Congresswoman Scholten Introduces Two Water Resources Bills
Congresswoman Hillary Scholten introduced two bills, one of which, the Water Reservoir Transparency Act, would require the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to assess how new commercial and industrial users, including data centers, impact water reservoirs in Michigan and across the country. The second bill, the Clean Ports for Commerce Act, addresses advanced planning for dredging in PFAS-contaminated areas, prompted by issues in Grand Haven. These bills aim to proactively protect vital water resources.
Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (D-MI-03) has introduced two legislative proposals aimed at enhancing water resource management in Michigan and nationwide. The first, the Water Reservoir Transparency Act, co-sponsored with Congresswoman Emilia Sykes (D-OH-13), mandates the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to evaluate the impact of new commercial and industrial users, including data centers, on the nation's water reservoirs. Scholten emphasized the critical need for understanding these impacts for effective water planning as data centers continue to expand.
The second bill, the Clean Ports for Commerce Act, directs the USACE to undertake advanced planning for dredging operations in areas contaminated with PFAS "forever chemicals." This initiative stems from a near-miss dredging cycle at the Grand Haven Inner Harbor, which highlighted deficiencies in current planning processes. Congresswoman Scholten stressed the importance of proactive measures to protect West Michigan's vital water resources, particularly given the new pressures from data centers and the lessons learned from local incidents like Grand Haven's harbor. Congresswoman Sykes echoed these sentiments, noting the need for informed decisions to balance economic growth with long-term water sustainability in Ohio. The bills reflect Scholten's ongoing commitment on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to environmental resilience.