INVESTIGATION OF CORPS OF ENGINEERS HEARINGS BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE EIGHTY-SECOND CONGRESS FIRST SESSION SUBCOMMITTEE ON DEFICIENCIES AND ARMY CIVIL FUNCTIONS CLARENCE CANNON, Missouri CHRISTOPHER C. MCGRATH, New York 1 GLENN R. DAVIS, Wisconsin CORHAL D. ORESCAN, Executive Secretary to Subcommittee 1 Temporarily assigned. 86506 PART 1 THE ENTIRE CIVIL WORKS PROGRAM UNDER COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS CLARENCE CANNON, Missouri, Chairman JOHN H. KERR, North Carolina ANTONIO M. FERNANDEZ, New Mexico E. H. HEDRICK, West Virginia PRINCE H. PRESTON, JR., Georgia OTTO E. PASSMAN, Louisiana LOUIS C. RABAUT, Michigan DANIEL J. FLOOD, Pennsylvania CHRISTOPHER C. MCGRATH, New York SIDNEY R. YATES, Illinois FOSTER FURCOLO, Massachusetts FRED MARSHALL, Minnesota WINFIELD K. DENTON, Indiana JOHN J. RILEY, South Carolina ALFRED D. SIEMINSKI, New Jersey JOHN TABER, New York RICHARD B. WIGGLESWORTH, Massachusetts KARL STEFAN, Nebraska BEN F. JENSEN, Iowa H. CARL ANDERSEN, Minnesota ERRETT P. SCRIVNER, Kansas FREDERIC R. COUDERT, JR., New York CLIFF CLEVENGER, Ohio EARL WILSON, Indiana NORRIS COTTON, New Hampshire GLENN R. DAVIS, Wisconsin BENJAMIN F. JAMES, Pennsylvania GEORGE B. SCHWABE, Oklahoma GEORGE Y. HARVEY, Clerk II CONTENTS Page Introductory remarks of committee counsel.. Scope of investigation made by committee staff_ Statutory procedure for the authorization of civil-works projects--- Planning of projects after they are authorized by Congress on the basis of Basis for appropriation of initial construction funds. Information on cost of projects furnished to Appropriations Committee_- Need for better cost estimates for consideration by Appropriations Com- Cost increase of 124 percent in civil works construction program Analysis by the Corps of Engineers of cost estimates for 182 civil works projects comprising fiscal year 1951 program__ Benefit-to-cost ratio of projects under construction (table) Benefit-to-cost ratio of projects in planning stage (table). Cost increase due to omissions in engineering planning. Cost increase due to unforeseen conditions_. Cost increase due to engineering modifications_ Cost increase of relocations and lands___ Inadequacy of survey report as a basis for appropriation of construction Nonavailability of definite project reports in Office of Chief of Engineers_ Availability of the new planning report as a congressional document__ Present methods of estimating by the Bureau of the Budget_ _ _ _ Noncompletion of important planning manual started 7 years ago_ I. Initiation of civil works projects, and their authorization-statutory II. Appropriation of funds to initiate construction of authorized projects. Recent appropriations history of civil works projects - Exhibit 1: Corps of Engineers projects studied in the Page III. The present procedure for furnishing data to the Appropriations Exhibit 2: Status of definite project report for each of Exhibit 3: 89 projects in the 1951 civil works program Exhibit 4: 50 projects in the 1951 civil works program IV. The 124 percent increase in the cost of the civil-works program.. (a) Importance of recomputation of benefit-cost ratio after the Exhibit 6: Benefit-cost ratio tables. (b) Detailed breakdown by categories of the 124 percent cost Exhibit 7: Inadequacies to indicate extent of increase 101 102 (d) The paradox in planning projects after authorization VII. Concrete illustrations of the inadequacy of present planning procedure for appropriation purposes. VI. The "planning report"-a solution designed to assure Congress a necessary check on the planning and construction performance of the corps Exhibit 9: Structural and engineering modifications V. The definite project report-its development and present use_ (c) Need for early completion of the Engineering Manual for summary.. (e) Improvements in the planning procedure either already 104 106 110 110 112 113 116 117 118 119 (a) The Missouri River___. Oahe 119 Garrison Fort Randall. 120 120 121 VII. Continued (c) Projects for which the corps does not require definite project VIII. Need for corps to furnish current information to the committee at the time that appropriations are being considered__ (a) Gavins Point.. (b) Central and southern Florida flood control_ IX. Handling of public funds by the Corps of Engineers—accounting X. Reduction in maintenance and operation of projects whose need is XI. Surplus and obsolete material_ Appendix... Chart showing the status of the Engineering Manual for Civil Works__ Development of policies and procedures of the Corps of Engineers for the planning of civil works projects. Page 123 123 124 124 124 124 124 124 125 126 126 127 127 127 128 128 129 130 130 130 133 133 135 Summaries of planning for individual projects. 142 Directives of June 22 and 28, 1951, prescribing improvements in accounting procedures. 147 |