The US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) is beginning preliminary work on a new Water Resources Development Act, or WRDA to authorize funds for US Army Corps of Engineers river locks and dams, flood protection, environmental restoration and other projects.

工作正处于早期，但7月28日的听证会对一个问题表现出广泛的兴趣，这似乎在2022年设想的新WRDA中几乎可以解决，这改变了军团如何计算潜在项目的利益成本比率。新利18备用网址听证会上的目击者说，目前的指标需要大修。

该计算至关重要，因为美国管理和预算办公室通常希望看到成本效益比为2.5比1，以便将项目包括在总统预算请求中。

气候问题

鉴于军团在抗击洪水和其他自然灾害的前线方面，处理气候变化（包括项目弹性的规定）也可能是下一个法案的优先事项。

委员会主席汤姆·卡珀（Tom Carper）（D-del。）观察到，国家正在被更强大的暴风雨，洪水，海平面上升和干旱“越来越锤击”，“军团一直陷入主要的防守者的地位。频繁且越来越昂贵的灾难。”

他指出，从1990年到2019年，军团获得了539亿美元的补充拨款，其中大多数是针对对洪水和重大风暴做出反应的项目。新利18备用网址

卡珀说：“我们不应该等待暴风雨来解决这些项目，我们应该在暴风雨到达之前解决这些举措。”新利18备用网址

大项目积压

资金是WRDA的核心元素。卡珀（Carper）开幕式开幕式，该军团受到“资金不足”的困扰，导致授权但未完成的项目积压到1009亿美元。新利18备用网址

他说：“这是代理商年度运营预算的15倍以上，这应该是我们所有人的关注。”

Carper确实说了2022 WRDA应该有多少资金。

该小组的最高共和党人参议员雪莱·摩尔·卡皮托（Shelley Moore Capito）表示，改变利益成本的比率是“我们从每个人那里听到的东西 - 双方……。因此，我认为这是我们应该优先考虑的事情。”

福利成本比“根本破裂”

Collin O’Mara, National Wildlife Federation president and CEO, is among those seeking to rework the present ratio. “It’s a process that’s fundamentally broken,” he said, adding that project benefits should include their positive impacts in such areas as water quality, soil stabilization, recreation and wildlife habitats.

Mario Cordero, executive director of the Port of Long Beach in California said the present analysis is "too rigid."

他代表美国港口当局作证，并补充说，需要的是考虑“自然基础设施”的好处。

Amy Larson, a consultant and former president of the National Waterways Conference, also advocated changes in what benefits the Corps looks at in its project evaluations. Noting that the current calculation uses real estate values in the project area, she said “What that means is, it’s a clear detriment to areas with lower property values.”

Larson added that "we know that we need a more focused response to address flood risk sin thse hese disadvantaged communities.”

She suggested looking at the number of lives at risk from a flood, as well as the number of homes and other structures to be protected. "Consideration of life-safety should b paramount,” :Larson said.