“Building a 21st Century Infrastructure for America: Economic Development Stakeholders’ Perspectives.”
Thank you to the distinguished members of the
The Georgetown Climate Center has worked to capture the challenges communities have faced in rebuilding resiliently after recent disasters, including writing case studies of recovery efforts in
As we watch with heartache the devastation wrought by hurricanes hitting
.
. Hurricane Irma was one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the
. This summer, the
. And the West has been experiencing devastating wildfires, 7.8 million acres have already burned and wildfire season is not yet over.
In just the past couple of weeks, over a hundred of people have been killed, thousands have been displaced, and whole communities have been devastated. And 2017 is likely to break another record as the most costly year for natural disasters that this nation has ever experienced.
So what should we take away from this record-breaking year? These extreme events give us a preview of what we will see with greater frequency and intensity in the coming decades as the climate changes. Storms fueled by warmer oceans and combined with additional sea-level rise will cause greater damage to coastal communities. More extreme rain events will overwhelm aging infrastructure systems not designed to carry these large volumes of water. And more extreme heat will degrade roads and runways, buckle railroad and subway lines, and create dangerous conditions for outdoor workers who maintain and repair these essential services--and indeed for anyone without access to cooling facilities. Failing to acknowledge these changing threats will leave too many communities unprepared.
These events also have significant economic impacts. One in four businesses affected by a major disaster never reopens. And the costs to the country of these extreme weather events will take an increasing toll on government resources. The exposure of the federal government to these economic losses from extreme weather has caused the
It is essential to talk about resilience now, as
What is it to be Resilient?
The
The good news is that there are proactive, fiscally responsible options for responding to the changes we are seeing. Many cities and states across the country are already taking practical steps to enhance the resilience of their infrastructure systems and to prepare their communities. Communities are considering future extreme weather in their local plans. For example,
Under the last administration, federal agencies began developing common-sense measures to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not being wasted. With Hurricane Sandy recovery funds, state and local grantees were required to be build back stronger (with at least a foot of additional elevation or floodproofing). Federal agencies worked with
Opportunities for Promoting Resilience
Although promising resilience practices are being developed at all levels of government, much more needs to be done to help our communities respond to increasing threats, and
Reform and Modernize Federal Disaster Recovery Programs
Additionally,
.
.
.
.
.
.
. Over the longer term, it will be important to quantify the benefits of the actions that we are taking. Currently, we only have the 2005
Fund and Encourage Pre-Disaster Mitigation
A more proactive approach that encourages communities to take actions to reduce their risks before a disaster strikes is needed. Our current approach to disaster recovery and mitigation is reactive: after a storm hits, we send billions of dollars to rebuild communities. Although we need to continue to help communities in need, this approach does not facilitate smart rebuilding and does not encourage communities to proactively take steps to reduce their risks. The instinct after a disaster strikes is to return to the status quo--to get things back to "normal" as quickly as possible, rather than preparing for a "new normal." Very few communities have plans or rules on the books that enable them to rebuild more resiliently after a disaster. As a result, structures and people are often put back in harm's way.
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Create and Fund Infrastructure Banks
Even without catastrophic disaster events, infrastructure systems in
Current federal programs for financing infrastructure are underfunded given state and local needs. They allocate funding in silos, hindering the development of cross-sector, multi-benefit projects that deliver the greatest return on investment. And they fail to encourage investments to enhance the resilience of interdependent infrastructure systems. For example, financing for the water infrastructure is allocated through the State Revolving Funds, while transportation financing is supported through the Transportation Infrastructure Financing and Innovation Act (TIFIA). This siloed approach to funding and financing limits the opportunity for state and local governments to combine different funding streams to design and construct more ambitious infrastructure projects that deliver multiple community benefits, such as projects to retrofit highways and incorporate green infrastructure to manage stormwater runoff or incorporate other multi-modal improvements.
. Projects funded through an infrastructure bank should be designed to be resilient to future climate change;
. Retrofits to existing infrastructure should be prioritized over creation of new infrastructure; and
. An infrastructure bank should enable blending of funds from other financing mechanisms, such as funds from state revolving funds and transportation and water financing programs.
Conclusion
This year of record-breaking weather and related devastating impacts provides a sobering preview of what we can expect with greater frequency and intensity as the climate changes. A fiscally-responsible approach to rebuilding that does not put communities back in harm's way requires that we account for anticipated future conditions and that we encourage communities to take proactive steps to reduce their own risks. My testimony identifies some of the many opportunities for
n1 http://www.georgetownclimate.org/reports/reimagining-new-orleans-post-katrina.html
n6 https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/09/09/us/hurricane-irma-records.html?mcubz=1&_r=0
n7 US Government Accountability Office, High Risk Series: Progress on Many High-Risk Areas While Substantial Efforts Needed on Others at 150-179, (
n8 https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-17-425.
n10 https://www.dhs.gov/topic/resilience
n11
n14 http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/miami-beach/article41141856.html
n15 http://www.adaptationclearinghouse.org/resources/fdot-rebuild-of-highway-a1a-in-fort-lauderdale.html
n16 http://www.adaptationclearinghouse.org/sectors/transportation/case-studies-b.html
n18 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/10/24/2016-25117/asset-management-plans-and-periodic-evaluations-of-facilities-repeatedly-requiring-repair-and#sectno-citation-%E2%80%89515.7
n19 https://fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RL33053.pdf
n20
n21 Id.
n22 https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FEMA-2016-0003-0150.
n23
Read this original document at: https://transportation.house.gov/UploadedFiles/2017-9-13_-_Grannis_Testimony.pdf
“Building a 21st Century Infrastructure for America: Economic Development Stakeholders’ Perspectives.”
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