[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 57 (Monday, April 26, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4189-S4190]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. TORRICELLI (for himself, Mr. Mack, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Graham, 
        Mr. Moynihan, Mr. Kerry, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Reed, Mrs. Feinstein, 
        and Mrs. Murray):
  S. 878. A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to 
permit grants for the national estuary program to be used for the 
development and implementation of a comprehensive conservation and 
management plan, to reauthorize appropriations to carry out the 
program, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works.


               national estuary conservation act of 1999

  Mr. TORRICELLI. Mr. President, today, Senators Mack, Gregg, Graham, 
Moynihan, Kerry, Boxer, Reed, Feinstein, Murray, and I are introducing 
the National Estuary Conservation Act of 1999. I rise to draw this 
country's attention to our nationally significant estuaries that are 
threatened by pollution, development, or

[[Page S4190]]

overuse. With forty five percent of the nation's population residing in 
estuarine areas, there is a compelling need for us to promote 
comprehensive planning and management efforts to restore and protect 
them.
  Estuaries are significant habitat for fish, birds, and other wildlife 
because they provide safe spawning grounds and nurseries. Seventy five 
percent of the U.S. commercial fish catch depends on estuaries during 
some stage of their life. Commercial and recreational fisheries 
contribute $111 billion to the nation's economy and support 1.5 million 
jobs. Estuaries are also important to our nation's tourist economy for 
boating and outdoor recreation. Coastal tourism in just four states--
New Jersey, Florida, Texas, and California--totals $75 billion.
  Due to their popularity, the overall capacity of our nation's 
estuaries to function as healthy productive ecosystems is declining. 
This is a result of the cumulative effects of increasing development 
and fast growing year round populations which increase dramatically in 
the summer. Land development, and associated activities that come with 
people's desire to live and play near these beautiful resources, cause 
runoff and storm water discharges that contribute to siltation, 
increased nutrients, and other contamination. Bacterial contamination 
closes many popular beaches and shellfish harvesting areas in 
estuaries. Also, several estuaries are afflicted by problems that still 
require significant research. Examples include the outbreaks of the 
toxic microbe, Pfiesteria piscicida, in rivers draining to estuaries in 
Maryland and Virginia.
  Congress recognized the importance of preserving and enhancing 
coastal environments with the establishment of the National Estuary 
Program in the Clean Water Act Amendments of 1987. The Program's 
purpose is of facilitate state and local governments preparation of 
comprehensive conservation and management plans for threatened 
estuaries of national significance. In support of this effort, section 
320 of the Clean Water Act authorized the EPA to make grants to states 
to develop environmental management plans. To date, 28 estuaries across 
the country have been designated into the Program. However, the law 
fails to provide assistance once plans are complete and ready for 
implementation. Already, 18 of the 28 plans are finished.
  As the majority of plans are now in the implementation stage, it is 
incumbent upon us to maintain the partnership the Federal Government 
initiated ten years ago to insure that our nationally significant 
estuaries are protected. The legislation we are introducing will take 
the next step by giving EPA authority to make grants for plan 
implementation and authorize annual appropriations in the amount of $50 
million. To insure the program is a true partnership and leverage 
scarce resources, there is a direct match requirement for grant 
recipients so funds will be available to upgrade sewage treatment 
plants, fix combined sewer overflows, control urban stormwater 
discharges, and reduce polluted runoff into estuarine areas.
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