McIntyre Secures Extension for Expiring Carolina Beach Renourishment

WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Congressman Mike McIntyre announced today that Congress will authorize an extension of the Carolina Beach renourishment  project through the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014.

The fifty-year Carolina Beach renourishment project was set to expire this year, with no method for extension. The WRRDA bill authorizes a three-year extension of coastal storm damage projects which are scheduled to expire in the next five years, including Carolina Beach. In addition, it creates a process by which successful projects can be extended by up to 15 years with the help of federal funds.

Congressman McIntyre recently announced that an additional $2.7 million in Congressionally appropriated funds will be available for Carolina Beach to complete this year’s beach nourishment.

Congressman McIntyre introduced legislation known as the BEACH Act, to renew this project during the last two sessions of Congress and has made the Carolina Beach nourishment reauthorization one of his top priorities.

Congressman McIntyre was instrumental in the effort to include language in the final WRRDA Bill to allow for an extension of successful beach nourishment projects such as the one ongoing at Carolina Beach. During negotiations on the final House and Senate compromise version of the bill, McIntyre convened a bipartisan coalition of Members of Congress who urged leaders in both chambers to include coastal nourishment reauthorization language in the final bill, citing the immense value of renourishment projects across the country.

Congressman McIntyre also personally advocated for the reauthorization of coastal storm mitigation projects on Carolina and Kure Beach during a speech on the U.S. House floor in October 2013 when the WRRDA bill was before the U.S. House; a video of his remarks can be seen here.

A House-Senate agreement on the final WRRDA Bill was finalized this week after months of negotiations between the two chambers.

It has been seven years since the passage of a WRRDA bill, a comprehensive piece of legislation that authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers’ participation in water– related infrastructure projects.

Congressman McIntyre is the Chairman and Co-Founder of the Congressional Waterways Caucus and has long been an advocate for coastal storm damage reduction projects. Representative McIntyre has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for coastal nourishment, inlet dredging, and harbor maintenance during his time in Congress.