Jim Webb may not have known what Craney Island was when George Allen asked him about it at the Homestead debate last July, but he sure does now. Yesterday, following an 81-12 vote in the U.S. Senate on the Water Resources Development Act, which contains the Craney Island Project, Senator Webb -- who voted for the bill -- issued a statement:
The eastward expansion of Craney Island is essential to the Commonwealth's plan to create a state-of-the-art marine terminal in Portsmouth, Virginia. When finally realized, this project will represent billions in new investment in the Hampton Roads community.
In addition, Webb noted that the water bill "authorizes $30 million for improvements to the Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is the single largest point source of nitrogen pollution in the Bay watershed." More broadly, "this legislation will help implement environmental and conservation improvements in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to ensure that Virginians can enjoy and benefit from our natural resources for generations to come."
Let's hope so. Maanwhile, it will be interesting to see if the White House follows through on its threat to veto this bill, given that it passed both houses of Congress with far more than the 2/3 it needed for override.