11.27.19

Hoeven: Corps Awards $59 Million Contract for Red River Valley Flood Control Project

FARGO, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven released the following statement after the Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $59 million construction contract for the Fargo-Moorhead region’s flood protection project, the second construction contract awarded for the project. Today’s contract will build the Wild Rice River structure, which includes a concrete control structure with two gates. As a member of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Committee, Hoeven secured additional funding in the Corps construction account, enabling the Corps to fund priority construction projects like this.

`“This is a major step forward in the construction of permanent flood protection for the Red River Valley,” said Senator Hoeven. “As a member of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Committee, I worked to provide the Corps with additional construction funding to enable the Corps to fund important priorities like flood protection for the Fargo-Moorhead region. This contract continues construction and will build the control structure on the Wild Rice River, which is an important component of the flood protection project.” 

Hoeven has worked to secure authorization and funding for the permanent flood protection project in the Red River Valley, including project authorization, the new construction start, the Project Partnership Agreement with an increased federal funding level of $750 million, EPA approval to apply for a Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan and other milestones.

The senator continues working as a member of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Committee to secure funding that will help reduce local costs. To this end, Hoeven included the following priorities in the Senate’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 funding legislation:

  • Construction Funding: Provides $233 million in funding above the President’s request for construction of flood control projects. These funds are not allocated to a specific project and will be available to support Corps priorities in the FY2020 work plan, which will be released approximately 30 days after the FY20 Energy and Water appropriations bill is signed into law. This increase will empower the Corps to support more of its priorities, like comprehensive flood protection for the Fargo-Moorhead region.
  • Funding for P3 Projects: Provides $100 million for construction in a new account for “Alternative Delivery” projects, including public-private-partnership (P3) projects and split delivery projects. Fargo-Moorhead would be eligible for funding from this account in addition to the construction funding the bill provides above the budget request for flood control projects. 
    • This is a result of Hoeven’s work to provide direct funding for P3s. P3s represent a new type of financing model for the Army Corps of Engineers and have not been included in previous budget requests

 

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