April 8, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 60 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages H3109-H3111]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       LOCAL WATER PROTECTION ACT

  Mrs. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1331) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to 
reauthorize certain programs relating to nonpoint source management, 
and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1331

       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 ``Local Water Protection 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. NONPOINT SOURCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS.

       Section 319(j) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 
     (33 U.S.C. 1329(j)) is amended by striking ``subsections (h) 
     and (i) not to exceed'' and all that follows through ``fiscal 
     year 1991'' and inserting ``subsections (h) and (i) 
     $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Minnesota (Mrs. Craig) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. 
Meadows) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Minnesota.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 1331.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Minnesota?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1331.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1331 is a bipartisan bill to reauthorize 
appropriations for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's nonpoint 
source management grants program.
  I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast), for 
introducing this bill with me. I also thank the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Napolitano) for her support in moving this legislation 
through committee.
  The Clean Water Act was enacted in 1972 to restore and maintain the 
chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters. In 
1987, the Clean Water Act was amended to add section 319 to create a 
nonregulatory program through which EPA administers annual grants to 
help States develop and implement their own programs for managing 
nonpoint sources of water pollution.
  Under EPA's 319 program, States retain the primary role for 
addressing nonpoint source water pollution caused by snowmelt and 
rainfall runoff, which they do largely through monetary means and 
financial incentives. However, according to the Government 
Accountability Office, the extent of available incentives has declined 
in recent years, as grants to States under the section 319 program have 
declined by more than 30 percent from a high of about $240 million 
annually in fiscal year 2004.
  The section 319 program was initially authorized at $70 million 
annually in fiscal year 1988, and its authorization level steadily 
increased to $130 million in fiscal year 1991, the last year of 
authorization for this program.
  This bill, H.R. 1331, would reauthorize $200 million annually for the 
319 program's grant fund, which gives local and State governments the 
flexibility to make conservation practices improvements aimed at 
decreasing water pollutants through partnerships within their local 
communities.
  In Minnesota, we take the quality of our 10,000 lakes very seriously, 
and we all want to preserve the quality of these important waterways 
for generations to come. We also know that local communities are the 
experts on the most effective and innovative ways to keep these 
waterways clean.
  That is why this bill is so important. It gives local and State 
governments authority to create best voluntary conservation programs 
that work for their communities.
  Here are just a few of the examples of section 319 grants in action 
from Minnesota's Second Congressional District.
  The Scott County Soil and Water Conservation District saved native 
plants and the shoreline protecting McMahon Lake. The grant also 
significantly helped reduce pollution throughout the county by planting 
filter strips, building control grade structures, lining waterways with 
grass, and planting native grass.
  Dakota County created and implemented projects to validate, 
demonstrate, and refine best management practices for nitrogen 
fertilizer for corn production that will lower nitrate levels in Dakota 
County's groundwater and surface water.
  The Goodhue County Soil and Water Conservation District is currently 
working to reduce pollutants in the Mississippi River-Lake Pepin 
watershed by 20 percent.
  In Wabasha County, the Whitewater Watershed Project worked with 
communities to increase awareness of water contamination and provided 
low-interest loans to improve residential infrastructure and help 
farmers come into compliance with pollution standards.
  The South Washington Watershed District integrated a storm water 
reuse plan that captures roadway storm water in two existing ponds. 
This integrates into two golf course irrigation systems and provides 
new water amenities with the public golf courses. This is estimated to 
reduce potable water usage by more than 40 million gallons annually.
  Finally, in Rice County, the Cannon River Watershed Partnership is 
working to engage local, regional, and State programs and organizations 
to develop a way for their local community to engage in pollution 
reduction in a meaningful and long-term way.

  Again, I thank the gentleman from Florida for introducing this 
bipartisan bill with me. This legislation passed out of committee with 
bipartisan support. It is a good bill, and I am pleased to support it. 
I urge my colleagues to do so as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1331, the Local Water 
Protection Act. I thank my colleague from Minnesota (Mrs. Craig) for 
her leadership and my good friend from Florida (Mr. Mast) for 
introducing this important bill.
  H.R. 1331 reauthorizes the Environmental Protection Agency's section 
319, which is a nonpoint source pollution control program under the 
Clean Water Act. Indeed, the section 319 program takes a cooperative, 
nonregulatory approach toward addressing nonpoint sources.

[[Page H3110]]

  Reauthorizing this program reinforces the Federal leadership being 
provided to help our State and local partners in their nonpoint source 
control efforts. This program has benefited water bodies all across the 
country, including in my district.
  For example, when agricultural runoff impaired the Mills River, a 
source of drinking water for more than 50,000 people in western North 
Carolina, the North Carolina Division of Water Quality used $450,000 of 
the section 319 grant to restore the Mills River and remove it from the 
State's impaired list in 2006.
  There are hundreds more success stories from States across the Nation 
where the section 319 program has addressed nonpoint sources and 
restored water bodies.
  For these reasons, Mr. Speaker, I support this program. I urge all 
Members to support the passage of H.R. 1331, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Mrs. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter of support 
for H.R. 1331 from Trout Unlimited.

