[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 49 (Friday, April 26, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E644-E645]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             NATIONAL URBAN WATERSHED MODEL RESTORATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 25, 2002

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, as we continue this week of emphasis 
on preserving and restoring the nation's environment, I am pleased to 
introduce the National Urban Watershed Model Restoration Act, a bill to 
establish a new approach to restoring urban waters. This pilot program, 
to be administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will 
serve as a national model for the restoration of urban watersheds and 
community environments. The Anacostia River has been chosen as the 
pilot river because it is located in the nation's capital and much of 
its waste and pollution is from federal sources. The Anacostia has 
drawn national attention and thus can lead the way for community-
involved cleanup approaches that can be modeled and taken up 
nationally.
  To achieve more focused and rapid action, the new program will 
integrate the various regulatory and non-regulatory programs of the EPA 
with other federal, state, and local programs to restore and protect 
the Anacostia River and promote community risk reduction. The EPA is to 
coordinate its efforts with other federal partners, particularly the 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In addition to addressing a major local 
environmental concern, this model program will provide a framework for 
urban communities around the nation to work towards sustainable 
community redevelopment and to meet national environmental goals.
  Under the new program, the EPA shall allocate a total of $1,000,000 
per year over the next 4 fiscal years to implement the provisions of 
the Model Program. The EPA may authorize no less than $500,000 annually 
in the form of grants, which are to be matched on a 75-25 basis with 
other federal funds and state, local, and private contributions.
  Community involvement is a centerpiece of this bill. The EPA must 
develop and coordinate consensus strategies for the restoration

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and protection of urban watersheds in cooperation with not only federal 
and state officials, but also local groups, who are often in the best 
position to shape solutions to critical issues and needs facing urban 
rivers. The bill mandates that the Administrator of the EPA provide 
grants to local community groups and non-profit organizations to foster 
community involvement in the decision making process, environmental 
educational goals, and restoration strategies for urban watersheds. The 
Administrator must also provide opportunities for the education of 
school children and community groups on local environmental resources 
and on what individuals can do to reduce environmental risks.
  The Anacostia River has been my top environmental priority since 
coming to Congress in 1991. In the 104th Congress, I worked through the 
Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment to authorize $12 
million of construction projects to help clean up and restore wetlands 
along the Anacostia watershed. I am pleased that Congress has 
appropriated the full $12 million for Anacostia projects since 1999. 1 
am committed to whatever effort it takes to restore the river that runs 
through the neighborhoods and parks of the nation's capital. The bill 
that I introduce today marks a renewed effort, to use innovative 
approaches to advancing this top local environmental priority.

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