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March 3, 2005: NORTON SEEKS URGENT FUNDING INCREASE FOR ANCIENT D.C. SEWER SYSTEM

January 11, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 3, 2005

NORTON SEEKS URGENT FUNDING INCREASE FOR ANCIENT D.C. SEWER SYSTEM
IN THE MIDST OF MASSIVE WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT

Washington, DC—The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today released a letter from Norton to Ranking Members James Oberstar (D-MN), of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), of the Water Resources Subcommittee, requesting $150 million for implementation of a long term plan to address the water pollution caused by the antiquated combined sewer system of the nation’s capital of which the federal government is the largest user. Norton obtained a seat on the Water Resources Subcommittee to push for a major increase in federal funding for combined sewer overflow as part of the Water Resources and Development Act. She wrote in her letter, “This amount is more than reasonable given the scope of the problem, the federal government’s major use of the system and its responsibility for the construction flaws in the sewer system built by the Army Corps of Engineers.”

Over the years Norton has been able to secure smaller amounts of funding to repair and upgrade the District’s century-old sewer system. However, a total of $1 billion is needed to implement a critical plan to address long-term, dangerous and chronic water resources problems resulting from failing infrastructure, more urgent now “because the federal government and the District of Columbia are in the midst of a massive development on the Anacostia waterfront, most of it owned by the federal government,” Norton said.

The text of Norton’s letter follows.

March 3, 2005



The Honorable James L. Oberstar The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson
Ranking Member Ranking Member
House Committee on Transportation and Subcommittee on Water Resources
Infrastructure

Dear Ranking Members Oberstar and Johnson:

I am writing to request additional language in the Water Resources and Development Act to address the pollution caused by the combined sewer system of the nation’s capital. The federal government is the largest user of this system. The D.C. Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) provides sewer services for federal government buildings and sites, including the Capitol complex and downtown Washington, and therefore contributes directly to polluting the waterways when the system overflows. Moreover, the flaws in the combined system that lead to wholesale pollution of the region’s waterways are directly the responsibility of the federal government. The system was built beginning 162 years ago by the Army Corps of Engineers.

The Long Tem Control Plan to correct the serious problems of the combined sewer system will require a total expenditure of well over a billion dollars to end the emission of untreated waste into the Potomac River , the Anacostia River, Rock Creek, and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay . I therefore urgently request that $150 million be authorized in this bill for implementation of a combined sewer overflow long term control plan for the District of Columbia . This amount is more than reasonable given the scope of the problem, the federal government’s major use of the system and its responsibility for the construction flaws in the sewer system built by the Corps of Engineers.

The urgency of this funding has escalated because the federal government and the District of Columbia are in the midst of a massive development on the Anacostia waterfront, most of it owned by the federal government. The Department of Transportation is under construction on the banks of the Anacostia river and a new Coast Guard Building will soon follow. The federal government already has renovated the Navy Yard and moved 10,000 federal employees to facilities on the river. The Transportation Committee has approved a plan for developing the federally owned Southeast Federal Center and GSA will announce details within the next few weeks. The District of Columbia ’s Anacostia Waterfront Initiative and a new baseball stadium add to the urgency of this work.

In addition to the critical upgrade of the District’s combined sewer, I request the inclusion of an additional authorization of $20,000,000 to assist non-federal entities, including the District government and the governments of surrounding Maryland jurisdictions, to address the tremendous pollution to District waters caused by polluted storm water and stream bank erosion…

Thank you for your consideration of this issue.

Sincerely,
Eleanor Holmes Norton