Dear Chairmen Carper and Graves and Ranking Members Capito and Larsen:
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce looks forward to supporting the efforts of your committees in the water and water infrastructure realms. The impacts of our changing climate manifest as water challenges — too much, too little, or of poor quality. We are confident that solutions can be provided with bipartisan support.
Last year, we shared several suggestions on proposed water policies, most of which remain relevant to the ongoing debate. The following items underscore these issues and highlight our 2024 priorities:
- Pass meaningful permitting reform to streamline and provide certainty for issues including Waters of the U.S., Section 401, Section 404, and Nationwide Permitting programs.
- Support funding for the water provisions in the IIJA that were authorized but not appropriated, focusing on the low-income assistance pilot. Congress should also begin to explore reauthorization of the IIJA, especially for unspent funding.
- Promote our small and disadvantaged community water funding roadmap to provide small communities with a guide to accessing IIJA funds.
- Authorize and fund water technology innovation, starting with the IIJA technology grant programs. Congress should create an industrial water reuse tax credit, continue to fund lead line mapping and replacement, foster R&D for PFAS treatment technologies, make point-of-use/point-of-entry technologies eligible for environmental justice funding, and increase access to digital and artificial intelligence solutions (e.g., for climate impacts and lifecycle water sector greenhouse gas inventories).
- Make it easier for public and private entities to partner with distressed systems, starting with safe harbor limits on previous liability and noncompliance.
- Facilitate and increase exports of U.S. water technologies, products, and services.
Reauthorization of the Farm Bill and Water Resources Development Act provide opportunities to include additional tools for small and disadvantaged communities and households for technical assistance, access to technologies and data (e.g., the Healthy H2O Act, the Water Data Act, Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program Establishment Act), enabling nature-based solutions, and more infrastructure funding to ensure sustainable water access and improved decision making across our nation. Water scarcity, especially in the American west and along the U.S.-Mexico border where water quality is a significant challenge that can be addressed by linking solutions, such as water reuse and recycling. Your support for the Border Water Infrastructure Program is also an important priority.
We look forward to continuing our work with you on these important issues.
Sincerely,
Neil L. Bradley
Executive Vice President, Chief Policy Officer,and Head of Strategic Advocacy
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
cc: Members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
Members of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
