Political Quotes

“I rise in support of H.R. 2957, the Lake Ponchartrain Basin Restoration Act. This legislation, as amended by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, would create a priority for the inclusion of the Lake Ponchartrain Basin into the EPA's National Estuary Program. By including the basin into the NEP, the administrator would be authorized to begin development of a comprehensive conservation management plan for the basin in order to promote its long-term ecological protection. In addition, this legislation would establish a new program office within EPA aimed at restoring the ecological health of the basin and coordinating the development of its CCMP. This new program office would provide administrative and technical assistance to a management conference convened for the protection of the basin. This office would also be responsible for coordinating any grant, research and planning programs authorized under this act, including grants for public education projects consistent with any management plan. Because the drainage basin for the Lake Ponchartrain watershed extends across much of southern Louisiana and Mississippi, it is the intent of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that any management conference appointed to develop a CCMP for the basin include appropriate representatives from the States of Louisiana and Mississippi.”