Funding on way for local locks, dams

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was the big winner in this region when Congress passed the $410 billion Omnibus Spending Bill this week.

The agency, which oversees flood control projects and locks and dams in the region, will receive about $58 million of the $79 million in federal funds coming into the nine-county region served by U.S. Reps. Mike Doyle, Jason Altmire, Tim Murphy and John Murtha. Those counties are Allegheny, Armstrong, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland.

The most expensive projects are $25.8 million for emergency repairs at the Emsworth Locks and Dams on the Ohio River and $15.9 million to upgrade locks and dams on the Monongahela River at Braddock, Elizabeth and Belle Vernon.

The projects, which range down to $57,000 for a youth violence prevention program in Aliquippa, frequently are referred to by critics as "pork," unnecessary projects funded so elected officials can curry favor with constituents back home.

That rankles Mr. Doyle.

"People don't realize how important these locks and dams projects are to this region," said Mr. Doyle, D-Forest Hills. "If we would have a breakdown at Braddock and we couldn't move barges through, it could shut down the Clairton Coke Works and thousands of jobs at U.S. Steel. They are that critical."

Mr. Altmire noted that the $58 million in this bill is a fraction of the money needed for locks and dams in this region. The Army Corps of Engineers has identified about $2 billion worth of work that needs to be done on local locks and dams.

"What that shows is these projects are incredibly expensive," he said.

As a result, locks and dams will be among the state's top priorities when officials apply for federal economic stimulus money, he said.

"We met [Wednesday] with Gov. Rendell and I don't want to put words in his mouth, but he agreed with us that locks and dams should be a top priority across the state," Mr. Altmire said. "What is at stake ... is too important to ignore."

Mr. Murphy also stood by the money for locks and dams.

"That money is huge because we have more locks and dams in Western Pennsylvania than anywhere else in the country," he said. "We have to get that work done."

Other projects range from neighborhood sewer work to educational programs and research and development grants.

One project Mr. Doyle earmarked funds for -- $570,900 -- is the proposed conversion of the former Connelley training school in the Lower Hill District into a center for green technology research and employee training. He's working with a group of universities, elected officials, business and union leaders and environmental activists to raise money to develop the concept, acquire the 234,000-square-foot building and renovate it for the new program.

"We could be at the forefront of green technology and the industry that comes with it," he said.

A similar project will give PPG Industries a $1.18 million grant through the Department of Energy to develop solar window panels for office buildings. The goal is to develop affordable panels that serve the dual role of keeping buildings cool by absorbing sunlight and then converting the sunlight into energy to run the building.

Mr. Murphy doesn't like the idea of calling the projects pork, either. He pointed to $570,000 he secured for major rehabilitation work on the Grove Road Bridge in Castle Shannon.

"From the time I was a state senator they were trying to get money for this project," he said. "They've needed this for a long time and we finally got the money."

Mr. Doyle noted that Democrats changed the rules when they took over Congress four year ago and made such earmarks public after years of criticism that members were securing funds for projects with no public disclosure on who requested the money. The amount of money used for earmarks in local districts is about 2 percent of the federal budget.

"It's pork unless it's in your own back yard, then it's necessary," Mr. Doyle said. "Now, these projects are all public, so if the money is for a bridge to nowhere ... you have to answer for it."