire, serious. But
nothing to be alarmed about further at this moment. So rest
easy.
The last couple of questions. And I'd like to direct my
first question to our Governor.
And Governor, as you know, Delaware is known for its
pristine five-star beaches. We've been talking about them all
day. And this is one of them. And a number of others are
popular vacation spots for many people who live up and down the
east coast. Actually people who live a long ways from here come
here even outside the country.
We know that coastal communities are vital to the United
States economy at large, but I'm curious to hear about their
importance at the state level as well.
And my question is would you just take a moment and share
with us a little bit about the importance of Delaware's
coastline to our state's economy at large.
Governor Carney. I'm thinking about quoting our president
when he was vice president, but I won't. But it's a big deal.
It really is a big deal.
We talked about some of those numbers before. They're not
numbers that approach the kind of numbers that Governor Edwards
in a bigger state like his.
But for our State, just look at the coast from here. We're
almost at the southern border here with Maryland, the Mason
Dixon line, all the way up the Atlantic ocean beaches. The
tourism industry that includes this and tourism in other parts
of our State is a multibillion dollar industry.
Much of it is here in eastern Sussex County. You're talking
about the property values of all these homes and communities.
You're talking about smaller communities, like Slaughter Beach
and the property values there.
If you do a calculation about the assessed value of
properties that are located within areas projected to be
inundated by a meter and a half of sea level rise, you're
talking about over a billion dollars of that. So the impact is
critical.
I think the question goes back to my answer to the last
question, which is how do you factor in things other than
economic value to give a green light to Corps-funded projects
and locally funded projects.
So it's critically important, and I think we have to find
ways, but we have to find ways to factor in criteria other than
those economic benefits into the analysis.
Senator Carper. Thank you.
Governor Edwards, if you don't mind just responding briefly
to the same question. Just share with us for a moment the
importance of Louisiana's coastal area to your state's economy.
We know it's great.
Governor Edwards. Yes, sir. And first of all, thank you
very much for the question.
We're very proud of our entire State, but coastal
Louisiana, the coast isn't just important to our state's
economy. I think it's incredibly important to the Nation's
economy.
Right around 45 percent of our population, 4.6 million
people, live in coastal Louisiana. And as I mentioned before,
there's tens of thousands of businesses there.
We have the second highest landings in the nation of
seafood, but the best tasting. Whether it's our oysters, our
shrimp, our crabs, our fish, you name it.
Five of the Nation's top 15 ports are in Louisiana,
including the largest port by tonnage in the western
hemisphere. Sixty percent of the nation's grain gets exported
out of the Mississippi River. And we're deepening the river
now. So that's soon going to be 70 percent of the nation's
grain that gets exported will come through Louisiana.
Ninety percent of all the support for oil and gas
exploration and production in the Gulf of Mexico is based out
of Louisiana. And over half of the current L and G exports,
which are increasingly important because of the Ukraine
situation that you just mentioned if we're going to help our
friends in Europe, they come from Louisiana. That's all along
the coast. And it's not just traditional oil and gas.
The coast of Louisiana is going to be extremely important
as we transition to low carbon and no carbon alternatives.
Whether it's wind energy in the Gulf, the solar farms that
we're going to need to support the petrochemical industry,
they're going to be looking at coastal Louisiana, too, because
that's where the industry is.
And so when it comes to carbon capture and sequestration,
that's going to largely happen along the coast. Hydrogen
production is going to happen along the coast in Louisiana.
And one thing that's really important, and I didn't realize
this until we actually had our Climate Initiatives Task Force
and they educated me in so many ways, an acre of marsh will
naturally sequester 80 times the carbon as an acre of forest.
But we're losing that acreage. As we restore it, as we
build it back, we're actually going to be sequestering more
carbon.
So for all of those reasons and many, many more, coastal
Louisiana is extremely important for our economy but also to
the Nation's economy and to the nation's future.
Senator Carper. Thank you, sir.
Let me ask a question, if I could, Governors, for
everybody. And we'll just start, Derek, with you if we could.
As I noted in my opening statement, 40 percent of our
Nation's population, that's about 130 million people, live in
our coastal counties.
And if coastal counties in our entire country were
considered as a Nation, we'd be like No. 3 in the world, right
behind China and the U.S.
