Opening Statement By Rep. David Wu

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This past May, the Technology and Innovation subcommittee held a hearing entitled “Green Transportation Infrastructure: Challenges to Access and Implementation” that included witnesses from the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and representatives of local government and industry.

The witnesses agreed that we have a great opportunity to manage and protect our Nation’s water resources through the use of innovative techniques and technologies that are simultaneously a part of transportation infrastructure and as means for managing and filtering storm water.

Green infrastructure includes materials and design techniques that help mitigate water pollution by managing and filtering runoff.

The EPA witness at the May hearing, Assistant Administrator for Water Ben Grumbles, is already making great efforts to promote the use of green infrastructure around the U.S. But he and the other witnesses described a number of barriers to implementing green infrastructure programs; barriers which this bill works to overcome through research and education efforts at the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

H.R. 5161, the Green Transportation Infrastructure Research and Technology Transfer Act authorizes research and education programs within the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA)’s University Transportation Centers.

These new programs at the Department of Transportation will advance the understanding of the benefits of green transportation infrastructure and its impact on the environment, and help policymakers and builders make informed decisions about where and how to include green infrastructure in their transportation systems.

The bill authorizes grants to existing University Transportation Centers for research and development of green infrastructure technologies; technology transfer programs; assessment of the impact of regulations on the adoption of these green technologies at a local level; and education campaigns aimed at local officials and builders.

I will offer a manager’s amendment today that will allow other universities with expertise in green infrastructure to form consortia with University Transportation Centers.

The bill also authorizes FWHA to incorporate green infrastructure design and construction training in the National Highway Institute (NHI) curriculum which is offered to state and local highway contractors and workers.

Green transportation infrastructure is a simple and exciting set of technologies that can help solve substantial pollution problems in our communities, while increasing energy efficiency and potentially decreasing total cost. I look forward to working with members of the committee to pass this bill. I strongly urge every Committee member to support this common sense bill.