DeLauro Lauds Passage of Interior-Environment Appropriations Conference Report and Continuing Resolution

H.R. 2996 Protects Environment; Includes Important Connecticut Funding

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3) applauded the passage today of the conference report on the fiscal year 2010 Interior – Environment Appropriations Bill. The legislation makes key investments in environmental protection, conservation, climate change research, and other important priorities, including clean drinking water and hazardous waste site clean-up. A resolution providing funding for continued government operations through December 18. 2009 is also attached to the conference report.

"With the passage of this legislation," said Congresswoman DeLauro, "we have ensured that our environmental and natural resources will continue to be protected for the benefit of all Americans, now and in future generations. In addition, we have made important investments to address some of our most fundamental public safety concerns, including hazardous waste clean-up, access to clean drinking water for all Americans, and continued research into the dangerous problem of climate change."

"This bill," continued DeLauro, "also includes significant funding for environmental and conservation projects in Connecticut. Among these are $7 million for clean-up of the Long Island Sound, $4.25 million to purchase additional lands for conservation; $495,000 to improve drinking water in Prospect, and $150,000 to preserve the historic Sterling Opera House in Derby. All of these are important projects, and I am glad to see them get the resources they need."

More details about the funding and provisions included in the 2010 Interior-Environment Appropriations conference report are attached.

Interior-Environment Appropriations Conference Report

Protecting the Environment/Ensuring Clean Water

• Clean Water State Revolving Fund: Provides $2.1 billion, $1.4 billion above 2009, for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which helps ensure our nation's waters reach the goals of the Clean Water Act. The bill provides a large increase for clean water funding in light of the fact that it was severely underfunded under the Bush Administration. This increased funding allows states to address the nation's aging wastewater infrastructure in order to sustain and improve water quality.

• Drinking Water State Revolving Fund: Provides $1.38 billion, $558 million above 2009, for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which helps states to protect public health by improving drinking water systems. Once again, this increase is needed to address the fund's prior underfunding. The increased funding will help states finance the infrastructure improvements that are needed to achieve or maintain compliance with Safe Drinking Water Act standards.

• Portion of SRFs Available for Grants and Subsidized Loans: Provides that a substantial portion of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund will be available as grants and subsidized loans to communities that cannot afford to pay back conventional loans.

• Sewer and Water Grants: Provides $157 million, $12 million above 2009, for sewer and water grants to local communities – a program that is highly valued by many local communities across the country.

• Superfund: Provides $605 million for Superfund activities to clean up toxic waste sites. This vital program is responsible for cleaning up major toxic waste sites throughout the United States in order to protect the environment and the health of all Americans.

• Brownfields: Provides $100 million, $3 million above 2009, for evaluation and cleanup of "brownfields," former industrial and commercial sites, turning them from problem properties to productive community use.

• Environmental Justice: Provides $7.2 million, $210,000 above 2009, for environmental justice programs, which protect the health and welfare of low-income and minority communities from environmental toxins related to industrial pollution.

Some Key Interior Department & Other Conservation Programs

• National Parks: The bill makes improving our national parks a key priority. It provides $2.7 billion for the national parks, $218 million (9 percent) above 2009. This funding continues the 10-year initiative to upgrade the national parks before the Centennial of the National Park Service in 2016. Much of this additional funding is targeted at improving national park operations in order to help ensure that visitors to our national parks will experience enhanced levels of service.

• National Wildlife Refuges: Provides $503 million for National Wildlife Refuges – an increase of $40 million or 9 percent above 2009. This increase provides critically needed staff and funding to implement climate change strategies, and improve conservation efforts.

• Forest Service: Provides $2.78 billion, $166 million above 2009, for basic (non-fire) Forest Service funding. This maintains important research, cooperative forestry, and land management programs, and also includes $90 million for the Legacy Road and Trail Remediation program at the Forest Service to protect streams and water systems from damaged forest roads. This effort is a key part of our effort to protect the national forests and grasslands.

• Wildfire Suppression and Preparedness: Makes a major investment in wildfire suppression and preparedness programs – providing an unprecedented total of $3.4 billion for all the wildfire accounts. This funding total includes $1.86 billion for wildfire suppression, $526 million above 2009, including $474 million for the newly authorized FLAME wildfire suppression reserve accounts. It also includes $557 million, $25 million above 2009, for hazardous fuels reduction projects – which will reduce wildfires in the future and protect communities and watersheds.

Climate Change Research and Adaptation Efforts

The bill provides a total of $385 million, $155 million above 2009, for climate change research and adaptation efforts, including the following:

• $67 million for priority climate change research at the U.S. Geological Survey, an increase of $22 million above 2009;

• $32 million for climate change research at the Forest Service, an increase of $5 million above 2009;

• $15 million as requested for the National Global Warming and Wildlife Science Center at the U.S. Geological Survey for research on wildlife adaptation to climate change;

• $17 million to continue development of a Greenhouse Gas Registry, a first step in controlling greenhouse gases;

• $10 million for new grants at EPA to encourage local communities to find ways to cut their greenhouse gas emissions;

• $51 million for EPA's Energy Star Program, which saves consumers $14 billion a year in energy costs by letting them know appliances' energy efficiency;

• $28 million to implement the Energy Independence and Security Act, including $21 million to meet its requirement that the U.S. produce 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2022, and $7 million for carbon sequestration research at the U.S. Geological Survey; and

• $58 million to promote the development of renewable clean energy sources on federal lands and waters.

