2010 Water-Energy Appropriations Bill: Know What's Happening in Your Watershed

On July 30, the Senate passed H.R.3183 - Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010. This bill directs money to federal agencies for water and energy development projects across the country.

To many, this is a pork-laden bill that allows our representatives to funnel funding to pet-projects in their home states. While for certain provisions this may be true, a number of critically important projects are also funded in the bill. A few of the projects that were funded include:

• Weatherization Assistance Program: $200.0 million
• State Energy Program: $50.0 million
• Industrial Technologies Program:$100.0 million
• Building Technologies Program:$202.698 million
• Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability:$179.483 million
• Energy Information Administration: $110.595 million
• Electric Dispersal Barrier: $5.3 million
• Great Lakes Remedial Action Plan Technical Assistance: $85,000
• Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration Program: $2 million
• Soo Lock replacement project:$1 million

If you have the time, consider reading through the bill to see what projects received funding in your state. You can read the text of the bill here. If you learn of a project that should be reconsidered due to its environmental impacts, let River Network know by contacting me!