[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 119 (Thursday, September 19, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1608-E1609]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION IN THE APPALACHIAN AND NORTHEAST REGIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DON SHERWOOD

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 18, 2002

  Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce legislation to 
authorize the Army Corps of Engineers to execute thousands of required 
small aquatic ecosystem restoration projects in the Appalachian region 
and the Northeastern United States. Currently, the region is estimated 
to have over 54,000 miles of impaired streams, rivers and coastline. In 
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania alone 7,261 miles of streams and 
rivers out of 54,000 miles are classified as impaired. Of this amount 
2,711 miles (37 percent) are impaired due to abandoned mine drainage. 
Contaminated water emanating from abandoned coal mines is one of the 
most severe and long lasting water pollution and habitat degradation 
problems in the Appalachian region. Pennsylvania has estimated cost to 
restore habitat and remediate water quality problems caused by 
Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) is in excess of $3.8 billion. The 
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission estimates the economic loss to 
fisheries and recreation of the 2,711 miles impacted by mine drainage 
is approximately $67 million annually.
  Moreover, using data from the Environmental Protection Agency, it is 
apparent the extent of just the aquatic ecosystem problems is enormous; 
the extent of degraded contributing land resources is likewise of 
tremendous

[[Page E1609]]

scope. For example, West Virginia has 6,213 miles of impaired waters, 
69 percent of which, are caused by mine drainage. In both Maryland and 
New Jersey greater than 25 percent of all surface waters are considered 
impaired. In New Jersey 76 percent of the impaired waters have impaired 
aquatic life. New York State has 3,324 miles of impaired waters. 
Connecticut has 4,119 miles of impaired streams and coastline. Vermont 
has 757 miles of impaired streams and 21,376 acres of impaired lakes, 
43 percent of these have impaired aquatic life. New Hampshire and Maine 
combined have 3,588 miles of impaired streams/coastline and over 
290,000 acres of impaired lakes. Correcting these problems will require 
both innovative solutions and a broad ecosystem based approach that 
considers both the waterways, and the land issues contributing to water 
degradation.
  The intent of this legislative proposal is to establish a pilot 
program, with broad authority for comprehensive restoration in the 
Appalachian, New England, and Mid-Atlantic Regions of the United 
States. This authority will begin to address the longstanding problems 
of abandoned mine drainage and other non-point sources of pollution 
currently impairing water quality and species diversity on the region. 
The program is intended to provide seamless authority for the Corps of 
Engineers to plan, design and implement small ecosystem restoration 
projects in cooperation with non-Federal partners including States, 
local Governments and non-profit organizations. The cost sharing 
provisions of this authority are consistent with other Corps of 
Engineers continuing authorities and include innovative provisions to 
allow pilot testing of innovative technologies, allow non-Federal 
sponsorship by non-profit organizations, and allow non-Federal sponsors 
credit for in-kind services performed during the feasibility study 
phase of a project.
  The total cost of the proposed legislation over the authorized six 
year term is $200,000,000. This amount will not solve the regions' 
total ecosystem restoration needs but it will contribute substantially 
to meeting these needs and add to the overall non-Federal efforts 
currently in process. The estimated benefits of this program include 
improved water quality, restored ecosystem habitat and increased 
species diversity, both aquatic and terrestrial, economic benefits 
associated with restoration of stream and river fisheries, and other 
intangible benefits to communities associated with the visual 
improvement of environmental surroundings. This program will also 
provide much needed technical assistance to States and local 
communities in the assessment of environmental problems and the 
development of restoration strategies using the Corps' state of the art 
watershed modeling techniques and experience gained in environmental 
restoration.

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