Norton Anacostia River Initiative Passes in the House

NORTON ANACOSTIA RIVER INITIATIVE PASSES IN THE HOUSE

Washington, DC—The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today announced that two of Norton's environmental priorities won passage in the House as part of H.R. 2864 - the Water Resources Development Act of 2005 (WRDA). In one WRDA provision, Norton's major Anacostia Watershed Initiative, requires the Secretary of the Army, who oversees the Army Corps of Engineers, to coordinate the regional partners in the development of a 10-year comprehensive action plan for the restoration and protection of the Anacostia River and its tributaries. "I am thrilled," the Congresswoman said, "to get the first important attention to the forgotten river passed at last." The Norton amendment, which was supported by the regional House and Senate delegation, requires coordination of the plan with the Mayor of the District of Columbia, the Governors of Maryland and Virginia, and the County Executives of Montgomery County and Prince George's County, Maryland, no later than a year after the WRDA bill is enacted.

Through WRDA, Norton also got $55 million authorized for the city--$35 million for the combined sewer overflow (CSO) problem, and $20 million for Anacostia River clean-up. She said, "The federal government must help the District deal with long-term, dangerous and chronic water problems resulting from our century-old infrastructure. The considerable federal economic activity on the Anacostia, including the Southeast Federal Center and Department of Transportation Headquarters now going up, and the new baseball stadium and other development coming soon, all demand no less. The comprehensive Anacostia plan and these new federal funds will take us some real distance toward river clean-up and greater accessibility to residents and visitors."

The antiquated combined sewer system, built by the federal government in the late 19th century, serves most major federal office buildings, the White House, the U.S. Capitol complex, the Supreme Court and much of the downtown area, in addition to hometown D.C. As a result, CSO flooding disproportionately affects the Anacostia.

"The damaging flooding and pollution following heavy rains are dramatic evidence of the need for federal assistance to help protect water resources so vital to the federal government and D.C.," the Congresswoman said. "The Corps built the system, and the federal government, including the Capitol complex, find it indispensable and contribute significantly to directly polluting the waterways when the system overflows. It follows that the federal government must become fully engaged in upgrading the system. Now the House has said plan the clean-up. My Anacostia River Initiative bill, introduced on May 19, 2005, is designed to help pay for it."

http://www.norton.house.gov/issues2.cfm?id=10854