Political Quotes

“My amendment is simply about making sure the Federal Government is setting the example in leading the way in addressing the single largest source of water pollution in America, which is stormwater runoff. Most of us probably don't think about it, but, frankly, when rain falls--and it does a lot in my neck of the woods--and flows through our streets, it picks up all sorts of pollutants. We are talking about some really nasty stuff, frankly: toxic chemicals like arsenic and flame retardants, as well as oils and pesticides. This stormwater hurts our lakes, rivers, and waterways. In fact, in many bodies of water, it accounts for 80 percent of the pollution. It not only hurts our environment. Just as importantly, it hurts our businesses that depend on clean water, as an example, Washington's shellfish industry, which employees literally thousands of people. There are probably no places in America that are more impacted by stormwater runoff than in my home on the Puget Sound, which is the largest estuary in the United States. Studies by the Washington Stormwater Center in Puyallup, Washington, have shown that stormwater can kill a salmon within hours. They have time-lapsed films. But you don't have to watch them in time lapse because it happens that quickly. Salmon and other fish are our way of life in Washington, and we are talking major business impact--a $30 billion economy.…”