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Estuary Bills Shop for Clean Water Spot

As Congress starts horse trading over the upcoming Clean Water Act reauthorization, politicians concerned with implementing estuary programs are trying to get a piece of the action.

Congresswomen Lowey (NY) and DeLauro (CT) recently paid visits to both Gerry Studds (MA) and Norm Mineta (CA) - chairs of two key committees - to seek support for incorporation of their bill HR 1720 in the new Clean Water Act. Their legislation offers a much-needed financing mechanism for implementation of estuary restoration plans nationwide. It also seeks to increase total clean water funding to $33 billion over the next seven years, while current budget plans would only provide $14 billion.

Lowey staffer Jim Townsend says most of the new dollars would end up in state revolving funds to help build new sewage treatment plants and other infrastructure. But the legislation also earmarks $50 million a year in discretionary grants for innovative technology, research, education, pollution prevention, land use planning and other activities.

"Their big concern was where to get the money," says Townsend of Mineta's and Studds' response. Studds would prefer to tax polluters, but Townsend thinks the money should come from shifts in existing appropriations.

Meanwhile, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi's (CAL) Bay Area focused CCMP implementation bill - HR 2320 - is also shopping among competing reauthorization bills for a home. Pelosi requested a line item of $2 million for the S.F. Estuary Project, but the appropriations committee - hand cuffed by the budget brouhaha - modified the item to apply to all projects nationwide.

Both initiatives could get debated as early as late September. So now is the time to write your congresspeople, and to Mineta and Studds.

Contact: House & Senate (202)224-3121

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