AAPA Commends President Obama for WRRDA Enactment

After a 7-year hiatus in reauthorizing new U.S. water resources legislation, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) says it commends President Obama for officially signing the 2014 Water Resources Reform and Development Act into law.

The president’s signing culminates a series of port visits by the President, Vice President and other top Administration officials over the past year, as well as statements about the vital importance of investing in port related infrastructure.

AAPA President and CEO Kurt Nagle said, “This WRRDA legislation will produce a more efficient maritime infrastructure that strengthens our position as a global trade leader. We at AAPA appreciate the focus on ports and navigation studies by Congress and the Administration in crafting and passing WRRDA.”

Mr. Nagle went on to laud the leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works who crafted the new WRRDA legislation, along with the WRRDA reforms “that enables expedited navigation project studies, creates more flexibility for capital investment and advances construction on the nation's 21st century maritime infrastructure.”

“Additionally,” he said, “this legislation establishes a means for donor port equity.”

Mr. Nagle further noted that by establishing targets for full use of the Harbor Maintenance Tax revenues for their intended purposes, “Congress has achieved a major milestone by setting the bar for putting the ‘trust’ back into the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.”