[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 21, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S1859]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Markey, and Ms. 
        Warren):
  S. 4350. A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to 
establish the Southeast New England Program, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. REED. Mr. President today I am introducing the Southeast New 
England Program Authorization Act, along with Senators Whitehouse, 
Markey, and Warren. Our bill would formally authorize the EPA's 
Southeast New England Program, or SNEP, to ensure that it can continue 
to benefit the region for years to come.
  In 2012, as chair of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, I 
created SNEP to fund local, community-based projects that contribute to 
the restoration and protection of Narragansett Bay and other watersheds 
and tributaries in southeast New England. Since then, SNEP has invested 
over $70 million to support over 100 projects in the region. From 
improving stormwater management infrastructure, to creating urban 
greenways, to removing invasive species from local watersheds and more, 
SNEP projects have brought lasting solutions to communities across 
Rhode Island and southeast Massachusetts.
  SNEP supports three main objectives: creating a resilient ecosystem 
of safe and healthy waters, supporting thriving watersheds and natural 
lands, and building sustainable communities. In carrying out these 
goals, SNEP has empowered more than 150 organizations to undertake 
projects that contribute to the protection of critical habitat and 
environmental resources that are important to public health and the 
local economy. Along the way, the program leverages non-Federal 
investments in communities that are often overlooked, supporting local 
construction and engineering businesses, tourism. and recreation.
  Since its inception, SNEP has made great progress in protecting our 
region's natural resources, helping to mitigate the impacts of 
development and reverse the impact of decades of pollution on our 
waterways. The projects and partnerships that SNEP supports are also 
helping coastal communities throughout southeast New England meet new 
challenges, such as rising sea levels, more frequent and volatile 
storms, and catastrophic flooding caused by climate change.
  I applaud the work of the local SNEP partner organizations, including 
Save the Bay, the Nature Conservancy, Restore America's Estuaries, the 
Audubon Society, and many others. Together, they have worked with the 
States and localities to identify and implement successful projects in 
Rhode Island and Massachusetts. They are making a huge difference in 
improving the health of our estuaries and coastal ecosystems, and I am 
pleased that they have endorsed this bill.
  I urge my colleagues to join Senators Whitehouse, Warren, Markey, and 
me in supporting this commonsense legislation.

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