After a weeklong battle over last-minute policy riders, the Senate passed a major water bill that includes emergency aid for Flint, Mich., and drought relief for California.
The nearly $12 billion measure, called the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, which authorizes 30 new infrastructure projects around the country, now heads to the president’s desk.
The underlying waterways bill Authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers Chief's Reports submitted to Congress since WRDA 2014. It deepens nationally significant ports, addresses flood risk management, helps disadvantaged communities provide safe drinking water and authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to approve state permitting programs for coal ash. It authorizes $170 million in aid for the drinking water crisis in Flint, where water from the Flint River corroded the pipes and contaminated the city’s water supply with lead.
