[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 5, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H796-H799]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1345
CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 1620) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act
to reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Program, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1620
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Chesapeake Bay Program
Reauthorization Act''.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM.
Section 117(j) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act
(33 U.S.C. 1267(j)) is amended by striking ``$40,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2001 through 2005'' and inserting
``$90,000,000 for fiscal year 2021, $90,500,000 for fiscal
year 2022, $91,000,000 for fiscal year 2023, $91,500,000 for
fiscal year 2024, and $92,000,000 for fiscal year 2025''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
California (Mrs. Napolitano) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr.
Mitchell) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
General Leave
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1620, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1620. Introduced by the
gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Luria), H.R. 1620 authorizes the
funding for the program for the next five fiscal years, with increased
funding levels to better advance Bay restoration protection efforts.
This includes $90 million for the
[[Page H797]]
upcoming fiscal year, incrementally rising to $92 million for fiscal
year 2025.
Since its funding in 1983, EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program has been
working toward improving the water quality and ecosystem health of the
single largest estuary in the U.S. Reaching to six States, and the
District of Columbia, I might add, the Bay is a cherished water and the
number of people and local economies impacted by its health make a
program like this very essential.
However, as stakeholders noted in our June 2019 hearing, the
ecosystem remains under major stress. The Bay is threatened by nutrient
and sediment loads from sources like agricultural runoff, wastewater
treatment facilities, land-use changes, urban stormwater runoff and
atmospheric deposition. We must continue to prioritize programs like
the Chesapeake Bay Program and the protection of our Nation's water.
This bill will support the continued cooperative efforts of all
involved to achieve the protection of the Chesapeake Bay.
I would like to recognize several of the bipartisan committee members
cosponsoring the bill, including the gentlewoman from the District of
Columbia (Ms. Norton), the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Brown), and the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), and also a former Member
of Congress, God rest his soul, Mr. Cummings.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters of support of H.R. 1620
from: Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, the National Audubon
Society, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, and the Chesapeake Bay
Foundation.
September 17, 2019.
Hon. Grace F. Napolitano,
Chairman, House Transportation and Infrastructure
Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Bruce Westerman,
Ranking Member, House Transportation and Infrastructure
Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Napolitano and Ranking Member Westerman: The
Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) is a
national coalition of sportsmen, conservation, and outdoor
industry organizations that seeks to ensure all Americans
have access to quality places to hunt and fish. We partner
with 60 hunting, fishing, and conservation organizations to
unite and amplify the voices of America's more-than 40
million sportsmen and women whose activities help sustain the
$887-billion outdoor recreation economy.
Today, we write in support of the Chesapeake Bay Program
Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1620). The legislation would
reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Program and increase its
authorized funding level to $90,000,000 for fiscal year 2020
and then increase its authorized funding level by half a
million dollars each year through fiscal year 2024. The
Chesapeake Bay Program provides critical federal investment,
which is then leveraged several-fold by state and local
dollars, to improve the quality of water and wetlands habitat
in the Bay watershed.
The Chesapeake Bay Program is important to the continued
conservation and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. While the
health of the Bay had been consistently improved over the
last decade, the 2018 State of the Bay Report showed that the
health of the Bay declined over the past year due to an
incredible amount of rainfall that greatly increased the
amount of nitrogen, phosphorous, sediment, and debris that
flowed into the Bay. Without a significant increase in
funding for federal programs that help to restore the Bay,
such as the EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program, this iconic
waterbody will not be able to recover.
Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to
working with your subcommittee to help increase funding in
order to conserve and restore our iconic waterbodies.
Respectfully,
Theodore Roosevelt
Conservation Partnership.
____
Audubon, National and
International Programs,
September 18, 2019.
Hon. Peter DeFazio,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Sam Graves,
Ranking Member, Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, Washington, DC.
Hon. Grace Napolitano,
Chairwoman, Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Bruce Westerman,
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Water Resources and
Environment, Washington, DC.
On behalf of the National Audubon Society's more than 1
million members, our mission is to protect birds and the
places they need for today and tomorrow. We write to offer
our support for the following bills related to important
coastal and water conservation issues that will be the
subject of the September 19, 2019 Markup before the Committee
on Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
HR 4031--Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2019
The Great Lakes are home to 30 million people and 350
species of birds, but increasing challenges are on the
horizon for the world's largest body of freshwater.
Fluctuating water levels exacerbated by climate change,
invasive exotic species and excess nutrients are putting even
more stress on this ecosystem that is so important for birds
and people. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has helped
clean up toxic pollutants, protect wildlife by restoring
critical habitat, and help combat devastating invasive
species.
HR 4031 would increase funding for conservation projects to
$475 million over five years, by increasing the Great Lakes
Restoration Initiative's authorization incrementally from
$300 million per year to $475 million per year.
