South Florida Clean Coastal Waters Act of 2019

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Representative Mast's bill, H.R. 335, the South Florida Clean Coastal Waters Act of 2019.

This bill tasks the interagency task force on harmful algal blooms and hypoxia to provide an integrated assessment on the causes and consequences of HABs, along with potential mitigation options in south Florida.

Additionally, the task force will look at the current status of research and identify gaps in research, monitoring, and management efforts. This will lead to the development of an action plan for reducing, mitigating, and controlling HABs and hypoxia.

Although this bill is focused on the south Florida region, these harmful algal blooms have become an environmental problem in all 50 States, even in the freshwater of landlocked States like Oklahoma.

With the passage of this legislation, we will gain more knowledge of the dangers associated with HABs as well as potential mitigation strategies that could be applied to every State and region.

I want to thank Representative Mast and Representative Waltz for encouraging this interagency collaboration to conduct research that will protect our environment and health.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 335 provides critical research on the harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in southern Florida and will develop an action plan to mitigate and control this environmental threat.

I thank Representative Mast, and my Science, Space, and Technology Committee colleague, Representative Waltz, for their leadership on this bill. I strongly encourage all of my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.

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