Central ND News

USACE Leadership Testifies on DAPL, Snake Creek Embankment, and Western Water Committee at EPW Hearing

WASHINGTON – As the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee met to discuss the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Civil Works Program, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Michael Connor and USACE Commanding General and Chief of Engineers Lieutenant General Todd Spellmon testified before the committee.

Senator Cramer addressed General Spellmon regarding the Snake Creek Embankment in North Dakota, emphasizing the need to address maintenance issues to ensure water supply to the region. General Spellmon outlined plans to address the structural problems, stating, “If we receive a FY24 appropriation, we will take 500k of dam safety wedge funds and we will do 30% designs on both of those structural solutions to restore the full capability of that embankment.”

In response, Senator Cramer expressed the importance of the embankment, stating, “I always say we don’t have a water problem in North Dakota, we have a water distribution problem and this is an important part of that infrastructure.”

Senator Cramer also questioned Assistant Secretary Connor on the establishment of a Western Water Cooperative Committee, a priority for several Western states. Connor explained the process for establishing the committee and highlighted the need for budget resources to move forward with its implementation, stating, “We are teed up, ready to go, but we do need the resources to implement.”

Senator Cramer further discussed the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) civil trial in North Dakota, seeking reimbursement for damages and policing costs incurred during protests. Regarding the delay in the final environmental impact statement (EIS) for DAPL, Assistant Secretary Connor assured that they are on track to issue a final EIS this fall, emphasizing the importance of ensuring a thorough process, “We're trying to think this through, do it right, respond, do correct tribal consultation, integrate their concerns and our responses into the process, and get this product done so it can stand the test of time.”

The testimony provided insight into ongoing efforts to address critical infrastructure and environmental concerns in North Dakota and beyond.