Funding for Three Important Infrastructure Projects at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Clears Key Senate Hurdle
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced today that the fiscal year (FY) 2019 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs spending bill included more than $162 million for three projects at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) in Kittery, Maine. Senator Collins is a senior member of the Appropriations Committee and the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee.
During a Senate Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee hearing last month, Senator Collins expressed her support for the Navy and Defense Logistics Agency’s request for this funding to undertake much-needed infrastructure upgrades at PNSY. As a member of the subcommittee, Senator Collins advocated for these project’s inclusion in the final bill.
“The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery is critical to southern Maine’s economy and our national security. These construction projects will help ensure the readiness of our nation’s submarine fleet, and provide valuable support to the hardworking employees at PNSY as they repair and modernize Navy submarines,” said Senator Collins. “I have long advocated for the Navy to address the modernization needs at the shipyard and am pleased that the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved funding for these much-needed investments.”
The three projects approved for PNSY by the Appropriations Committee and supported by Senator Collins include:
- $110 million for the Dry Dock #1 Superflood Basin Improvement
- $40 million to extend Dry Dock #1’s Portal Crane Rail
- $12 million for DLA’s Consolidated Warehouse Addition
These projects will ensure that PNSY can efficiently dock both Los Angeles-class and Virginia-class submarines to conduct their maintenance, support the requirements to execute Los Angeles-class service life extensions in the years to come, and expand an outdated warehouse facility that will help the shipyard receive, inspect, and distribute submarine components for worldwide fleet support.
The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill must now be considered by the full Senate.
