[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 55 (Monday, May 8, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H2621-H2623]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ACT AMENDMENTS AND TO REAUTHORIZATION
Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 1237) 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, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 1237
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. NATIONAL ESTUARY PROGRAM.
(a) Additions to National Estuary Program.--Section
320(a)(2)(B) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33
U.S.C. 1330(a)(2)(B)) is amended by inserting ``Lake
Ponchartrain Basin, Louisiana and Mississippi; Mississippi
Sound, Mississippi;'' before ``and Peconic Bay, New York.''.
(b) Grants.--Section 320(g) of the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1330(g)) is amended by striking
paragraphs (2) and (3) and inserting the following:
``(2) Purposes.--Grants under this subsection shall be made
to pay for activities necessary for the development and
implementation of a comprehensive conservation and management
plan under this section.
``(3) Federal share.--The Federal share of a grant to any
person (including a State, interstate, or regional agency or
entity) under this subsection for a fiscal year--
``(A) shall not exceed--
``(i) 75 percent of the annual aggregate costs of the
development of a comprehensive conservation and management
plan; and
``(ii) 50 percent of the annual aggregate costs of the
implementation of the plan; and
``(B) shall be made on condition that the non-Federal share
of the costs are provided from non-Federal sources.''.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 320(i) of the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1330(i)) is
amended by striking ``$12,000,000 per fiscal year for each of
fiscal years 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991'' and inserting
``$50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2000 through 2004''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Horn) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Horn).
Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1237, introduced by the gentleman from New Jersey
(Mr. Saxton), reauthorizes and improves the National Estuary Program, a
broadly supported, nonregulatory approach to estuary conservation and
management.
[[Page H2622]]
Under the current National Estuary Program, the Environmental
Protection Agency, EPA, provides assistance to States, local
governments, and other interested parties to form a management
conference for an estuary of national significance and to develop a
long-term management plan for that estuary.
A total of 28 estuaries are currently in the National Estuary
Program, known as NEP, and an estimated $50 billion will be needed to
restore and to protect them. The majority of the estuaries in the
program have already developed their long-term management plans and are
now trying to implement them.
Unfortunately, the Clean Water Act, section 320, only allows Federal
assistance for development of these plans and not for implementation.
Passage of H.R. 1237 would authorize the Environmental Protection
Agency to provide assistance for management plan implementation as well
as development.
This bill is important for taking the next step to restore and
protect our Nation's estuaries which provide important environmental
and economic benefits to the entire Nation.
I thank the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the
Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, on which I serve, and
their bipartisan leadership on both the full committee and the
subcommittee. They deserve our thanks for their assistance in bringing
this bill to the floor for action.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the passage of H.R. 1237, and I urge
my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1237, to amend and
reauthorize the Environmental Protection Agency's National Estuary
Program.
Estuaries and coastal environments are precious natural resources
that need to be restored and protected. They provide essential habitat
for numerous fish and wildlife especially suited for life at the shore.
In addition, estuaries provide important recreation areas,
transportation linkages, and sources of residential and industrial
water supplies vital to the needs of this country.
Recognizing the importance of estuary areas, in 1987 Congress amended
the Clean Water Act to establish the National Estuary Program to
promote comprehensive planning for long-term protection of our Nation's
estuaries. This program authorized funding for the development of
Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plans for estuaries of
national significance.
Currently, 28 estuaries have been incorporated into the National
Estuary Program. Of this number, 21 have completed the developments of
their CCMPs and have begun implementation of the conservation plans.
Funding for implementation has been provided predominantly by State and
local organizations. Only limited Federal funds have been provided
through the annual appropriation process since 1998.
Mr. Speaker, the legislation under consideration today would amend
the National Estuary Program to specifically authorize Federal funds
for use in implementation of the CCMPs. H.R. 1237 would reauthorize the
NEP through fiscal year 2004, and raise the authorization level to $50
million per year to ensure that greater funding is available for
implementation of the management plans.
