Local Water Protection Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2008) 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. 2008

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 2022 through 2026''.

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Ms. NORTON. 2008.

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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2008. H.R. 2008 is a bipartisan bill to reauthorize appropriations for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Nonpoint Source Management grants program. I would like to thank my colleagues, Ms. Craig from Minnesota and Mr. Mast from Florida, for introducing this bill.

Nonpoint sources of water pollution come from many diffuse sources, including runoff from farms, managed forests, and urban areas. This runoff can carry pollutants, such as fertilizers and sediment from fields and lawns, toxins from abandoned mines, and oils and heavy metals from roads into lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water. Nationally, some 55 percent of assessed rivers and streams currently do not meet State water quality standards.

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 non-regulatory 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, which they do largely through voluntary means and financial incentives. However, according to the General Accounting Office, the extent of the 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.

Since that time, the section 319 program has continued to receive funds through the annual appropriation for EPA. In fiscal year 2021, the section 319 program received a Federal appropriation of $177 million, and the President's fiscal year 2022 budget request proposes an increase in funding for the program to $180 million.

H.R. 2008 would authorize $200 million annually for the section 319 program through 2026. This would be a modest increase of the current appropriated level for this popular program, but less than the historic peak appropriation for this program in the early 2000s.

Again, I thank Ms. Craig and Mr. Mast for leading this bipartisan bill. This legislation passed out of committee with bipartisan support and is a good bill for a valuable program.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. Craig).
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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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