WASHINGTON, DC In an effort to improve flood control and flood prevention, bolster water resources nationwide, and help clean up hazardous materials from Narragansett Bay, the United States Senate today unanimously passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The legislation authorizes federal programs valuable to Rhode Island for navigation, flood control, and environmental legislation, and contains several key provisions supported by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI).Reeds initiative to remove hazardous camels that litter Rhode Island shorelines was included in the bill and the project will now be eligible for funding under the Formerly Used Defense Sites program. Camels are 10-by-5-foot blocks of creosote-soaked wood and steel. These structures were used by the Navy during World War II to help keep ships away from piers. Camels were commonly used at the Newport Navy Base, the Quonset Point Navel Air Station carrier pier, Davisville Naval Construction Battalion Center, and the Melville Fuel Depot. In June, Reed was joined by members of Clean the Bay, a non-profit organization working to clean up camels from Narragansett Bay, in calling on the U.S. Navy to expedite their removal.More than 100 abandoned camels litter Narragansett Bay, creating a safety hazard for boaters and divers and contaminating the Bays water with creosote, said Reed. The Navy has a responsibility to cleanup the camels. The federal government should also do its part because creosote is a toxic substance that can be hazardous to marine and human life.The WRDA reauthorization bill also includes important provisions that Reed supported to authorize $25 million for the rehabilitation and removal of dams to improve the quality of the environment and public safety. The legislation also reauthorizes the National Dam Safety Act of 2006 to provide training, research, and grants to improve individual state dam safety programs. Rhode Island has over 560 dams under state regulation.Reed stated, Dam safety is of utmost importance to Rhode Island where we have already seen record rains and flooding this year. These federal funds will help ensure that our dams are safe and that our environment is protected.