[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 5, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H805-H806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REAUTHORIZING LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN BASIN RESTORATION PROGRAM
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 4275) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act
to reauthorize the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program, and
for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4275
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN BASIN RESTORATION PROGRAM
REAUTHORIZATION.
(a) Review of Comprehensive Management Plan.--Section 121
of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1273)
is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (5), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a
semicolon;
(B) in paragraph (6), by striking the period and inserting
``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(7) ensure that the comprehensive conservation and
management plan approved for the Basin under section 320 is
reviewed and revised in accordance with section 320 not less
often than once every five years, beginning on the date of
enactment of this paragraph.''; and
(2) in subsection (d), by striking ``recommended by a
management conference convened for the Basin under section
320'' and inserting ``identified in the comprehensive
conservation and management plan approved for the Basin under
section 320''.
(b) Definitions.--Section 121(e)(1) of the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1273(e)(1)) is amended by
striking ``, a 5,000 square mile''.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 121(f) of the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1273(f)) is
amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``2001 through 2012 and
the amount appropriated for fiscal year 2009 for each of
fiscal years 2013 through 2017'' and inserting ``2021 through
2025''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) Administrative expenses.--The Administrator may use
for administrative expenses not more than 5 percent of the
amounts appropriated to carry out this section.''.
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 in which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4275, 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 include in the Record a letter in support of H.R. 4275
to reauthorize the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program from
the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation.
Lake Pontchartrain
Basin Foundation,
February 4, 2020.
Re H.R. 4275: Support to amend the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act to reauthorize the Lake Pontchartrain Basin
Restoration Program.
Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
Speaker, House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Kevin McCarthy,
Minority Leader, House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Speaker Pelosi & Minority Leader McCarthy: I would
like to express our support for H.R. 4275--the
reauthorization of the Pontchartrain Basin Restoration
Program within the Environmental Protection Agency. This
program provides resources vital to the restoration of the
ecological health of the Basin, as well as public education
projects.
Although Lake Pontchartrain and its surrounding area
continue to face environmental challenges, the Lake and its
resources have made a tremendous comeback. Much of this
success is due to interested and concerned citizens who want
a clean, healthy Lake and Basin for this and future
generations, all of which would not be possible without your
support of this PRP funding.
Sincerely,
Kristi L. Trail, P.E.,
Executive Director.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4275 will reauthorize EPA's Lake
Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program for the next 5 years.
Introduced by the gentlemen from Louisiana, Mr. Graves and Mr.
Richmond, it reauthorizes the program for the next 5 years with
continued funding of $20 million annually over 5 years. It also caps
EPA's administrative expenses at 5 percent.
At our June subcommittee hearing, we received testimony on current
threats to the Lake Pontchartrain region and its watershed. Covering a
10,000-square-mile area, the basin faces
[[Page H806]]
impacts from logging, urban, and agriculture runoff, sewage overflows
and nonpoint source pollution.
This is an example of human development having an extreme impact on
the entire watershed, capable of causing entire dead zones as we are
now seeing. With impaired wetlands prevented from acting as natural
filters for these pollutants, the entire lake is at risk.
This program represents a collaborative effort for Federal, State,
and local entities to restore the ecological health of the basin.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4275, and 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. 4275. H.R. 4275 represents
good governance to reauthorize the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration
Program. The Lake Pontchartrain Basin watershed is home to
approximately 2.2 million people and covers 5,000 square miles.
In June of last year when the Subcommittee on Water Resources and
Environment held a hearing on many of these regional watershed
programs, we invited Ms. Kristi Trail from the Lake Pontchartrain Basin
Foundation to testify on the need and importance of reauthorizing this
program.
During that hearing, we heard that Lake Pontchartrain and its
surrounding watershed play an integral part of the wetland ecosystem of
the Gulf Coast, contributing over $35 million to the local economy.
