Scott Introduces Bipartisan Bill To Mitigate Extreme Flooding On Military Bases

Press Release

Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), a co-chair of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force, introduced the bipartisan Enhancing Military Base Resilience and Conserving Ecosystems through Stormwater Management (EMBRACE Stormwater Management) Act to implement stormwater best management practices to reduce flooding on and around military bases which jeopardizes military readiness, pollutes the Chesapeake Bay, and compounds stress for military families.

"We have a responsibility to reduce base flooding to support military resilience as well to reduce stormwater runoff into the waterways that define our way of life here in Hampton Roads," saidCongressman Scott. "Slowing, storing, and filtering stormwater prevents flooding and protects marine ecosystems. The EMBRACE Stormwater Management Act is a win-win, not just for Hampton Roads, our military, and the Chesapeake Bay, but for all military communities that struggle with flooding and their surrounding waterways."

Climate change is changing patterns of precipitation, increasing the risk of severe storms, floods, and droughts. The EMBRACE Stormwater Management Act will mitigate these risks throughout Hampton Roads and the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which are especially susceptible to flooding due to increased development and land subsidence, as well as in military communities elsewhere.

List of co-sponsors: Representatives Rob Wittman (VA-01), John Sarbanes (MD-03), Anthony Brown (MD-04), Elaine Luria (VA-02), and Nancy Mace (SC-01).