Brown Highlights Irishtown Bend Project As He Outlines Blueprint to Rebuild Infrastructure, Create Jobs

CLEVELAND, OH -- U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined community partners at Cleveland Metroparks Merwin's Wharf restaurant today to highlight the proposed Irishtown Bend project. Brown outlined a framework to rebuild and repair the nation's infrastructure while creating millions of construction jobs.

President Trump promised $1 trillion of investment in American infrastructure during his campaign and Brown joined Senate colleagues earlier this year to release a roadmap for making that promise a reality. As part of the plan, Brown included Buy America language to ensure American infrastructure is built by American workers, using American iron and steel.

"Rebuilding American infrastructure will put Ohioans to work on projects like this one," said Brown. "We can create jobs building the roads, transit, and broadband systems that will support our 21st century economy. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and with President Trump to put Ohioans to work creating an infrastructure system that will be the envy of the world once again."

The proposal outlines how a $1 trillion package of infrastructure investment delivered over the next decade would improve the nation's transportation, water, housing, broadband, and community infrastructure while creating thousands of construction and manufacturing jobs in Ohio.

Sen. Brown also wrote to President Trump and shared legislation to ensure that Buy America rules apply to all taxpayer-funded public works and infrastructure projects to ensure that American tax dollars support American manufacturing and domestic jobs.

Irishtown Bend, a stretch of hillside located along the Cuyahoga River, is currently unusable due to the instability of the land. A landslide would also block travel of freight ships traveling through the river, harming businesses such as ArcelorMittal. The Port of Cleveland has proposed a $48 million plan to stabilize Irishtown Bend and to create usable land for homes, businesses, and recreation, including a 17-acre park in cooperation with LAND Studio, which received a $1.4 million conservation grant in February.

The proposal highlighted by Brown includes funding for ports and waterways, as well as funding for critical national projects, including freight, highway, and bridge projects.

Brown was joined by Eric Hauge, Vice President and General Manager of ArcelorMittal Cleveland, William Friedman, President and CEO of the Port of Cleveland, and Grace Gallucci, Executive Director of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency Planning for Greater Cleveland (NOACA).

"There is no question that our country needs greater infrastructure investment, the creation of additional dedicated revenue sources for such investment, and a commitment to execute those investments with American steel and labor," said Hauge. "ArcelorMittal relies on infrastructure in many ways including the transportation of raw materials and finished goods to and from our facilities. Locally, the Cuyahoga River is a lifeline to ArcelorMittal Cleveland. Current local waterway needs such as aging bulkheads and the unstable hillside at Irishtown Bend - coupled with national issues such as the need for an expanded Soo Lock - threaten the flow of materials to our operation, as well as other facilities along the Great Lakes. Furthermore, we rely on our nation's infrastructure for the safe and efficient transport of finished product to our customers, with nearly 60 percent of Cleveland-made steel staying right here in Ohio."

"Fully functioning infrastructure is essential to our operations here at the Port of Cleveland," said Freidman. "Irishtown Bend presents us with a serious threat to jobs and commerce but also an incredible opportunity improve the Cuyahoga River ship channel and protect upriver businesses that rely on the ship channel. We commend Senator Brown for elevating this critical issue in our nation's capital."

"We need to focus on funding our nation's infrastructure with real money. We are literally at a crossroads: we can either choose to invest the money needed to sustain American commerce and lead the world or we can choose to fall behind and yield the American way of life. Funding our nation's infrastructure at this point in time, at this point in history, is that important," said Gallucci.

Ohio has one of the nation's largest interstate systems and a major public transit network that would benefit from nationwide investment in infrastructure.

* Ohio has the nation's fourth largest interstate system with 6,700 lane miles.

* Ohio's public transportation agencies serve more than 300,000 passengers every weekday.

* Nearly a quarter of Ohio's bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.

* An estimated 109,000 Ohioans work in highway construction in the state.

* An estimated $14 billion will need to be spent to keep Ohio's wastewater systems up to date over the next 20 years.

Brown highlighted several priorities for Ohio that could be addressed through the new proposal:

Buy America

The plan would apply Buy America to all taxpayer-funded public works and infrastructure projects to ensure that American tax dollars support American manufacturing and domestic jobs.

Brown introduced legislation to this effect and he wrote to President Trump urging him to make this a priority in his first 100 days.

Fixing Ohio Roads and Bridges

The plan calls for $210 billion for road and bridge repairs and $200 billion for a Vital Infrastructure Program (VIP), which would direct money toward projects of critical national significance.

Brown has long fought for the repair of the Brent Spence Bridge in Cincinnati, which President Trump has promised to replace. In the 2015 transportation package, Brown successfully fought to include a provision that create a new competitive grant program to fund major infrastructure projects, like Brent Spence Bridge.

Updating Outdated Sewer Systems

The plan calls for $110 billion to modernize outdated water and sewer systems.

For several years, Brown has worked on legislation that would provide communities with grants to help make needed updates to combined sewer overflow systems. This would protect Lake Erie and other drinking water from untreated waste and ensure that ratepayers do not face costly rate hikes. According to a recent report to Congress, Ohio needs a more than $14 billion investment in its clean water systems over the next 20 years.

Improving Public Transportation

The plan calls for $130 billion to replace and expand rail and bus systems.

As ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Development Committee - which oversees public transit - Brown has worked to boost federal funding for public transit. Ohio's public transportation agencies serve more than 300,000 passengers every weekday. Sixty percent of Ohio's buses will need to be replaced over the next 10 years, an expense of $750 million. Cleveland's rail system alone would require $400 million to replace its fleet of rail cars and repair its tracks.

Eliminating Blight & Lead Hazards

The plan includes $100 billion to revitalize our communities, including addressing affordable housing challenges, eliminating blighted properties that bring down local property values, and remediating lead hazards that put children at risk of lead poisoning.

Brown has lead efforts to protect Ohio children from lead exposure and worked to boost funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for monitoring and remediation.

Brown has also been instrumental in strengthening the Hardest Hit Fund, which gives communities funding to prevent foreclosure and demolish blighted properties.

Brown has advocated for funding to preserve and create affordable housing and worked to strengthen the Low Income Housing Tax Credit.

Rebuilding America's Schools

The plan includes $75 billion to help modernize America's schools without burdening local taxpayers.

Brown has worked on legislation to give schools the ability to make needed renovations, technology updates, and repairs.

Read this original document at: https://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/brown-highlights-irishtown-bend-project-as-he-outlines-blueprint-to-rebuild-infrastructure-create-jobs