In addition, H.R. 1237, as amended by the Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure, would authorize two additions to the list of
estuaries eligible for priority consideration under the NEP. This would
permit the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to
begin the process of developing CCMPs for the Mississippi Sound and the
Lake Pontchartrain Basin. I want to commend our committee colleagues,
the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Taylor), the gentleman from
Louisiana (Mr. Vitter) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson)
for their work on this issue.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania
(Chairman Shuster) and the gentleman from New York (Chairman Boehlert)
for their willingness to address the issue of treatment works as
defined by the Clean Water Act and the application of section 513.
Mr. Speaker, I support the bill and urge its approval.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski). He
has always been constructive and he has done a great job as the ranking
member on the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. And I
certainly thank the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the
ranking member of the full committee, and I think we all thank the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster) and the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Boehlert) for their very precise and hard-fought efforts for
this very worthwhile legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a cosponsor of H.R. 1237. This
bipartisan bill has great benefits to the people in my home State and I
urge my colleagues to support it. H.R. 1237 reauthorizes the National
Estuary Program, or NEP, which in turn provides desperately needed
grants to improve the habitat, water quality and diverse plant and
wildlife that depend on our Nation's estuaries.
In Oregon, the NEP has included the Lower Columbia River Estuary.
Because of the NEP; the citizens businesses and governments of Oregon
have been able to focus on the 146 miles of tidally influenced waters
below the Bonneville Dam. The NEP requires the estuaries to create a
management plan. The Columbia River plan defines specific actions for
habitat, land use, and conventional and toxic pollutants. This common
sense measure will serve fish and wildlife habitat and water quality in
three important ways: prevention of further loss, protection and
enhancement of existing resources, and restoration where damage has
already occurred.
Mr. Speaker, one-in-six jobs in Oregon depends on the Columbia River.
This magnificent river is home to many diverse animals and plants. In
the Northwest we are faced with the challenge in ensuring that several
of these species of plants and animals do not go extinct. Furthermore,
in many of these resource-based communities, it is additionally
challenging to ensure that the economies are developed and have a voice
in the protection of their estuary.
With participation in the NEP, the Lower Columbia River Estuary
Program has analyzed the problems with the estuary and has developed
recommendations for dealing with them. Whether it is preserving the
biological integrity of the estuary, mitigating the impacts of human
activity and growth, controlling the entrance of conventional and toxic
pollutants or engaging in public awareness, the NEP assists Oregon and
other communities like it around the Nation.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1237.
Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Shuster and
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for their hard work
and dedication to the National Estuary Program (NEP) and their support
of reauthorization of H.R. 1237 with the requested amount of funding.
H.R. 1237, which I introduced, will reauthorize the NEP at $50 million
annually for FY 2000 through FY 2004 and allow Federal funds to be used
for implementation, in addition to development of Comprehensive
Conservation and Management Plans (CCMPs.)
Congress recognized the importance of preserving and enhancing
coastal environments with the establishment of the National Estuary
Program, as section 320 of the Clean Water Act Amendments of 1987. This
popular program has not been authorized since 1991, but appropriately
continues to be funded. The NEP's purpose is to facilitate state and
local governments' preparation of ``Comprehensive Conservation and
Management Plans'' (CCMPs) for threatened and impaired estuaries.
In support of this effort, section 320 authorizes the EPA to make
grants to States to develop CCMPs for 30 designated estuaries across
the country. While the NEP has been successful in developing these
CCMPs (20 of which have been completed), the law does not authorize
appropriations for implementation of the CCMPs--a deficiency which
threatens to slow our progress in restoring these estuaries.
My own State of New Jersey has three approved sites in the NEP, one
of which, Barnegat Bay, lies primarily within my District. The Barnegat
Bay watershed drains from a land area of approximately 550 square
miles.
Over 450,000 people live within the Barnegat Bay watershed. That
population doubles in the summer as people flock to the shore. The
continued economic health of the Barnegat Bay watershed is dependent on
the continued health and natural beauty of its waters. The Barnegat Bay
Estuary is not only a
[[Page H2623]]
vital component of New Jersey's tourist industry, but is an important
natural resource that supports populations of commercially and
recreationally significant fish and rare and endangered species.