                                              Trout Unlimited,

                                     Arlington, VA, April 8, 2019.
     Re Trout Unlimited supports HR 1331, The Local Water 
         Protection Act.

     Hon. Angie Craig,
     House of Representatives.
     Hon. Brian Mast,
     House of Representatives.
       Dear Representatives Craig and Mast: On behalf of Trout 
     Unlimited (TU), I am writing to strongly support the above 
     referenced bill, to urge its swift passage through the House, 
     and to thank you for introducing it. Section 319 of the Clean 
     Water Act has provided our field staff with valuable funds 
     which they have leveraged many times over to accomplish a 
     number of valuable nonpoint source pollution projects across 
     the nation. But as you know there is much more work to be 
     done, and passage of this bill will be a big step in a 
     positive direction for the health of the Nation's watersheds.
       Trout Unlimited has over 300,000 conservation-minded 
     members and supporters, organized into 380 chapters in 35 
     state councils. Our mission is to conserve, protect and 
     restore the Nation's trout and salmon fisheries and their 
     watersheds. We have 250 staff spread across America who work 
     with our members and a wide variety of partners--including 
     farmers, ranchers, miners and state and local agencies--to 
     accomplish our mission. Section 319 has become an 
     increasingly important tool for our work.
       Working with our partners, we have used Section 319 funds 
     in a variety of ways to control nonpoint pollution. Of 
     special note is our recent use of funds to control abandoned 
     mine pollution in Pennsylvania and Colorado. Abandoned mine 
     pollution is especially insidious problems in coal country 
     and in the mining regions of the Rocky Mountain West, but we 
     have developed a number of techniques which are restoring 
     formerly dead streams to healthy streams.
       TU and other conservation groups are pressing Congress to 
     provide more funding for natural infrastructure funding and 
     projects. Section 319, and your bill, are delivering on that 
     request.
       Abandoned mine cleanup, sediment control, and nutrient 
     runoff control, are model examples of natural infrastructure 
     projects.
       Thank you again for introducing this bill. We urge its 
     speedy passage.
           Sincerely,

                                                  Steve Moyer,

                                                   Vice President,
                                               Government Affairs.

  Mrs. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast), the sponsor of this particular 
legislation.
  Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today also in support of H.R. 1331, the 
Local Water Protection Act. I thank both my colleagues for their 
support and their comments on this legislation.
  Let's talk about what this really does, how this bill is so 
important, and how it makes a difference with nonpoint source 
pollution.
  Point source pollution is easy to identify, for most people. They 
have an image of it in their head. It is that pipe coming out of some 
sort of seawall, coming out of the ground somewhere, dripping something 
that doesn't look so fresh into their waterways that they want to look 
pristine and beautiful.
  That is easy to identify. The nonpoint stuff is not quite as easy for 
everybody to go out there and see.
  What this does is it helps us prevent toxic agricultural runoff that 
can have an impact from things like fertilizer spraying, those things 
that go out there and are put onto our crops at different times.
  It can help implement best management practices. It can install pump 
stations where they might be needed. It can assist with septic to sewer 
conversions for those issues that arise in our more suburban and 
residential areas where we have runoff coming off yards, leaky septic 
tanks, things that we also don't want in our waterways coming from 
those areas.
  It can help address legacy pollutants already in our waterways. It 
can help prevent other forms of pollutants from coming in. This is why 
it is so important.
  For us, Mr. Speaker, in Florida, this is a huge issue because our 
Florida waterways, we know how irreplaceable a treasure they are. They 
are ecologically unique. They are central to our economy. They are 
central to our health because our family members are in and out of the 
water so often, whether they are fishing, whether they are swimming, 
whether they are boating, whether they are recreating, whatever it is, 
whether it is a part of their livelihood, it is what they are in, so it 
is a big deal for our health.
  The community that I represent, like many others, is plagued with 
toxic algal blooms that result from algae-laden discharges, an 
unnatural infusion of freshwater into our salt water that causes this. 
It creates a real mess for us.
  When this nutrient-loaded freshwater hits our saltwater estuaries, it 
wreaks havoc on our coasts. It kills everything in the sea life in its 
path.
  This past summer, we had freshwater that was released into our 
coastal estuaries that was labeled nearly 50 times too toxic for human 
contact. Now that water has tested positive for a number of toxins in 
areas that are very heavily populated. It is a very bad situation for 
what we experience each and every year.
  This bill helps to stop this pollution by increasing the EPA's 
successful section 319 grant program. It addresses nonpoint source 
pollution through State-run nonpoint source pollution management, not 
Washington, D.C., one-size-fits-all approaches, but State-run. The bill 
reauthorizes this program and increases funding levels up to $200 
million annually through 2024. This is an amazing bill. I am very proud 
to work with everybody else on it.
  In short, Mr. Speaker, this is a bill that can make a real difference 
for communities across our country, but specifically for communities in 
and around Florida and our beautiful peninsula, as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I fully support its passage. I thank Congresswoman Craig 
for leading this effort with me.
  By the way, congratulations to Congresswoman Craig on passing her 
first piece of legislation, as well. Let's get this bill passed.
  Mrs. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Napolitano).

