Volume 145, No. 29 covering the 1st Session of the 106th Congress (1999 - 2000) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“THE REINTRODUCTION OF THE NATIONAL URBAN WATERSHED MODEL RESTORATION ACT” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E273 on Feb. 24, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THE REINTRODUCTION OF THE NATIONAL URBAN WATERSHED MODEL RESTORATION
ACT
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HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON
of the district of columbia
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, February 24, 1999
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, I reintroduce the National Urban Watershed Model Restoration Act, a bill to establish a new approach to restoring urban waters. This pilot program, to be administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will serve as a national model for the restoration of urban watersheds and community environments. The Anacostia River has been chosen as the pilot river because it is an especially polluted urban river located in the nation's capital that has drawn national attention and thus can lead the way for community-
involved cleanup approaches that can be modeled and taken up nationally.
To achieve more focused and rapid action, the new program will integrate the various regulatory and non-regulatory programs of the EPA with other federal, state, and local programs to restore and protect the Anacostia River and promote community risk reduction. EPA is to coordinate its efforts with other federal partners, particularly the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In addition to addressing a major local environmental concern, this model program will provide a framework for urban communities around the nation to work towards sustainable community redevelopment and to meet national environmental goals.
Under the new program, EPA shall allocate a total of $750,000 per year over the next 4 fiscal years to implement the provisions of the Model Program. EPA may authorize no less than $400,000 annually in the form of grants, which are to be matched on a 75-25 basis with other federal funds and state, local, and private contributions.
The Anacostia River has been my top environmental priority since coming to Congress in 1991. In the 104th Congress, I worked through the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment to authorize $12 million of construction projects to help clean up and restore wetlands along the Anacostia watershed. I am pleased that the Administration has proposed over $4 million in the Army Corps of Engineers' FY 2000 budget for Anacostia projects that springs from the original $12 million authorization.
I am committed to whatever time and effort it takes to restore the river that runs through the neighborhoods of the nation's capital. The bill that I introduce today marks a renewed effort, as well as an innovative approach, to advancing this top environmental priority.
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