HR 1132--San Francisco Bay Restoration Act
The San Francisco Bay Area, home to the Pacific Coast's
largest estuary, is also home to a rapidly growing population
of 8 million people, and provides for a host of social and
economic values through ports and industry, agriculture,
fisheries, archaeological and cultural sites, recreation, and
research. However, San Francisco Bay has lost 90% of its
tidal wetlands and more than 50% of its eelgrass and mudflat
habitat. Climate change exacerbates these conditions through
drought that alters the salinity balance, ocean acidification
that reduces species abundance and diversity, increasing
water temperatures, and rising seas causing flooding that
eliminates living shorelines and puts communities at risk.
Many species of waterbirds forage in the San Francisco Bay,
including Brant Geese and Surf Scoters, underscoring the
value of this ecosystem.
HR 1132 would authorize a San Francisco Bay Restoration
Grant Program in EPA and funding of up to $25m per year to
support the restoration of this estuary.
HR 1620--Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act
Salt marshes are special places to birds and other
wildlife, but sea level rise has elevated the waters in the
Chesapeake Bay by one foot during the 20th century and is
accelerating due to climate change. Salt marshes provide
valuable ``ecosystem services'', including nurseries for the
Chesapeake Bay's commercially important fish, a buffer
protecting coastal communities against storm surge, a filter
that stops nutrient and sediment pollution from entering the
Bay, and a recreational resource attracting visitors who
contribute millions of dollars to local economies. Chesapeake
Bay's salt marshes host globally significant populations of
both Saltmarsh Sparrow and Black Rail.
HR 1620 would increase the authorization of appropriations
for the Chesapeake Bay Program to more than $90m per year.
HR 2247--Promoting United Government Efforts to Save Our Sound Act
Despite significant investments in Puget Sound ecosystem
health by state, federal, tribal and local governments,
concerned members of the public, and conservation
organizations, progress towards ecosystem recovery targets
remains slow. The number of marine birds wintering in Puget
Sound has declined significantly in the last 30 years and
migratory, fisheating birds appear to be at the greatest
risk.
HR 2247 would authorize up to $50 million in funding for
Puget Sound recovery. The PUGET SOS Act also aligns federal
agency expertise and resources, ensuring that federal
agencies are coordinated, setting goals, and holding each
other accountable will help increase their effectiveness and
provide a boost to Puget Sound recovery.
HR 3779--Resilience Revolving Loan Fund Act of 2019
Pre-disaster planning can help communities adapt to the
changing flood patterns that threaten people and birds
species dependent on shoreline and riverine areas. These
changes have led to more frequent instances of ``nuisance
flooding,'' as well as catastrophic events. NOAA has found
that ``nuisance'' or ``sunny day'' flooding is up 300% to
900% than it was 50 years ago. In addition, catastrophic
flooding events have increased in both frequency and
intensity. These trends have been particularly pronounced in
the Northeast, Midwest and upper Great Plains, where the
amount of precipitation in large rainfall events has
increased more than 30 percent above the average observed
from 1901-1960. As sea level rise accelerates, it only
exacerbates these impacts, which further compounds
vulnerability in flood-prone communities.
HR 3779 would amend the 1988 Stafford Act to offer low-
interest loans to states for ``disaster mitigation
projects'', including investments in natural infrastructure
projects, which would help communities prepare and recover
from natural disasters.
We urge you to support and advance the bills listed above.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
Sincerely,
Julie Hill-Gabriel,
Vice President, Water Conservation,
National Audubon Society.
[[Page H798]]
____
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers,
Missoula, MT, September 18, 2019.
Hon. Peter DeFazio,
Chairman, House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Sam Graves,
Ranking Member, House Transportation & Infrastructure
Committee, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman DeFazio and Ranking Member Graves: On behalf
of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA), the fastest growing
organization that represents sportsmen and women in North
America, I encourage you to support House Transportation &
Infrastructure Committee and floor passage of Rep. Elaine
Luria's (D-VA) Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act
(H.R. 1620) and Rep. David Joyce's (R-OH) Great Lakes
Restoration Initiative Act (H.R. 4031).
Over the last decade the health of the Bay's ecosystem has
improved. However, with increased rainfall in the region and
the amount of sediment, phosphorous, debris and nitrogen
eroding into the Chesapeake watershed, the water quality is
on the decline.
H.R. 1620 reauthorizes an important conservation and
restoration program that safeguards the Chesapeake Bay
watershed and increases the funding level to $90 million for
fiscal year 2020 and grows by $500,000 each year until fiscal
year 2024. Lawmakers funded the Chesapeake Bay Program at $73
million annually for the past few years. The additional funds
will restore the health of the Bay and boost the regional
economy that depends on it for agricultural and outdoor
recreation opportunities.