                              {time}  1715

  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Minnesota 
(Mrs. Craig) for yielding.
  I rise in very strong support of H.R. 1331, the bipartisan Local 
Water Protection Act, and I wish to thank Representatives Craig and 
Mast for their leadership in introducing this bill that will help many 
communities in Minnesota, Florida, California, and around the country 
manage and treat pollution in our rivers, lakes, and seas.
  The bill authorizes $200 million annually for EPA to provide grants 
to States to address nonpoint source water pollution. This is pollution 
that comes when rain runoff carries toxins, fertilizers, metals, and 
other contaminants from farms, roads, and forests into the water 
bodies.
  Today, according to the data provided by the State of California, my 
home State, approximately 89 percent of my State's assessed rivers and 
streams currently do not meet the State water quality standards. That 
is pretty high. And of that number, somewhere between 30 to 60 percent 
are impaired because of nonpoint sources of pollution in the State, 
both urban and rural sources. The number is staggering and has remained 
relatively constant over the past decade.
  As Mrs. Craig mentioned, States around the country are experiencing 
the same level of unacceptable pollution entering their waterways, and 
this bill will address it.
  Mr. Speaker, I again thank the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Mrs. 
Craig)

[[Page H3111]]

and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast) for introducing this 
bipartisan bill, and I urge my colleagues to support this important 
legislation, which will help all of our congressional districts.
  Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support.
  I thank the leadership of the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Mrs. Craig) 
and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast), and I urge all of my 
colleagues to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time and 
urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1331, 
``The Local Water Protection Act'', which provides 200 million annually 
to support the nonpoint source management grants program administered 
by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
  I support this legislation because it is necessary to counteract the 
current crisis of water pollution in our country.
  As an Energy and Environment Task Force Co-Chair of the Congressional 
Black Caucus, I understand the necessity of this bill and its funding 
to managing sources of water pollution.
  It is unsustainable to think we can continue to allow runoff that 
carries pollutants, fertilizers, and sediment from fields; toxins from 
abandoned mines, and oils and heavy metals from roads, into lakes, 
rivers, and other bodies of water.
  As pollutants in our waters increase, human exposure to toxins will 
follow in step, toxin exposure is directly linked to cancers and heart 
disease.
  Before the pollutants reach people they reach our waterways, 
adversely affecting a whole ecosystem, putting 1 to 11 percent of 
marine species in to extinction every decade.
  The strain on the marine life is not the only adverse effect to 
nature, global warming is also worsened when we turn a cheek to 
decreasing the pollution of our waterways.
  Water pollution is not a topic to be taken lightly and we are 
reminded of our current privileges of clean water when we look at 
cities that have experienced the unimaginable, such as Flint, Michigan.
  Flint, Michigan has lived in a state of fear, having to drink from 
bottles of filtered water in order to completely avoid lead poisoning 
and contamination.
  Citizens of Flint, Michigan had to abandon their homes and the 
residents had to be compensated for their property and their current 
and future health conditions that arise from the contamination by 
polluted water.
  Water pollution poses a threat in every state, including my home 
state of Texas.
  It was found just recently that in 938 instances, Texas companies 
released pollution that exceeded the levels permitted by federal clean 
water laws according to researchers who examined Texas Commission for 
Environmental Quality data.
  Texas was found in 2018 to have the most widespread radiated drinking 
water contamination affecting more than 3,500 utilities serving 22 
million people.
  The contamination in Texas included detectable levels of radium-226 
and radium-228 in a study conducted by the Environmental Working Group 
(EWG).
  Currently, it is required by law for states to submit reports to the 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the current sources of 
water pollution within their state, as well as plans to manage those 
sources of pollution.
  EPA provides grants for states to carry out their plans to manage 
water pollution.
  Mr. Speaker, we must not wait to take action when the health of our 
marine life, the state of Global Warming, and the health of our people 
are being affected.
  H.R. 1331 would allow instrumental programs to continue serving as a 
step in the right direction in protecting and healing our home.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Minnesota (Mrs. Craig) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1331.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mrs. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________