Unfortunately, the Corps does not fully account for the
protection of this population, industry, and wealth when
formulating coastal protection projects, nor does the Corps
account for the financial benefits of tourism and recreation
that are often attached to these projects.
My question of each of you, and Derek, we'll start with
you, will each member of our panel please share with us how the
Corps might better capture the economic importance of coastal
communities when designing coastal protection projects?
Mr. Brockbank. Thank you for the question. Really at the
heart of what this hearing I think the economic value of
recreation is a clear one. I think increasingly there's going
to be a need to look at access.
And I think I mentioned the racial justice, economic
justice. I think considering how equitable the access to the
coast is an exceedingly challenging thing to put into monetary
metrics. But I think ensuring that the coast is the playground
for America and not just the playground for the wealthy is a
challenging thing and something I think the Corps need to think
about.
Senator Carper. Thank you.
Mayor.
Mayor Lock. Thank you, Senator. I think that most analyses
that are done with cost benefit ratios capture the cost of
projecting solely the potential losses against the potential
cost. And that's how the ratio is derived. To me, it's a very
narrow approach.
And actually NOAA has become a leader in recommending and
providing guidance to other Federal agencies that the cost
benefit ratio should be modified and the approach to developing
it should be modified to include ecosystems services.
And that means the cost of--if we're looking at just
projecting losses, include in that the cost of restoring
wetlands, the cost of water and food, the cost of job losses,
the cost--I mean there's a world of things that could be
considered when we're looking at cost benefit ratios.
And again, I believe that what the Corps does is a very
narrow interpretation that should be expanded.
Senator Carper. Thank you.
Governor Carney, Governor Edwards, you want to add
anything, please?
Governor Carney. I would just add some environmental
analyses as well as sustainability, in addition to recreation
and to the effect on--and equity, which is a hard thing to
measure.
But you talk about somebody who owns a house here worth
over a million dollars, somebody lives in a less affluent
community, that house is the same protection for that family in
each community, just valued considerably differently.
And that doesn't factor in as well.
And I think this climate change measure of sustainability
and I think the reference to either shoreline restoration or
managed retreat, what should it be, what should the standard
be, that's a little bit different than eligibility, but I think
it really affects approach.
Prime Hook is I think a good example of that. I mentioned
the Glenville project of years ago. Similarly, what is the
sustainability of the solution and the design of the solution.
Governor Edwards. Senator Carper, thank you for the
question.
Very quickly, I think all aspects of a coastal region's
economic portfolio should be taken into consideration by the
Corps in their cost benefit analysis.
As Mr. Brockbank mentioned, our coastal areas should be
playgrounds for all of America. And I'm not just talking about
tourism. I talked about a lot of things in my previous answer.
But tourism is usually important to all coastal states, but
particularly to ours. We're known as the sportsman's paradise.
We are a tremendous draw for fisherman, for hunters, for bird
watchers, other outdoor enthusiasts.
The greater New Orleans area is a magnet for international
tourism. Next Tuesday is Mardi Gras. A fewer weeks after that,
we will host the sixth NCAA Final Four in New Orleans. No other
city has ever done that. And that's just some examples that
come to mind right now.
So all of that should be taken into consideration by the
Corps so that they can drive their decisionmaking and their
allocation of resources. And I think if they'll do that, then
the importance of the coastal regions of our country will be
more fully taken into consideration and drive those decisions.
Senator Carper. All right. Thank you.
I have two more questions. One I'm going to address to
Governor Carney. And then the last question, if I could come
back to you, Governor Edwards.
Governor Carney, with respect to storm damage build-up, as
you know better than almost anybody, the Corps can only provide
emergency restoration assistance to nourish a beach when that
beach has been damaged by a storm, other than ordinary nature,
other than ordinary nature that prevents adequate functioning
of the beach.
Parts of Delaware's coastline have been damaged, as you
know, by successive severe weather events, including
hurricanes, including nor'easters, and other tidal and storm
events.
Though the damage from each of these individual events may
not rise to the level of other than ordinary nature,
collectively they have dramatically eroded and damaged parts of
our coastline.
My question, taken together, how have the successive and
compound effects of severe weather events impacted Delaware's
economy and the safety of the affected communities?
Governor Carney. So we've talked a little about this before
in terms of a different approach than just a disaster driven
approach, where it's more of a management situation where
you've got a series of increasingly less severe events, storm
events. But taken together, they create really worse situations
when you have the big event, if you will.
