Thank you for the leadership you have shown in restoring the type of collegiality that is critically important for the Commission.

We have been working on cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay in a formal way with cooperation among the various States, including the Federal Government, for now over 30 years.

I particularly want to thank Senator Boozman, the ranking Republican member of the Subcommittee, for his help in putting together today's hearing.

We have seen an alarming increase in the number of dead zones caused by too much of the nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants going into our waters.

And there are many States moving forward with various types of trading programs that you have mentioned.

We have to deal with storm runoff. And the investment being made at Blue Plains is an incredible infrastructure improvement.

Let me ask one final question.

The Federal Government does have a responsibility to give the predictability that you all are talking about.

Nutrient pollution is well documented, its harm on our waters and our environment.

If farmers do more than is required, then they could have credits that could be sold in a nutrient trading program.

They want to make sure that this is not just a way of asking the agriculture sector to do more than their fair share in cleaning up Chesapeake Bay watershed.

But those who believe that we are going to get that type of reduction in the future, we are not.

We need to deal with all of those issues.

I take it from your testimony that it is the Administration's position that nutrient trading is a tool that is available, that can be used under the Clean Water Act?

Thank you very much for your testimony. We appreciate it very much.

There is not enough in the District, you are going to need to have multiple jurisdictions that you have to deal with, which requires, I think, some degree of Federal role.

This has been an extremely helpful panel in understanding the technical and the practical problems.

Our prayers and thoughts are with the people of Oklahoma.