Congressman Jon Runyan voted to support H.R. 2354, the fiscal year 2012 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill, which among other things, restores the funding level for the Army Corps of Engineers Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies (FCCE) account to $27 million for fiscal year 2012. In April, Runyan submitted testimony to the House Appropriations Committee in support of the FCCE account after funding for the program had been stripped in the 2011 spending bill.
Municipalities with completed Army Corps construction projects become eligible to receive FCCE money after a disaster declaration has been made by an individual state. Several towns on Long Beach Island, including Surf City, have received funding from the FCCE account to rebuild beaches destroyed by storms.
New Jersey municipalities rely on these critical dollars which rebuild beaches in the event of a disaster. These beaches help to fuel a multi-billion dollar tourism industry, New Jersey’s second largest. These funds will help to keep Ocean County’s coastal commerce strong. Runyan made the following statement in support of the bill,
“I am thrilled that I was able to help pass a bill that cuts spending and reduces the deficit while also restoring funding for emergency coastal repair projects. This funding has been critical in helping coastal towns rebuild their beaches and infrastructure after they have been decimated by coastal storms, especially those on Long Beach Island.”
H.R. 2354 provides funds for the Army Corps of Engineers, The Department of Energy, Bureau of Water Reclamation, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear energy and waste disposal, technology loans, uranium enrichment, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and related agencies. The bill trimmed $1 billion from 2011 levels, a 3.3% reduction, and came in $5.9 billion less and 16% percent below the President’s request.
[mappress]
Source: runyan, July 20, 2011