And so we've seen that here in Delaware this past fall and
winter. A series of small storms can be damaging as one big
large storm, right. Ida in our State is a great example of that
and the limit of its extent. If you think about the serious
rain event happened over the line in Chester County,
Pennsylvania, along the Brandywine, but the effect was
downstream in a very small poor minority community on the edge
of Wilmington.
We've had a series of those kinds of events. And
increasingly, we're going to see more of those.
Again, in Lewes, Mayor Becker, according to a 2000 report,
we could see between 50 and 135 high tide flooding events per
year by 2050. In 2019, there was nine of such events. So the
intensity and the frequency of these events is going to
increase.
And somehow, as we think about the future, we've got to
start doing things differently than we've done them in the past
because we have a new reality. And the new reality is climate
change, it's sea rise.
In our State, we're going to have to manage shoreline
restoration, we're going to have to manage retreat, to use Mr.
Brockbank's terms. And factoring those into the work of the
Corps I think is going to be really critical to our ability to
deliver for the people of our State and the communities here.
Senator Carper. Thank you.
Last question. Again, Governor Carney----
Governor Edwards, let's come back to Governor Edwards. A
short question.
Would you please describe your state's experience working
with the Corps on the matter of implementing coastal master
plan projects to mitigate the impacts of Federal-authorized
projects?
Would you please describe your state's experience working
with the Corps on this matter of implementing the coastal
master plan projects and highlighting the legal or policy
barriers you can to implementation?
Governor Edwards. Yes, sir. Thank you very much. That, too,
is a great question.
First of all, we have a great partnership with the Corps of
Engineers, and it's not perfect and so forth. But this is one
area that's incredibly important to us because we believe that
when you analyze mitigation opportunities, or when the Corps
does that, they should look to scientifically backed plans to
coastal restoration and protection like we have in Louisiana.
And the Corps shouldn't always choose the cheapest option.
We would want them to look at the option that's going to
provide the most beneficial impact, the biggest restoration
benefit, if you will. Especially if a non-Federal sponsor is
going to be paying for it, like the State of Louisiana.
Now, the State and the Corps have been collaborating
closely on the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain Risk Reduction
Project, which, by the way, when it's built, it will protect
the community that President Biden visited in the immediate
aftermath of Hurricane Ida. It's a predominantly African
American low income community, and it's going to benefit
tremendously from this project.
But in that document, the Corps is going to consider the
Maurepas Swamp diversion that we are doing as mitigation for
the west shore project.
But we believe that internal policies currently existing in
the Corps may well create obstacles that prevent them from
adopting this common sense approach.
And by the way, that's why, one of the reasons, we so much
appreciate the SHORRE Act because you would be giving them
direction to do the things that we believe just make good
common sense.
So I think that's an example of how the Corps can do
better, how the SHORRE Act will drive them to do better, and
then we will get the full benefit of the projects that we are
doing that have a positive impact on the Federal investment by
being able to use that credit toward our match obligations.
Senator Carper. OK. Good. Thank you.
Thank you, all.
I was checking the mail. We got some mail at our house
yesterday. I opened it up, we got something from Louisiana. And
it was a photo and a card from Senator Bill Cassidy, who
succeeded Mary Landrieu as a senator from Louisiana. It was a
lovely picture of him and his wife and their three children.
And on one side of it, there were some words in French, and
I don't recall exactly what the words were in French, but the
translations were let the good times roll.
Governor Edwards. (Inaudible.)
Senator Carper. Of course.
Congresswoman Rochester. What he said.
Senator Carper. I don't know that we're ready to let the
good times roll here as we face this challenge of climate
change and sea level rise.
But I do know this: Ben Franklin, a long time ago, really
nailed it in terms of advice for us today and for later
generations. He once said we came to this country in different
boats but we're in the same boat now and our boat is in danger
of sinking.
And we really did come here in different boats, literally
and figuratively. And parts of our country are in danger of
sinking. And the question is what do we do about it, what do we
do about it.
And one of the things we need to do, go back to the C's, I
like to say C, to communicate to compromise to collaborate. And
those are three things that we're endeavoring to do and we have
to endeavor to do even more energetically to communicate, to
compromise, to collaborate.
We've had wonderful ongoing conversation with the Army
Corps. We are really grateful to the?
