Harmful Algal Blooms And Hypoxia Research And Control Amendments Act Of 2010

Floor Speech

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Mr. KRATOVIL. I thank the gentleman from Washington for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3650 and urge my colleagues to support it.

Maryland's First Congressional District, my district, is a district defined by the water that surrounds it. Healthy water in our district means commerce, recreation, and, most importantly, jobs.

A harmful algal bloom is a rapid overproduction of certain species of algae that produce toxins which are detrimental to plants and animals. These outbreaks are commonly referred to, as you have heard, as red or brown tides and have the potential to kill fish and other aquatic life by decreasing sunlight available to the water and by using up available oxygen in the water.

In recent years, many of the Nation's coastlines, near-shore marine waters and freshwaters have experienced an increase in the number, frequency, duration, and types of HABs. If we continue to allow this problem to persist, bodies of water like the Chesapeake Bay in my district will see a detrimental decline in water quality which will affect the thousands of species that call the bay home.

More importantly, perhaps, the thousands of men and women who rely on the bay to pay their bills will be put out of work. Watermen, commercial fishermen, charter boat captains, and any number of similar professions have been part of the Eastern Shore culture for decades. If gone unchecked, these professions will become less and less prominent, and an entire segment of our local economy will be hurt.

H.R. 3650 is a good bill that takes important steps in the fight against red tides and other harmful algae by creating a coordinated national strategy to deal with HABs while at the same time allowing for flexibility so that different regions can best address their unique concerns.

I am also pleased, again, as was mentioned, that funding will actually be directed to control and prevention of this problem in addition to, simply, research. This will no doubt limit the severity and frequency of this dangerous environmental concern.

Madam Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support this measure.

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