Water Resources Development Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Mr. HECK. Madam Chair, my amendment is simply about making sure the Federal Government is setting the example in leading the way in addressing the single largest source of water pollution in America, which is stormwater runoff.

Most of us probably don't think about it, but, frankly, when rain falls--and it does a lot in my neck of the woods--and flows through our streets, it picks up all sorts of pollutants. We are talking about some really nasty stuff, frankly: toxic chemicals like arsenic and flame retardants, as well as oils and pesticides. This stormwater hurts our lakes, rivers, and waterways. In fact, in many bodies of water, it accounts for 80 percent of the pollution.

It not only hurts our environment. Just as importantly, it hurts our businesses that depend on clean water, as an example, Washington's shellfish industry, which employees literally thousands of people.

There are probably no places in America that are more impacted by stormwater runoff than in my home on the Puget Sound, which is the largest estuary in the United States. Studies by the Washington Stormwater Center in Puyallup, Washington, have shown that stormwater can kill a salmon within hours. They have time-lapsed films. But you don't have to watch them in time lapse because it happens that quickly.

Salmon and other fish are our way of life in Washington, and we are talking major business impact--a $30 billion economy.

Salmon also serve as a vital resource of immeasurable value to the 19 federally recognized Tribes in Puget Sound. They are the Salmon People, and salmon--chinook salmon, specifically--are also the prey of choice for our beloved southern resident orcas, which we are precariously close to losing altogether. There are fewer today than when they were listed under the Endangered Species Act many years ago.

So, if we fail to address the problem posed by stormwater, these resources will continue to decline, and our region will lose irreplaceable icons of life in the Pacific Northwest.

Now, granted, we are doing a lot to address this threat already, but it is nowhere near enough. If we are going to truly address the problem, then the Federal Government needs to set the example.

The good news is that Congress already knows this and acknowledges this because, in 2007, this body passed a law which requires Federal agencies to reduce stormwater runoff when they develop or redevelop property. That is just a commonsense requirement.

Since it was enacted over a decade ago, there has been no accountability for Federal agencies to show they are meeting these standards. So this brings us to my amendment. It would simply direct the GAO to study whether the Army Corps of Engineers has been able to meet these stormwater runoff mitigation requirements, and if they aren't, what changes they can make to improve their ability to meet them.

Madam Chair, if we are going to help our businesses and communities impacted by stormwater runoff, it is vitally important that the Federal Government set the example and lead the way.

Madam Chair, I urge adoption of the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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