Army Corps for all they do for our State, not just for our
economy, but for quality of life and the ability to live here
and raise our families and welcome strangers from other places.
But this hearing was designed to put a spotlight on the
challenges we face and to say everything I do, I know I can do
better. Everything I do, and I'll always thought this way. And
I suspect if truth be known, we all feel that way.
And how do we enable the Army Corps to do better at their
job given the changes that we face on our coasts. How do we
enable them to do a better job. How do we do this in a
collaborative way, what are the roles of the states, what are
the roles of the Federal Government, the Army Corps, in essence
its citizens.
It's not enough to empower the Army Corps.
It's not enough just to change cost benefit analysis and
the ability to work with those mechanisms.
It's also really important for us to address the root
causes of why the seas are rising. That's really critical.
If all we do is the things we've talked about here today,
we're still going to be in a world of hurt 10 years from now,
20, 30, 40, 50 years, still be in a world of hurt.
We've got to do both the walk and chew gum at the same
time.
And I think here in Delaware and Louisiana we're smart
enough to do that. And I believe Democrats and Republicans
across the country, Congress and this president especially,
we're smart enough to do that and it just takes the willpower
and the willingness to lead.
The kind of leadership that I've seen demonstrated by both
of you in the face of this pandemic, by the administration, by
a lot of people, by National Guards, by all kinds of people
during the course of this pandemic, that kind of leadership, we
need that, not just for a couple of months or a year or two,
but for decades, for decades.
And if we do that, years from now, when people come here to
Bethany Beach or other beaches in Delaware or up and down the
coast, they may not know their French that well, but they'll be
in a position to let the good times roll. And they'll look back
and say well, bless those people who had a hand in this.
Let me see. I have some housekeeping I just need to go
through with respect to follow-up.
But before I do that, we have got, let me just say this on
the record, we need to continue to equip this agency, the Army
Corps, with the tools it needs to amply protect our Nation's
coast and make them more resilient to flooding, to erosion, and
extreme weather. And my hope and prayer is that today's hearing
will better inform our work in these areas.
And now I just want to ask unanimous consent. I love asking
unanimous consent at a hearing when I'm the only one there
because I can only object to my own request. But now Lisa is
here.
Congresswoman Rochester. So moved.
Senator Carper. But I'm going to ask unanimous consent to
submit for the record reports and articles that relate to the
impacts of climate change on our Nation's shoreline and coastal
communities. These documents stress the severity of the climate
crisis and emphasize the new realities as a Nation, that we
face as a nation in coming decades.
Is there an objection? Hearing none. Additionally, our
senators and our colleagues will be allowed to submit questions
to our guests, our witnesses for the record through the close
of business on March 9th.
We will compile those questions, we'll send them to our
witnesses, and we'll ask our witnesses to reply, if you would,
by March 23rd.
And with that, I just want to say John King is sitting here
to my left. John heads up our water team on the Committee on
Environment and Public Works. He'll be largely writing, holding
the pen if you will, as we write the Water Resources
Development Act, which will hopefully include the SHORRE Act,
and he does a great writing.
Terrific energy. He's like a bull in a China shop, but
every now and then you need a bull in a China shop, and he
plays that role. He's here with me.
The other members of our water team on EPW, just raise your
hands. Thank you, all.
Congresswoman Rochester. And acknowledge Alexandra.
Senator Carper. Go ahead. Go ahead.
Congresswoman Rochester. I just wanted to also acknowledge
Alexandra Gallinin from our team in Washington, and we have
other members like Andrew and Victoria in the back as well. But
thank you so much, Senator, Mr. Chairman, for your leadership.
Senator Carper. Kate Roar was here earlier. I don't know if
Kate is still. Kate works for Senator Coons. Senator Coons
sends his best. He is a senior member of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee and is in Munich for an annual, actually
more frequent than annual, security meetings in Munich. He's
attending that on behalf, along with some of my colleagues, on
behalf of our country.
And I think that's it. It's been a good two and a half
hours, a long time. But folks, there's not much more, many
challenges and issues that are more important than what we're
talking about here today. And we've got I think a better idea
how to go forward and make sure that the good times continue to
roll in the future. Thank you, all.
With that, this hearing is adjourned. Thank you.
[Whereupon, at 12:55 p.m. the Committee was adjourned.]