Other Key Provisions

• Indian Health Service: Provides $4.1 billion, $471 million above 2009, for the Indian Health Service, to improve the quality and availability of critical health care services for Native Americans.

• Bureau of Indian Affairs: Provides $2.6 billion for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which includes an increase of $81 million above 2009 for Indian education and an increase of $58 million above 2009 for law enforcement to strengthen police programs, detention center operations, and Tribal courts.

• National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities: Provides $167.5 million, $12.5 million above 2009, for the National Endowment for the Arts; and also provides $167.5 million, $12.5 million above 2009, for the National Endowment for the Humanities.

• Guantanamo Detainees: Includes virtually identical language regarding Guantanamo detainees that was included in the Conference Report on H.R. 2892, FY 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations, which the President signed into law on October 28. This language, among other things, prohibits Guantanamo detainees from being released into the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, D.C., or any U.S. territory; and prohibits detainees from being transferred to the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, D.C. or any U.S. territory, except to be prosecuted and only after Congress receives a plan.

• Davis-Bacon: Applies Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements to the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds.

• Outer Continental Shelf Inspection Fee: As requested in the President's budget, implements a new fee for inspections of offshore oil and gas facilities. This nominal fee of $2,000 to $6,000 per facility per year will provide $10 million to partially offset the cost of the inspection program.

• FLAME Act of 2009: Includes the Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement (FLAME) Act of 2009. The FLAME Act includes a number of firefighting budget reforms to help create a dedicated, steady and predictable funding stream for wildfire suppression activities. The House passed the FLAME Act (H.R. 1404) earlier this year by a vote of 412-3.

Fiscal Responsibility • The 12 Appropriations Bills Are Fiscally Responsible -- $10 Billion Below the President's Proposed Budget: The budget conference report adopted by the Congress in April required a cut in discretionary spending in FY 2010 of $10 billion below the funding requested by President Obama in his budget. As a result, the 12 FY 2010 appropriations bills overall must be $10 billion below the President's budget.

• The Interior-Environment Appropriations Bill Is Fiscally Responsible, Re-Ordering Dollars to Focus on High-Priority Needs: The conference report contains over $149 million in program terminations, reductions, and other savings from the 2009 level. Included in this amount is a $40 million rescission from EPA prior-year STAG (State and Tribal Assistance Grant) account funds.

• Unprecedented Earmark Reform: Since taking control of Congress in January 2007, Democrats have reformed an earmark process that had grown out of control, spent too much money, fostered corruption, and offered no accountability to the American taxpayer.

o In 2007, we put in place a moratorium on earmarks for that year until we could reform the process.

o Since then, including this year's bills, we have cut the dollar amount earmarked for non-project-based accounts in appropriations by 50% below the 2006 level.

o We require every Member to request earmarks publicly – ending the practice of anonymous earmarks in the House – and to certify that they have no financial interest.

o This year, recognizing the potential for abuse in sole-source contracting, we insisted that all House earmarks designated for for-profit entities must submit a bid and compete in a fair competition.

Continuing Resolution

The Continuing Resolution provides funding for continued government operations through December 18, 2009. Following are some highlights of the Continuing Resolution:

• Ongoing Programs: The CR continues funding at FY 2009 levels for most programs. It also continues all measures that were included in the last CR.

• SBA 7(a) Loan Program: The CR allows the Small Business Administration to use additional budget authority to prevent a termination of loan guarantees for small businesses under the 7(a) Loan Program during the period of the CR.

• Maintaining Housing Loan Limits: The CR maintains loan limits for FHA, GSE and HECM single family mortgages at $729,750 through the calendar year 2010.

• Tenant-Based Housing Vouchers: The CR allows public housing agencies to use funding provided in the 2009 Omnibus for Tenant-Based Housing Vouchers to prevent termination of assistance to families. Without that funding, housing voucher termination notices will go out to an estimated 10,000 families.

Connecticut-Specific Funding

The legislation also includes:

• $7 million, more than double last year's appropriation, for the Long Island Sound Restoration Act & Long Island Sound Stewardship Act, which will allow the EPA will be able to continue to clean-up the Long Island Sound, as well as preserve areas along the Sound's shorelines with significant ecological, recreational or educational value; and

• $2.25 million for the Land Acquisition for the Silvio Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, enabling the US Fish and Wildlife Service to purchase land in the four Connecticut River States- Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire-to expand the Silvio Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, established by Congress in 1991 – high demand for residential housing and infrastructure means rising development pressure and an increased need for land protection and conservation.

Additionally, the FY 2010 Interior Appropriations Conference Report includes funding for the following projects in the Third Congressional District:

• $2 million for the purchase of the 30-acre Long Beach property to add to the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge: to increase critical wildlife habitat protection at the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge and to ensure continued opportunities for public access to a significant portion of Connecticut's coastline in perpetuity.

• $150,000 for the Sterling Opera House Historic Preservation Project (City of Derby, 1 Elizabeth Street, Derby, CT 06418): to assist with the renovation of the interior of the Sterling Opera House. This is a significant project for Derby in terms of economic and community development impact. This will once again recreate a cultural and regional stimulus for Derby and the surrounding communities.

• $495,000 for Town of Prospect Drinking Water Infrastructure (Town of Prospect, 8 Center Street, Prospect, CT 06712): to install a 10,000 foot water main on Lombard Drive in Prospect south on Route 69, New Haven Road, to ensure access to safe and clean drinking water.