Houston Chronicle by Emily Foxhall, Benjamin Wermund 7/28/2022
The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved the plan to build the coastal barrier known as the "Ike Dike" at the mouth of Galveston Bay. The $31-billion dollar project is considered the largest of its kind ever proposed in the nation and is meant to protect the Houston region from hurricane storm surges.
Senators voted 92-2 to approve the Water Resources Development Act, which includes authorization for the project as well as others. The bill has now passed both chambers with authorization for the project, but the House and Senate will have to iron out differences in the two versions before sending it to Biden.
The Ike Dike plan centers on gates that would be built across the mouth of Galveston Bay and lowered ahead of hurricanes to block waves of water from pushing up the Houston Ship Channel and flooding industrial facilities and homes. Supporters urging the project ahead say officials already stalled too long in doing something to protect the vulnerable area.
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https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/environment/article/Senate-approves-Ike-Dike-plan-which-goes-to-Biden-17335601.php
