Passage of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act

Last week the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act was passed, which addresses the needs of America's harbors, locks, dams, flood protection, and other water resources infrastructure critical to the nation's economic growth, health, and competitiveness.

Pacific Northwest Waterways Association Executive Director Kristin Meira says that an important element of this legislation was the Water Resource Development Act which hasn't been addressed in several years.

Meira: "It is also a major water policy bill it's the vehicle for making changes to what what kind of projects the Corp of Army Engineers can work on and how they do their business. It is called the Water Resource Development Act or WRDA and we had one in 2000. We didn't have another one until 2007 and then not another one until 2014. They really should be an every-two-year kind of a bill. So we are just thrilled that Congress that has stepped up and tried to get back on that schedule."

Another positive provision included in this legislation protects farmers and ranchers against the EPA's Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure Rule or SPCC. This rule was originally created to regulate refineries and large commercial manufacturers o of liquid. It was suppose to exempt farms and ranches from the rule although that wasn't happening.

The passage of this legislation ensures that farms and ranches fuel or oil tanks, or tanks of feed additives are exempt — up to 2,500 gallons.