The second bill, H.R. 4031 reauthorizes funding to conserve
and restore the Great Lakes, the largest bodies of fresh
water in the world by incremental increases of $25 million
annually until fiscal year 2026. The Great Lakes Restoration
Initiative is a successful program that strategically targets
critical areas through multiple action plans and public
input. Increasing funds will furthermore expand fish and
habitat rehabilitation and implement collaborative projects
between federal, state and local stakeholders.
The Chesapeake Bay and Great Lakes programs provide
necessary federal investments that leverage state and local
dollars to improve water quality and fish and wildlife
habitat for Canada geese, speckled trout and other game
species. BHA believes H.R. 1620 and H.R. 4031 are essential
to the health of fish and wildlife and the general public who
depend on clean water for agriculture and municipal needs at
home.
Thank you for the opportunity to express our support for
the Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act and the Great
Lakes Restoration Initiative Act. We look forward to working
with you to advance the legislation through the House.
Sincerely,
John W. Gale,
Conservation Director,
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers.
____
Chesapeake Bay Foundation,
Annapolis, MD, November 5, 2019.
Hon. Elaine Luria,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Congresswoman Luria: Thank you for sponsoring H.R.
1620, the Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act. As the
preeminent organization dedicated to Saving the Bay, we're
proud to support this legislation. As you know, the
Chesapeake Bay Program is the glue that holds the Chesapeake
Bay Clean Water Blueprint together and provides essential
oversight to ensure that all are doing their part.
H.R. 1620 reauthorizes this program and provides a steady
annual increase in funding over the next five years. This
demonstrates Congress's continued bipartisan commitment to
restoring the Bay and acknowledges the accelerated efforts
that are needed to ensure that the requirements of the
Blueprint are met by 2025.
This is essential at this critical juncture. The
partnership has proven to be effective: dead zones are
getting smaller; bay grasses are rebounding; oyster
restoration is underway; and local economies are improving.
However, the Bay is facing new challenges due to threats from
the impacts of climate change, increased loads from the
Conowingo Dam, regulatory rollbacks, and shortfalls in
funding (including the over $320 Million annual shortfall
identified by Pennsylvania in its latest Watershed
Implementation Plan). Simply stated, there is still
significant work to be done and the leadership role of the
federal government and the Executive Council at this stage is
paramount. Passing H.R. 1620, and its companion bill, S. 701,
will be an important piece to ensure that the Bay
jurisdictions fulfill their obligations under the Blueprint.
We look forward to working with you and your fellow
cosponsors to pass this vital bipartisan legislation. Again,
thank you for your leadership on this issue.
Sincerely,
Will Baker,
President & CEO.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1620, the Chesapeake Bay
Program Reauthorization Act.
H.R. 1620 represents good governance to reauthorize the Chesapeake
Bay Program and passed out of the committee with strong bipartisan
support.
The Chesapeake Bay watershed is one of the largest estuaries in the
United States, covering 64,000 square miles; is home to more than 18
million people; hosts two major ports as major international gateways
for trade; and produces about 500 million pounds of seafood each year,
some of which I enjoyed just the other day.
I want to thank Members for their continued support for the
restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, including Mr. Wittman of Virginia,
Mr. Riggleman of Virginia, and Mr. Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. I know
this issue is very important to their districts, their constituencies,
and to the entire region and, frankly, the Nation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman
from Virginia (Mrs. Luria), the lead sponsor.
Mrs. LURIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the
Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act. This bipartisan bill will
reauthorize $455 million for the Chesapeake Bay Program over the next 5
years.
The Chesapeake Bay is one of our Nation's greatest national
treasures. It helps generate $33 billion in economic value annually and
is home to spectacular natural beauty and ecological diversity. The
EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program coordinates regional conservation efforts,
but Congress has not reauthorized this critical program since 2005.
Thanks to innovative partnerships between local, State, and Federal
agencies and NGOs, the health of the Bay has improved in recent years.
But this progress is fragile, and unless Congress acts, we risk losing
these gains.
In 2014, all States within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and the
District of Columbia signed the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.
This partnership committed these States to work together and with the
EPA to put in place all the necessary conservation practices by 2025.
Part of this agreement includes setting a limit, called the Total
Maximum Daily Load, or TMDL, on pollution from chemicals like nitrogen
and phosphorus.
The EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program supports the work of States in
meeting their commitments under this agreement. Funding for the Bay
program goes directly to localities to improve local conservation
efforts.
By passing the Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act, Congress
will reaffirm that all States in the watershed and the EPA must work
together to achieve these restoration goals. This includes ensuring
that all States have plans in place to comply with the TMDL and all
other necessary conservation goals.
I want to thank my friends and colleagues on both sides of the aisle,
Congressman Bobby Scott, Congressman Rob Wittman, and Congressman
John Sarbanes for working with me to achieve this bipartisan victory
for the Bay.
