Washington Waves: Waterway News From D.C. for September 22, 2025
Assistant Army Secretary for Civil Works Adam Telle told a key Senate committee he could not give a date on providing a plan to implement provisions in Water Resources Development Acts (WRDA) that may date back years.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, pressed Telle on that date during an oversight hearing on WRDA implementation.
“Many provisions provided in prior WRDAs have gone largely unimplemented,” Moore Capito said. “Section 1102 of WRDA 2024 requires that your office develop and submit a plan to Congress on the implementation of not just WRDA 2024, but prior WRDAs.”
When the senator asked Telle for an explanation for the delay, he cited the myriad of agencies across the entire government that would have to be consulted to come up with such a plan.
“It is complex for us to deliver to you something that you can count on, that is right,” he said.
Telle conceded the frustration expressed by committee members over the number of years that it sometimes takes to implement WRDA provisions.
“We owe you a plan about how to get that done,” he said.
During the hearing, Telle repeatedly assured senators that he and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which he oversees, will follow the laws Congress has enacted.
Government Shutdown
With fewer than two weeks before a possible government shutdown, Republican and Democratic leaders have unveiled separate short-term measures to keep federal agencies open. They also continue to blame each other for pushing the government toward a shutdown at midnight September 30, when the current fiscal year ends. To give negotiators more time to resolve the standoff, Republicans unveiled a bill to continue funding through November 21. Under the Democrats’ bill, the funding would continue until October 31.
The bills contain key differences. Republicans insist on having a “clean” continuing resolution with only so-called anomalies allowed to make limited changes agreed to by both sides. Democrats want provisions that address “the health care crisis,” protect Congress’ power of the purse and reject President Donald Trump’s pocket rescissions of funds already authorized by Congress.
CBP Final Rule
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is requesting comments on an interim final rule amending regulations so that a tonnage year, for purposes of calculating tonnage taxes for a vessel, is aligned with the fiscal year of the federal government.
Effective September 16, the rule permits CBP to issue a single electronic receipt for the payment of tonnage taxes and light money, simplifies the tonnage tax process, decreases the number of errors in assessing tonnage taxes and simplifies the tracking of tonnage tax payments.
Comments, which must be received by November 17, may be submitted via www.regulations.gov under Docket No. USCBP-2025-0581 with the agency name and docket number included. For additional information, contact Brian Sale at 202-325-3338 or OFO-MANIFESTBRANCH@cbp.dhs.gov.
Offshore Port Permit
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Clean Air Act (CAA) permit for a proposed offshore Texas GulfLink (TGL) deepwater port that the agency says will be able to load up to 85,000 barrels per hour or 365 million barrels a year.
Located about 30 miles southeast of Freeport, Texas, the port will use the permit for a “first-of-its-kind use of vapor capture and control technology mounted on an offshore support vessel.”
“In issuing the first Clean Air Act deepwater port permit since President Trump returned to office, EPA is keeping its promise to unleash American energy dominance and economic prosperity,” EPA Regional Administrator Scott Mason said.
For the licensing project, see Docket No. MARAD-2019-0011 at www.regulations.gov.
Coast Guard Contract
The Coast Guard announced a blanket purchase agreement to Stealth Solutions Inc. to modernize the service’s Mariner Credentialing Program (MCP) information technology system and support revitalization of the maritime workforce.
With a total potential value of $49.6 million and a five-year period of performance, the Coast Guard said the September 12 agreement will include comprehensive efforts to update and streamline the merchant mariner credentialing process and other mariner credentialing requirements.
The service also announced a $3.8 million order for development of the first release of NAVITA, a modernized system for issuing merchant mariner credentials and medical certificates.
Illinois River RNA
The Coast Guard issued a final rule establishing a regulated navigation area for certain waters of the Illinois River to provide for the safety of human health and the environment on navigable waters near Naplate, Ill., due to an Environmental Protection Agency superfund alternative site.
The rule takes effect October 16.
It prohibits persons and vessels from anchoring or pushing their vessels onto the bank of the river in the regulated navigation area unless authorized by the captain of the port of Sector Lake Michigan or a designated representative or in the event of an emergency.
Documents are available at www.regulations.gov under Docket No. USCG-2025-0320. For additional information, contact Lt. Kyle Goetz at 630-986-2131 or D09-SMB-MSUChicago-WWM@uscg.mil.
Advisory Committee Nominations
The Department of Transportation is soliciting nominations to serve on the U.S. Maritime Transportation System National Advisory Committee (MTSNAC), which advises the transportation secretary on the U.S. maritime transportation system and its integration with other segments of the transportation system.
Nominations, which must be received by October 17, may be submitted via email at MTSNAC@dot.gov with the subject line: MTSNAC Nomination or mail at MTSNAC Designated Federal Officer, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20590 with name, mailing address and telephone number included.
For additional information, contact Marlise Fratinardo at 312-259-1529 or marlise.fratinardo@dot.gov.
