U.S. Congress Set To Rollback Funding For Environment, Chesapeake Bay

In response to proposed cuts in federal funding for environmental programs and the Chesapeake Bay cleanup, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Friday urged members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly and friends of clean water in the Commonwealth to contact members of the Congressional Delegation to oppose these cuts before March 9. They released this request for action--

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of a "Continuing Resolution" to keep the federal government in business through September 30th.

As you may have read, Virginia Congressman Bob Goodlatte proposed an amendment that would bar all federal funding for implementing the recently-released Bay “pollution diet” or TMDL. Congressman Goodlatte’s amendment would retract all federal financial and technical assistance for the rest of fiscal year 2011 to farmers, towns, cities, sanitation districts, and other entities striving to reduce pollution to local waterways and ultimately the downstream waters of the Chesapeake Bay.

The suite of programs that will be eliminated for use in the Bay watershed in Pennsylvania is broad reaching. Included are all federal dollars distributed through PennVest, USDA’s EQIP, WHIP, and WRP dollars, Section 319 funds, federal funding for stormwater management, and a host of others. Please note, this amendment does not change the requirements of the Clean Water Act, only eliminates critical resources necessary for states to meet those requirements.

Despite the obvious controversy that ensued over the amendment as written, it passed the House 230-195, and the “Continuing Resolution” complete with the Goodlatte language was passed on to the Senate.

We are now at a crossroads. Implementation of the new "pollution diet" for the Chesapeake Bay is the key to the restoration of our local waterways. The retraction of technical assistance and financial support to local people, municipalities and businesses will put an immense burden on the citizens of the Commonwealth.

This loss of critical federal program dollars, coupled with the dire budget realities in the Commonwealth, may equal the single biggest setback for clean water in Pennsylvania in the last 40 years.

Please help us appeal to Senators Bob Casey and Senator Pat Toomey on this issue as the Senate takes up the “Continuing Resolution.” Negotiations are in play now. Add your name and organization to the letter below. We need sign-on info by noon Wednesday, March 9, 2011. Further questions, just let me know.

A draft letter to Senators Casey and Toomey is available online. A fact sheet on the Goodlatte amendment is also available online.

CBF is asking individuals and groups who act on this action alert to send your name and contact to Kim Patten, PA Outreach and Advocacy Manager, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, by email to: kpatten@cbf.org by noon, Wednesday, March 9.

Questions? Please contact the Chesapeake Bay Foundation at 717-234-5550.