I also thank Chairwoman Napolitano and Ranking Member Westerman for
their support in bringing this bill to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this critical bill.
Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman).
Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support today of H.R. 1620, the
Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act, that will extend and fund
the Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program until
2024.
I am proud to have joined my colleagues from the Chesapeake Bay
Watershed, Representatives Elaine Luria, Bobby Scott, and John
Sarbanes in introducing this important legislation.
The Chesapeake Bay is, indeed, a national treasure and a centerpiece
of the culture and economy of many communities in Virginia and
neighboring States.
A clean and healthy Bay is the right thing to do for future
generations, but it will also support local economies and provide
numerous other economic and quality-of-life benefits.
The commercial seafood industry alone employs 34,000 in Virginia and
[[Page H799]]
Maryland and generates $3.4 billion in sales.
A clean and healthy Bay also supports a vibrant tourism and outdoor
recreational industry. These industries in the watershed support over
820,000 jobs and $13 billion in income.
EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program does important work in partnership with
Bay States to control pollution and manage nutrient runoff into the
rivers feeding into the Bay.
Through the Chesapeake Bay Program, we see the overall health of the
Bay has improved significantly over the last 30 years. We are seeing
better water quality, more rockfish, more blue crabs, more oysters, and
the list goes on and on.
However, without continued collaboration among stakeholders and
Federal support, progress in the Bay is indeed threatened. With today's
actions, we are one step closer to ensuring that the Chesapeake Bay
remains the economic foundation of our region that will be enjoyed for
generations to come.
We all enjoy the Bay, whether we are in the Bay watershed or outside
the Bay watershed. It really is, indeed, a national treasure.
If you look and think about the Bay, the workboats that you see there
on a daily basis, the great way of life of folks in these waterside
communities, it really is, I think, incumbent upon all of us to work
hard and make sure we continue, not just to preserve the Bay, but make
sure we see the Bay improve in water quality.
It plays an important role in my family. My son is a commercial
fisherman, what we call in our area, a waterman, so he lets me know on
a daily basis what is right and what is not right with the Chesapeake
Bay, and encourages me to make sure we are doing everything we can to
continue as good stewards of that fantastic resource, to make sure it
continues to provide for those people that make their living off of the
water; but also provides for the quality of life of those folks that
live in the watershed, and continues to be a national treasure.
Even today under the stress, it is, indeed, one of the most
productive water bodies in the entire world. If we continue on this
path of improving the water quality there, I believe it can be even
more productive and provide even more economic value, as well as just
that intrinsic value that it provides to all of us; not just those in
the watershed but to us as a Nation.
I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure and
continuing the vital work of saving the Chesapeake Bay.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I wish to inquire if my colleague is
ready to close.
Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, I am ready to close.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to think of what Mr. Wittman and our
colleagues on the other side of the aisle stated; that this Chesapeake
Bay, it is a tremendous resource to our Nation, recreational
opportunities, the shipping opportunities in it, never mind the
wonderful seafood.
I urge support of this bipartisan piece of legislation by all
Members, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
I am glad that this bill gets bipartisan support from Members of
Congress and I intend to support the bill. I urge all my colleagues to
support it.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R.
1620, the Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act. I commend my
colleague and fellow Virginian, Congresswoman Elaine Luria, for
introducing this bill which will further the Chesapeake Bay's ongoing
restoration. As a co-chair of the bipartisan Chesapeake Bay Task Force,
I recognize the critical role that the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) and it's Chesapeake Bay Program play in coordinating the multi-
state restoration effort. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of
this legislation.
Deterioration of the Bay and how to best address the problem has been
a concern for almost half a century. While serving as a member of the
Virginia House of Delegates, I was part of a joint Virginia-Maryland
legislative advisory commission focused on determining what actions
were necessary to address Bay issues. We concluded that restoring the
Bay would require more than just Virginia and Maryland, but rather, the
collaboration of the entire 64,000 square-mile watershed.
The EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program, which was created during the Reagan
Administration and ratified by Congress in 1987, facilitates the
cooperation between the watershed states and the federal government to
restore the Bay. Re-authorization of the critical Chesapeake Bay
Program is long overdue.
Increases in underwater grasses and the blue crab population indicate
our efforts are working, however more resources and continued
coordination efforts are necessary to ensure that these gains are
maintained and that the Chesapeake Bay is protected. The Total Maximum
Daily Load, sometimes referred to as a ``pollution diet,'' was
established in 2010 and is a key part of the EPA's Chesapeake Bay
Program and the EPA's role in establishing and enforcing those limits
are an essential part of the ongoing restoration process.
The Chesapeake Bay is a national commercial, recreational, ecological
treasure and we have a moral responsibility to preserve it. I commend
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for reporting this
bill favorably to the full House and I urge my colleagues to support
this bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano) that the House suspend
the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1620, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________