As a result of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation's work through
this program, the lake is making a tremendous comeback by constructing
multiple reefs for fish habitats, improving previously impaired water
bodies, and growing their community outreach programs.
I would like to thank Mr. Garret Graves, the sponsor of this bill,
for putting this forward and for his support.
I also would like to recognize the fact that we limit the EPA's
administration to 5 percent. So the money goes to restore Lake
Pontchartrain.
For these reasons and numerous others, I urge support of this program
and this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves), the sponsor of the bill.
Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I promise to conserve time and
conserve the lake.
Mr. Speaker, Lake Pontchartrain is perhaps not a very well-known
lake. It is actually the second largest saltwater lake in the United
States, but it wasn't always this way.
Lake Pontchartrain, as a result of coastal land loss in Louisiana,
has had this intrusion of saltwater that has fundamentally changed the
ecosystem of that lake and the communities.
This is a lake that serves as a watershed for 16 parishes in
Louisiana, 4 counties in Mississippi, and most importantly, this lake
takes the brunt of the surge from 2 Canadian provinces and 31 States.
Mr. Speaker, what happens is each time we have these high-water years
on the Mississippi River system which drains 31 States and 2 Canadian
provinces, there is an emergency relief valve that sends water through
the Bonnet Carre Spillway into Lake Pontchartrain.
This isn't water that is coming from Louisiana. In fact, less than 1
percent of the water is even coming from the State of Mississippi. It
is water coming from all of these States, from Montana, to New York, to
Canada, and all of these States in this large watershed funnel in-
between.
And so on average, the Bonnet Carre Spillway had been operated once
every decade; once every 10 years. Yet, in recent years, we have had to
open it four times, including last year. Last year, for the first time
ever, it was opened in January, and for the first time ever, it was
actually operated twice in 1 year.
And so this is in the State of Louisiana. This is this lake, this
basin, this watershed that has been taking it on the chin for the rest
of the country.
{time} 1445
The reason this is important, Mr. Speaker, is because this lake is an
incredibly productive ecosystem with recreational and commercial
fishing. You see lots of folks out there in sailboats and other boats
out there enjoying the lake.
What has been happening as a result of all the Nation's water's
drainage coming into here is that the health of the lake has been
compromised and challenged, which therefore affects our fisheries, both
recreational and commercial, and the millions of pounds of crabs that
are harvested out of the lake.
This lake bounds New Orleans and Jefferson Parish. It bounds the
north shore and the river parishes, such as Saint John Parish and Saint
Charles Parish over on the west side.
This is an important part of Louisiana. Because of the coastal land
loss that we have experienced and the change in this ecosystem, we must
make investments to maintain this as we help to manage this rapid and
unfortunate transition from a freshwater lake into a brackish and
saltwater lake that we now have.
Mr. Speaker, I do want to thank my good friend from California, the
chair of the subcommittee, Congresswoman Napolitano, and her staff,
Ryan. I want to thank Congressman Westerman, the ranking member of the
subcommittee; Ian Bennitt as well as Maggie Ayrea on our staff for all
the work they put into this; and, of course, Chairman DeFazio and
Ranking Member Sam Graves for all their work in ensuring that we get
this bill right and that we have the right caps on here to ensure that
the money goes to actually investing in the lake, as Congressman
Mitchell mentioned, as opposed to going toward bureaucracy.
Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bipartisan legislation that we
have introduced with my friend, Congressman Cedric Richmond of New
Orleans.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. I am prepared to close, Mr. Speaker, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume
to close.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Graves of Louisiana,
and all sponsors in support of this bill. As I indicated earlier, it
has bipartisan support of the committee.
Mr. Speaker, I urge its adoption, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume to close.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank both sides' staff. They have been doing
a marvelous job. Of course, I thank the chairmen and the ranking
members of both committees for all the support they have gotten on all
these important bills on water.
Water is the economy, and we realize that we have to clean it up and
help the communities work with the States and other entities. We will
get it done.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
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. 4275, 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.
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