Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011

Floor Speech

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Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to today's legislation, the so-called "Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act,'' which represents another effort on the part of this Republican Majority to systematically dismantle environmental protections by eroding EPA authority under the Clean Water Act.

The Clean Water Act is a partnership between federal and state authorities to maintain water quality standards across the nation. But it also provides a federal backstop if states cannot or will not effectively enforce those standards.

As we all know, water does not stop at the state line. Policies in one state upstream will affect water quality in another downstream. This is a serious issue in my state of Maryland, where the Chesapeake Bay feeds from a watershed that includes six states and the District of Columbia. Inadequate environmental protection in any of those states can have grave consequences for the health of the nation's largest estuary.

It is not difficult to imagine the costs of dismantling Clean Water Act authority. Prior to its enactment in 1972, our nation's waters were in crisis. Lake Erie could not support aquatic life. A floating oil slick on the Cuyahoga River caught fire. Industrial polluters used lakes and streams as dumping grounds for dangerous chemicals and two-thirds of our nation's lakes, rivers, and coastal waters were unsafe for fishing or swimming.

The Clean Water Act was a simple and powerful solution--a baseline for water quality with a federal safety net in the event of state inaction. For nearly 40 years, this approach has helped preserve access to safe water to all Americans. There is no reason or justification to roll back those protections today. I urge my colleagues to vote against this bill.

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