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Long Beach, CA—Congresswoman Laura Richardson toured the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles today with Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, Chairwoman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. The Subcommittee maintains jurisdiction over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and authors the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), a multi-billion dollar bill to fund critical water infrastructure and environmental restoration projects nationwide.
A few days earlier, Richardson announced that she had secured $100,000 in federal funding in the House Appropriations Committee Energy and Water bill that would authorize the Army Corps of Engineers to evaluate federal interest in a reconfiguration of the Long Beach Breakwater that could improve water quality, promote navigation, preserve coastal zones, and protect property.
“I was honored to have my colleague come out and tour the Port of Long Beach with me today,” Congresswoman Richardson said. “Forty-five percent of all U.S. imports travel through the 37th District. So, it was important for the Chairwoman to come out and see just how important the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, as well as the rest of our district, are to the nation’s economy. Since my election to the House of Representatives in 2007, I have secured over $12 Million in water resource development and infrastructure appropriations projects. Having Chairwoman Bernice Johnson vouch for future projects in the 37th District will only help in my continued efforts to earn more essential federal dollars.”
In 20 short months, Congresswoman Richardson has successfully brought a Cabinet Secretary and four Committee Chairmen and Chairwomen to tour the 37th Congressional District. This equates to House of Representatives leadership witnessing firsthand the needs of the District and its people and their subsequent support of the issues that impact the region. This many high profile visits in such a short period of time has never been done in the 37th District,” Richardson said. “It is a crucial part of building relationships that will benefit the District when Congress next considers infrastructure legislation including the Water Resources Development Act or a bill to authorize federal funding for the Long Beach Breakwater.”
The Subcommittee that Congresswoman Johnson chairs has direct oversight of the Army Corps of Engineers. “Long Beach will have another advocate pushing this funding through Congress now that the Chairwoman has seen the breakwater firsthand,” Congresswoman Richardson said.
Eight miles in length, the Long Beach Breakwater is the longest breakwater in the United States. Built by 1949, the breakwater currently prevents large waves from disrupting the operations of the port and possible residences. The existence of the breakwater, however, has significantly decreased waves along the shore and caused pollutant buildup in the harbor. Many believe that the area’s water supply has been adversely affected by the breakwater as well.
Congresswomen Richardson and Johnson also viewed by helicopter some of the facilities in the region that have significant national water resource and environmental implications.
These facilities included:
· The Leo J. Vander Lans Advanced Water Treatment Facility (AWTF), Carson
· A state-of-the-art water treatment facility that will ensure that Southern California's groundwater supply is sufficient, clean and safe. The facility supplies water to protect the Central Basin groundwater basin from seawater contamination and, ultimately, to protect the drinking water for the region. About 2.7 million gallons of near-distilled quality water are produced daily here.
· The Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP), Carson
· One of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the world and is the largest of the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts' wastewater treatment plants. The facility provides both primary and secondary treatment for approximately 300 million gallons of wastewater per day, serving a population of approximately 3.5 million people throughout L.A. County.
· The Long Beach Water Reclamation Plant (WRP), Long Beach
· Provides primary, secondary and tertiary treatment for 25 million gallons of wastewater per day. The plant serves a population of approximately 250,000 people.
· Long Beach Seawater Desalination Project, Long Beach
· An exclusive public sector partnership between Long Beach Water, the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power and the United States Bureau of Reclamation. The three have constructed a 300,000 gallon-per-day prototype desalination facility, the largest seawater desalination research and development facility of its kind in the United States.
· The Alameda Corridor, Ports of Long Beach & Los Angeles, Carson & Compton
· This project stretches through eight cities along a 20-mile route. The centerpiece is the Mid-Corridor Trench, a below-ground trainway running parallel to Alameda Street for 10 miles. The Alameda Corridor is designed to accommodate the 100 daily train trips to and from the ports projected for 2020, with trains averaging 30-40 mph.
· The Southeast Resource Recovery Facility (SERRF), Long Beach
· Processes over 100,000 tons of Long Beach residential and commercial solid waste per year, and performs "front-end" and "back-end" recycling. Working with local law enforcement, SERRF began destroying narcotics and drug related paraphernalia in 1992. SERRF has destroyed an average of 17,000 pounds of narcotics each month.
Congresswoman Richardson is a Democrat from California’s 37th Congressional District. She is a member of the House Committees on Transportation & Infrastructure and Homeland Security. Her district includes Long Beach, Compton, Carson, Watts, Willowbrooke and Signal Hill.
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