WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, questioned Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, about the need for additional funding for beach nourishment projects along Delaware’s battered coastline to protect homes, businesses, and fragile ecosystems during an Appropriations Subcommittee hearing. Senator Coons also questioned her about funding to dredge the Port of Wilmington. View video of Senator Coons and Assistant Secretary Jo-Ellen Darcy here: http://bit.ly/1QMhIhu

After winter storms devastated Delaware’s coastline earlier this year, Senator Coons joined the delegation in supporting Governor Markell’s request for emergency funding to restore portions of Delaware’s coastline to pre-storm conditions. Senator Coons has met with leadership from the Army Corps of Engineers and spoken with a number of mayors from local towns on Delaware’s coast about the need for additional coastal protections for Delaware. 

Read a transcript of the conversation between Assistant Sec. Jo-Ellen Darcy and Senator Coons below:

Senator Coons: I have been particularly pleased with the service of the Colonel who is charged with the Philadelphia District – Lieutenant Colonel Mike Bliss, and I’m grateful for your continued support for a project that is near and dear to my constituents, the Delaware river dredging. I’m pleased there’s another $55 million dollars overall in the work plan to complete the project, so I just want to start by saying thank you, since I know not every opportunity is taken to thank you for budget support and for leadership. 

If I might, Assistant Secretary Darcy, just want to talk about Delaware’s beaches. We have several world-class beaches – they are a key driver of tourism in our region and they are essential to the economy of Southern Delaware. We had a significant storm recently that imposed some very hard damage. We are grateful for previous investment in beach nourishment that protected those beaches, but most of what had been provided in recent years was torn away and that’s left a lot of our coastal communities and their infrastructure exposed. I’m hopeful that we can work together to find resources; the President’s budget to my disappointment did not include funding for Bethany beach or South Bethany beach, and as the project information reports from the Philadelphia District come into your office describing damage to Delaware’s beaches, I am hopeful that you conclude that the Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies Act funds that remain unspent from Sandy could be used for Rehoboth, Bethany, and South Bethany. Do you think that is possible or likely? And if not, what else do you think we can do to rebuild Delaware’s beaches and its coastal defenses?

Assistant Secretary Jo-Ellen Darcy: As you say, Senator, we are in the PIR stages, project information reports that inform us as to what exactly, what damages were done and what the actual cost of those repairs will be. As far as using Sandy supplemental funds, I’m going to have to defer, because I believe that those can only be used for damages that were incurred by Super storm Sandy as opposed to subsequent storms. But again, that is something we’ll check into if the need be for that – if the need for the repairs is unmet. 

Senator Coons: Given that just a visual inspection as well as detailed reports from local government leaders suggests to Delaware’s congressional delegation that there will be some significant needs here, what funding source do you think is most likely, relevant, or appropriate to take action this year?

Assistant Secretary Jo-Ellen Darcy: Probably the FCC&E account, that’s our coastal emergency account, but it would depend on how they are evaluated as far as… relative to the most recent storm.

Senator Coons: Well I’ll join the comments made by other of my colleagues earlier in this hearing that it is disappointing that the Administration’s funding request is insufficient for what are the likely needs of the whole country and as a member of this subcommittee, I’m happy to commit to continuing to support needed increased funding that will make it possible for you to address the needs of Delaware and many other states.

Let me also turn to the Port of Wilmington. It’s on a dredging cycle that really isn’t sufficient to meet the needs of this port. It’s a relatively small port, but it’s an important port for my home state. It silts in about every six to nine months, and right now, it’s causing havoc with a number of costumers at the port, and I’m hopeful that going forward you’ll consider including funding for two dredging cycles a year. Is this something you’re familiar with?

Assistant Secretary Jo-Ellen Darcy: Senator, I’m aware that we did provide 16 O&M dredging for this port at 3.845 million dollars, and also in the President’s 17 budget request, we have 4.355 million dollars for this, for the next dredging cycle. So I think, an additional dredging cycle is what your question is, sir?

Senator Coons: yes

Assistant Secretary Jo-Ellen Darcy: I believe that currently we are budgeting on a single dredging cycle, and I think those numbers reflect… 

Senator Coons: I’ll urge you to reconsider based on experience at the port two dredging cycles a year, and let me in my closing moments, simply recommend to you again funding for the Delaware River Basin commission. Although there is a congressionally approved compact that requires a federal contribution, the federal contribution hasn’t been forthcoming I think in 19 of the last 20 fiscal years. I also am an advocate for the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund – you’ve made some significant improvements – the request is higher, our funding has improved but it is still 20% less this year than what was appropriated last, and I think it would make a significant difference for harbors across the country, not just in my home state of Delaware. So please note me as an advocate for working to ensure that the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund is put to its appropriate purposes and that we invest to the level we need to in order to ensure that our export and import businesses that go through our vital ports and harbors are appropriately maintained.