[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 164 (Thursday, November 5, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2729]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          INTRODUCTION OF THE PUGET SOUND RECOVERY ACT OF 2009

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                          HON. NORMAN D. DICKS

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 5, 2009

  Mr. DICKS. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing the Puget Sound 
Recovery Act of 2009.
  One of the iconic physical features of my home state is Puget Sound. 
It is a keystone of our identity in Washington State. In a region known 
for its beauty, Puget Sound is beyond comparison.
  But the postcard image of Puget Sound belies the fact that it is in 
decline. Over the last 20 years we have seen increasing signs that 
water quality is deteriorating. We are experiencing low-oxygen zones in 
a growing number of areas within Puget Sound. Many of our most 
cherished aquatic species are in trouble with salmon and Orcas listed 
under the Endangered Species Act. At this point, nearly three-quarters 
of our original estuaries and wetlands are gone. And as a toxic remnant 
of its more industrialized past, the bottom of the Sound has many 
thousands of acres of extreme contamination.
  Even with this decline, the Sound remains a natural wonder, and my 
legislation will provide an increased Federal role to reverse the 
deterioration. Its 2,800 square miles of inland marine waters makes 
Puget Sound the Nation's second largest estuary after Chesapeake Bay. 
There is a strong marine and natural resource industry. The bounty of 
the Sound includes several hundred fish species, plentiful shellfish 
and shrimp, 25 different marine mammals and 100 different species of 
sea birds.
  Several years ago, the State of Washington led by Governor Gregoire 
recognized the dire condition of Puget Sound. In response, the Puget 
Sound Partnership was set up to lead the state effort to restore the 
Sound. The Partnership developed the Puget Sound Action Agenda which 
was recently approved by the EPA as the Comprehensive Conservation 
Management Plan. This Action Agenda will serve as the blueprint that 
local and state government, Tribes, and federal agencies will follow in 
this cooperative effort to restore Puget Sound. In tandem with these 
efforts occurring in Washington State, the Interior Appropriations 
Subcommittee which I chair has approved increasing amounts of funding 
for Puget Sound in the annual EPA budget. For FY 2010, I am proud that 
the EPA budget contains $50 million for Puget Sound. President Obama 
signed this spending bill into law on October 30th.
  The Puget Sound Recovery Act of 2009 sets up an EPA office in 
Washington State to coordinate the federal effort to implement the 
Action Agenda. The other Federal agencies that are involved in the 
cleanup include the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Park Service, the 
Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service within 
the Department of Agriculture, the United States Geological Survey, the 
Army Corps of Engineers, and the Departments of Commerce, Defense, 
Homeland Security and Transportation. In addition, this bill authorizes 
grants to study the causes of the Sound's declining water quality and 
ways to counter these threats, as well as grants for sewer and 
stormwater discharge projects.
  I am pleased that the 6 Washington State Delegation Members whose 
districts surround the Puget Sound are original cosponsors of this 
legislation.
  Madam Speaker, the Puget Sound Recovery Act of 2009 is an important 
step to authorize the federal role in the cleanup of this important 
water body.

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