Non-point source pollution, while diffuse, is cumulatively the most
important issue in addressing adverse impacts on water quality and the
health of living resources in the Bay. The contaminants found in rain
and snowmelt, as well as groundwater, contribute to non-point source
pollution. The Final Comprehensive and Conservation Management Plan for
Barnegat Bay will be available to the public in May 2000 for public
review. But without the additional funding for this program, as well as
explicitly permitting the NEPs to use Federal funds for implementation
of their programs, the Federal government would have absolved itself of
responsibility as a partner with the states in protecting and enhancing
the Nation's most endangered habitats.
Therefore, I would like to thank my colleagues for supporting this
important bill and protecting our Nation's natural resources for future
generations.
Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1237, the
National Estuary Program (NEP) Reauthorization. In 1987, the National
Estuary Program was established to promote protection and restoration
of the health of estuaries and their living resources. This program has
made a profound difference nationally. This program has been
tremendously important to the restoration of Galveston Bay which
borders my district in Texas.
In 1995, the Galveston Bay Estuary Program (GBEP) received approval
for its Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) to
improve water quality and enhance living resources. Galveston Bay's
watershed lies in one of the most heavily industrialized and most
heavily populated regions in the United States. Wastewater discharges
from communities and industries in Galveston Bay account fully for half
of Texas' total wastewater discharges every year. Since some pollution
entering the Houston Ship Channel comes from industrial businesses
located along or near the Channel, GBEP worked with the Texas Natural
Resource Conservation Commission to decrease the amount of pollution
through source reduction and waste minimization techniques. Together
they developed one of the largest voluntary prevention programs in the
country. Under this program, businesses located along or near the
Channel are selected to voluntarily participate in environmental
training and to submit to pollution prevention audits. Lessons learned
from GBEP's voluntary program have been incorporated into the State's
Clean Texas 2000 program.
GBEP has funded the Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF) Volunteer Water
Quality Monitoring Program to not only monitor water quality but also
recruit and train volunteers, obtain and distribute monitoring supplies
and equipment. GBEP has also developed the Galveston Bay Information
Center Project, a vital project to preserve long-term access to
Galveston Bay research and information to prevent losses of data and
information had occurred in the Bay's history.
Additionally, Mr. Speaker, the National Estuary Program has been
instrumental in preserving and protecting America's treasured bays and
estuaries including Galveston Bay. This legislation should be adopted.
I challenge my colleagues who support reauthorization of this vital
program to take the next step to protect the almost 40 percent of our
Nation's estuary waters under threat. I urge you to sign on as sponsors
of H.R. 1775, the Estuary Habitat Restoration Act of 1999. To date,
this legislation, which Representative Gilchrest of Maryland introduced
last May along with myself and many others now has 121 cosponsors. The
legislation would provide dedicated Federal funds to habitat
restoration for estuaries like Galveston Bay. Moreover, H.R. 1775 would
enhance the work of the National Estuary Program by developing new ways
to optimize the numerous existing Federal restoration programs. It also
promotes voluntary community estuary restoration efforts and the
establishment of public-private partnerships to work with community-
based organizations and local governments to protect estuaries.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1237 and reauthorize this vital
national program for another five years. We must strive to promote
efforts on the local level to develop and implement long-term estuary
conservation and management plans.
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1237, introduced by Representative
Jim Saxton, would reauthorize and improve the National Estuary Program,
a broadly supported, comprehensive approach to estuary conservation and
management.
I want to thank the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Chairman Bud Shuster, Ranking Democratic Members Representative Jim
Oberstar, and Bob Borski, the Water Resources and Environment
Subcommittee Ranking Democratic Member, for their leadership and
assistance.
Under the current National Estuary Program, EPA provides assistance
to State, local governments, and other interested parties to form a
management conference for an estuary of national significance, and
develop a comprehensive conservation and management plan for that
estuary.
Of the 28 estuaries currently in the National Estuary Program, 21
have finished this planning process and are now trying to implement
their management plans.
Unfortunately, section 320 only allows Federal assistance for
development of these plans, and not for implementation.
Passage of H.R. 1237 would authorize EPA to provide assistance for
management plan implementation, as well as development.
This bill will help protect and restore our Nation's estuaries--those
natural resource treasures that are constantly under siege, yet
continue to provide invaluable environmental and economic benefits to
the entire Nation.
I strongly support passage of H.R. 1237 and urge my colleagues to do
the same.
Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Horn) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 1237, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________