[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 125 (Wednesday, October 6, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H8337-H8338]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN RESTORATION PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4470) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to 
extend the authorization of appropriations for the Lake Pontchartrain 
Basin Restoration Program from fiscal year 2005 to 2010, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4470

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN RESTORATION PROGRAM.

       (a) Stakeholders Conference.--For purposes of carrying out 
     section 121 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
     U.S.C. 1273), the Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, basin 
     stakeholders conference convened on February 25, 2002, shall 
     be treated as being a management conference convened under 
     section 320 of such Act (33 U.S.C. 1330).
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--The first sentence of 
     section 121(f)(1) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 
     (33 U.S.C. 1273(f)(1)) is amended by inserting before the 
     period at the end the following: ``, $19,000,000 for fiscal 
     year 2006, and $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 
     through 2010''.

     SEC. 2. TECHNICAL CORRECTION.

       The second section 121 of the Federal Water Pollution 
     Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1274; relating to wet weather 
     watershed projects) is redesignated as section 122.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4470, to reauthorize 
the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Program. Working with the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker) and 
other Members, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter) developed 
legislation during his very first year in the Congress to authorize EPA 
to help people in Louisiana and Mississippi address pollution problems 
affecting Lake Pontchartrain.
  Their legislation, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Act, was 
enacted into law as title V of the Estuaries and Clean Water Act of 
2000. Now, 4 years later, it is now time to reauthorize Lake 
Pontchartrain Basin Program.
  H.R. 4470, introduced by the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter), 
the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson) the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Baker) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin), 
would reauthorize the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program for 
an addition will 5 years.
  I want to commend all of the sponsors for their efforts to restore 
the ecological health of Lake Pontchartrain, and I urge all Members to 
support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4470, a bill that would 
reauthorize appropriations for the Environmental Protection Agency Lake 
Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program.
  Since its authorization in 2000, this program has been helpful in 
coordinating restoration work for Lake Pontchartrain, located in 
Southeastern Louisiana. This legislation would extend the authorization 
of $20 million annually through 2010 for restoration projects and 
studies recommended by the Lake Pontchartrain Management Conference, as 
well as public education projects to inform the local community of 
public health concerns and

[[Page H8338]]

practical ways to help clean up the lake.
  Mr. Speaker, I support the efforts to clean up Lake Pontchartrain and 
urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this bipartisan 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as 
he may consume to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter), the author 
and champion of the legislation and, again, in his very first year in 
Congress.
  Mr. VITTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my legislation, 
H.R. 4470. In 2000, Congress passed the Lake Pontchartrain Basin 
Restoration Act by an overwhelming margin. The purpose of the 
legislation was to give Lake Pontchartrain the same status as the Great 
Lakes and the Florida Everglades in their restoration efforts.
  In addition, this legislation also created a real and innovative 
partnership between the Federal Government and local Louisiana 
stakeholders to further efforts to clean up the lake. This was the 
first step in achieving the ultimate goal of fully restoring the lake.
  The basin is a 5,000 square mile watershed encompassing 16 parishes 
in the State of Louisiana as well as four counties in the State of 
Mississippi. It is the second largest lake in the United States after 
the Great Lakes, and its 1.5 million residents in the whole basin make 
it the most populated part of Louisiana.
  Since we first passed this legislation in 2000, a great deal has been 
done. There has been real and clearly monitored improvement in water 
clarity in Lake Pontchartrain. ``No swimming'' signs are coming down as 
water quality improves and beaches are reopened. But more work remains 
to be done.
  We have come so far. Various water quality studies have been 
conducted. These studies provide keys to solutions, pointing us in the 
right direction in the future. But now we must continue that work and 
also move on to the next stage of that vital work, which includes 
actual construction of key projects.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation would move on to that next phase with 
the reauthorization of the program for fiscal years 2005 to 2010. It 
was reported unanimously from both the subcommittee and the committee 
with bipartisan support. I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor 
of it.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank all of the Members of the committee, 
particularly the chairman, the ranking member, and also the chair and 
ranking member of the relevant subcommittee, for all of their work in 
passing this bill.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4470. The 
bill extends the authorization of appropriations for the Environmental 
Protection Agency's (EPA) Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program. 
Since its establishment in 2000, this program has helped coordinate 
restoration work for Lake Pontchartrain, in southeastern Louisiana.
  This legislation authorizes $99 million through 2010 for restoration 
projects and studies recommended by the Lake Pontchartrain Management 
Conference, public education projects to inform the local community of 
public health concerns, and practical ways to help clean up the Lake. 
It also clarifies the status of the Management Conference so that 
protection of Lake Pontchartrain can proceed expeditiously.
  I support the bill, and urge all Members to join me in that support.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 4470, 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.

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