Bishop Teams with Israel on Federal Programs to Improve Long Island Sounds

Press Release

Congressman Tim Bishop, top Democrat on the Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment, announced his co-sponsorship of legislation introduced today by Congressman Steve Israel to reauthorize the Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Programs at current funding levels. Israel's Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Act will also combine the programs into a single funding stream and is the companion to legislation in the Senate sponsored by Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).

"There is a growing, bipartisan, bicameral consensus that Long Island Sound and the nearly $9 billion in economic activity it generates annually deserves federal support, and I am proud to join Congressman Israel in supporting the reauthorization and streamlining of these vital programs. Many of my colleagues and I have been fighting to increase federal support for the Sound for many years, and we will continue to work together to ensure that federal support is as robust as possible," Bishop said, noting that Long Island Sound has been designated by the federal government as an "Estuary of National Significance."

Bishop is a leader in Congress on protecting the Sound, and is lead sponsor of the Long Island Sound Improvement Act Amendments of 2011 (H.R. 2110), which will improve and restore water quality in Long Island Sound by providing new funding and regulatory tools for states and municipalities to protect waters throughout the Sound's watershed. Bishop's bill has bipartisan support and is currently under consideration in his Subcommittee. Congressman Israel has signed on as a cosponsor of Bishop's bill.

Bishop said his legislation would build on recent improvements in the Sound's water quality by authorizing new funding--$125 million in the first year, and $250 million per year thereafter--for wastewater infrastructure repair, construction, and upgrades, including stormwater systems, and green infrastructure technology and approaches in the Sound's watershed, which stretches throughout New England and the mid-Atlantic states.

Bishop's bill also directs the Environmental Protection Agency to develop new regulations for regional stormwater general permits. Under this authority, communities have the option of coordinating their stormwater management activities under a regional stormwater general permit. This practice has been demonstrated to reduce the overall cost and increase the effectiveness of stormwater controls. The legislation would provide a more attractive federal cost-share to entities that voluntarily join regional permits.

"The Long Island Sound is a national treasure, and I will continue to work with Congressman Israel and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to secure an appropriate level of federal support to continue water quality improvements in the Sound's watershed and enhance its already-significant contributions to our nation's economy and jobs in our region," said Bishop.

In 2004, Bishop led the effort to successful block the dumping of contaminated dredge waste in Long Island Sound, and in 2008, led the effort to prevent the industrialization of Long Island Sound by blocking the construction of the proposed Broadwater liquefied natural gas terminal.

Source