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With glacial floodwaters repeatedly endangering homes, businesses and critical infrastructure in Juneau, Alaska, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is abandoning the traditional federal playbook and embracing an unprecedented fast-track strategy to safeguard the city.

The corps, working alongside the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of the Interior, recently announced a new initiative called Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork (BINP) that seeks to dramatically shorten the timeline and reduce costs of a permanent solution to recurring glacial lake outburst floods from the Mendenhall Glacier system.

Flooding has become an annual occurrence for the state capital. Water builds up behind the ice wall of the glacier and billions of gallons can submerge local roads and damage properties.

Officials say the community can no longer afford to wait for lengthy environmental reviews, permitting requirements and bureaucratic processes that typically precede major infrastructure projects.

Under conventional federal procedures, officials estimate developing and building a permanent flood mitigation solution would take more than a decade and cost upwards of $1 billion. By contrast, the new initiative seeks to dramatically shorten the timeline and reduce costs by co-ordinating agencies and streamlining reviews to move projects forward more quickly.

Adam Telle, assistant secretary of the army for civil works, explained the challenge is unlike anything the USACE has ever faced, “which is why it requires a solution unlike any other.

“Finding unique, common-sense ways to solve the most difficult water infrastructure problems is what BINP is all about, and we intend to deliver the real, lasting safety Juneau deserves.”

The core principle behind BINP is straightforward: prioritize getting infrastructure built rather than allowing projects to become bogged down in never-ending studies, reviews and paperwork.

Rather than following the traditional sequential process where agencies often conduct separate reviews and approvals, federal departments have been directed to co-ordinate their efforts and use existing authorities to eliminate duplication and accelerate decision-making.

By stripping away bureaucratic inertia and adopting an aggressive operational tempo, such a collaborative partnership prioritizes actual �鶹��ýӳ�� and immediate safety over endless paperwork. The streamlined approach ensures federal resources are deployed rapidly.

The initiative is being regarded as a test case for a different way of delivering complex public infrastructure in situations where communities face immediate risks.

For Juneau residents, those risks are not theoretical.

Recent flooding has heightened concerns about the vulnerability of homes and businesses in the Mendenhall Valley, while climate-driven changes to glacial systems have increased uncertainty about future flood events. Temporary protective measures, including HESCO barriers, have been installed over the years to help guard vulnerable areas, but a permanent solution remains essential.

Federal officials say waiting another decade would expose the community to unacceptable risks.

“Flooding from Mendenhall Glacier’s Suicide Basin poses a serious risk to residents of Juneau, Alaska,” said Stephen Alexander Vaden, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The urgency is compounded by the fact that major flood events can occur with relatively little warning.

The new process is exactly the kind of approach that Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, his team and the people of Juneau have been advocating.

“Thankfully, no lives have been lost to date, and a short-term solution is in place with the HESCO barriers. But,” he said, “the urgency of delivering a long-term fix could not be clearer.”

Brig. Gen. Joseph Goetz, commanding general of the Pacific Ocean division of the USACE, said the agency is deliberately departing from traditional procurement and project-development timelines.

“We are breaking away from traditional acquisition timelines to rapidly harness industry-led innovation and technical expertise. This prototype is a critical step forward in our co-ordinated effort to protect downstream communities and minimize flood risk.”

The accelerated approach is also intended to protect taxpayers from the escalating costs. Federal officials say lengthy delays can result in substantially higher �鶹��ýӳ�� costs while leaving communities exposed to ongoing hazards.

The corps has done temporary flood mitigation work for a couple of years, but the measures are only intended to provide short-term protection while a lasting solution is developed.

The forthcoming BINP initiative will aim to deliver a permanent, innovative infrastructure solution that secures the community for the long-term.  

The corps intends to solicit proposals to tackle the flooding phenomenon in a way that seeks to expedite real, cutting-edge infrastructure prototypes on a faster timeline and at a significantly lower cost to taxpayers.

Juneau Mayor Beth Weldon said the city’s annual flood threat is unlike anything faced elsewhere in the United States.

“It’s hard to express how grateful we are for the USACE’s fast-tracked approach to solving to Juneau’s glacial lake outburst flooding and the threat and anxiety facing our residents every year. Juneau stands ready to support the Corps’ work to get this completed as quickly as possible.”