Miami, Florida --- Today, finally, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded Acceptance Sections 7 and 8 of the Miami River Dredging Project.  The Corps’ award is ($7,000,000.00) seven million dollars from the currently available federal cost share.  Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and her colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives secured these funds from the fiscal year 2006 and 2007 appropriations bills. This award allows the dredging contractor, Weston Solutions, to begin re-mobilization and start the dredging of the river just east of 22^nd Avenue toward the end of July 2007.

“I am very pleased that the Corps of Engineers has released the $7 million my colleagues and I have worked so hard for in the Congress. “ says Ros-Lehtinen, adding, “I thank Miami’s Congressional Delegation:  Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Kendrick Meek (and his Mom, Carrie Meek), Mario Diaz-Balart, and our two US Senators Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez, for their hard focus on Miami’s River seaport so that commerce can thrive again on this, Florida’s 4^th largest port, and for the environment to be free of contaminated sediments that flow into Biscayne Bay.”

Currently Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, her colleagues, and the Miami River Commission are working on the federal cost share balance and advance funding projects with the State of Florida, Miami-Dade County, South Florida Water Management District, Florida Inland Navigation District, and the City of Miami. 

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