In the Era of Limits: A Galveston District History Update, 1976-1986
Abstract
When the Corps of Engineers was first established, America was a brash, optimistic upstart challenging England. As the nation grew, its optimism and belief in endless opportunities were at times tested. With the maturity of the 1970s and 1980s, the United States now appears to be entering an "era of limits." It no longer has seemingly unlimited resources. The deteriorating environment and the burgeoning federal deficit have tempered optimism with concern. The Corps, too, is facing more constraints. Many of these grow out of the environmental laws passed in the last two decades, beginning in 1969 with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Galveston District projects such as Wallisville and the Corpus Christi 45-foot channel exemplify new limits imposed on the Corps. Other curbing arises from budget constraints, which in tum translates into manpower constraints and limitations on the number of projects the Corps can successfully complete each year. Budget limitations hit a District such as Galveston particularly hard because such a large portion of its budget is for operations and maintenance, particularly dredging, which cannot easily be deferred. At the same time, the Corps is being asked to do more and more. Its regulatory responsibilities have increased, for example. In a 1989 speech to the American Consulting Engineers Council, Lieutenant General Henry J. Hatch, Jr., Chief of Engineers, predicted that environmental engineering will be the major growth area for the Corps in the 1990s. The Corps will also be doing more design-build work because agencies are requesting it. The 1990 budget request for the Corps was 35 percent lower than in fiscal year 1989.1 However, more money would not necessarily assure that more Corps' projects would be completed. At one time, Americans believed that any engineering problem could be solved or any project completed if enough money were available.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA635793
Entities
People
- Bonnie B. Pendergrass
- Lee F. Pendergrass