[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 11 (Monday, January 22, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E65-E66]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            INTRODUCTION OF THE FLOOD PREVENTION ACT OF 2024

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the District of Columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 22, 2024

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Flood Prevention Act 
of 2024. This bill would amend the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 
(CZMA) to include the District of Columbia in the definition of 
``coastal state.'' Senator Tom Carpen the Chairman of the Committee on 
Environment and Public Works, is the sponsor of this bill in the 
Senate. The House passed this bill as part of the Coastal and Great 
Lakes Communities Enhancement Act in the 116th Congress.
  This bill would correct an apparent oversight in the omission of D.C. 
from the CZMA and thereby make D.C. eligible to receive federal funding 
and have oversight for federally issued permits, facilities and actions 
that affect its coastal waters. D.C. urgently needs the protection of 
the CZMA because of serious flood

[[Page E66]]

risks that affect federal assets, residents and businesses in D.C., 
including the National Mall and federal buildings in the Federal 
Triangle area.
  The CZMA provides planning and technical services to assist states in 
protecting, restoring and developing coastal communities and resources. 
Once the federal government approves a state's coastal management plan, 
the state becomes eligible for grants. Federal actions must be 
consistent with the state plans and vice versa.
  Even though D.C. is located on two rivers, and has suffered 
substantial coastal floods in the past, it was omitted from the list of 
eligible entities in the CZMA. It is notable that, under the CZMA, the 
term ``coastal state[s]'' includes the states and territories. D.C. 
residents pay full federal taxes and therefore D.C. is usually treated 
as a state for federal programs. It appears D.C.'s omission was a 
mistake. This oversight likely occurred because the CZMA was passed in 
1972, which was before D.C. achieved home rule.
  Scientists have predicted that the tides on the Atlantic Coast could 
rise two to four feet by 2100, causing property worth as much as $7 
billion in D.C. to be routinely under threat by floodwaters. This 
includes private homes and businesses, the National Mall, federal 
buildings and three military bases. The Anacostia and Potomac rivers, 
which surround D.C., are tidally influenced, part of an ``intertidal 
zone'' between high and low tides. In addition, the Maryland and 
Virginia coastal zones each include the tidal Potomac River, with 
Maryland's zone ending at the D.C. line.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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