To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to extend the authorization of appropriations for Long Island Sound.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this legislation, H.R. 3963, to reauthorize appropriations for the Long Island Sound Restoration Act set to expire at the end of this year. I want to thank Chairman Duncan for his very distinguished work in carrying this forward, as well as the chairman of the full committee, Chairman Young. And in particular, I would like to thank my co-chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel), who has worked with me in a bipartisan fashion, and also the gentleman from, I believe, the First District of New York (Mr. Bishop), who actually assisted during the mark-up of this legislation when I had to be away. This is a classic case of Members of this body working across party lines, working across State lines for the common good; and I thank them for that support.

As we have heard, Long Island Sound is a unique estuary in our country with both economic and ecological importance to the region and to the whole Nation. The sound generates between 5 and $6 billion of revenue on an annual basis and is cherished by the 28 million people who live within 50 miles of it. Think about that: 28 million people, 28 million American citizens live within 50 miles of Long Island Sound. That is 10 percent of the Nation's population, and they can benefit from this wonderful resource.

The Long Island Sound today is challenged by nitrogen loading that leads to hypoxia or low dissolved oxygen. The best way to defeat this problem is to remove significant levels of nitrogen from wastewater through complicated and expensive upgrades to sewage treatment plants. Connecticut, New York, and the Environmental Protection Agency have committed to reducing this nitrogen loading to the sound by 50 percent by 2014. But this cannot be done without this legislation and without the funds that this legislation carries. That is why this legislation is so critically important.

Mr. Speaker, I submit for printing in the Record the following three letters as an example of the support that we have back home for this legislation:

Executive Chambers,

State Capitol,

Hartford, CT, October 25, 2005.

Hon. Don Young,

Rayburn House Office Building,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Young: I am writing to urge your vigorous

support for H.R. 3963, a bill to extend the authorization of

appropriations from the Long Island Sound Restoration Act of

2000 (``LISRA'') (Title IV of Public Law 106-457). As

detailed in the attached fact sheet, the approximately 9.7

million dollars in LISRA funds awarded to Connecticut have

benefited over 16 distressed communities in Connecticut. The

distressed communities have utilized the funds to plan for

and design upgrades at their sewage treatment plants to

remove nitrogen, the most significant threat to water quality

in Long Island Sound.

Long Island Sound (LIS or Sound) is a complex and unique

estuary, and Connecticut's most precious environmental

resource. The Sound has a 16,000 square mile watershed that

is home to approximately 10 percent of the population of the

United States. LIS contributes more that $6 billion to the

regional economy, through activities such as boating,

commercial and sport fishing, swimming, and beach going. The

ports of Bridgeport, New Haven and New London handle national

and international freight.

The Sound is facing a number of serious challenges due to

the developed nature of its watershed, including excessive

nitrogen loading that causes hypoxia or low dissolved oxygen.

Connecticut, New York and the Environmental Protection Agency

have committed to reducing nitrogen loading to the Sound by

58.5% by 2014 to address the hypoxia. Such reduction can best

be accomplished by upgrading sewage treatment plants to

remove nitrogen, a process that requires a substantial

investment in planning, design and construction.

A federal appropriation under LISRA will leverage

Connecticut's state based initiatives to control nitrogen. To

date, Connecticut has invested over $150 million from our

state Clean Water Fund to upgrade sewage treatment plants to

remove nitrogen. We estimate that demand for funds to control

nitrogen in the next two fiscal years will be over $200

million, with that amount increasing in future fiscal years.

In summary, the Long Island Sound Restoration Act provides

a critical federal contribution to projects designed to

restore the health of Long Island Sound. Further, the funds

are used by Connecticut to assist our distressed communities

in doing their part to restore Long Island Sound, an estuary

of national significance. Thank you in advance for your

support.

Sincerely,

M. Jodi Rell,

Governor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in very strong support of the reauthorization of the Long Island Sound Restoration Act. I want to begin by thanking Chairman Young and Ranking Member Oberstar for their efforts to bring this legislation to the floor today. I want to in particular thank my cochair of the Long Island Sound Taskforce, Mr. Simmons, and Mr. Bishop for their leadership on this important legislation and their ongoing efforts to put politics aside and advance the cause of environmental and economic preservation of the Long Island Sound.

This is, as the gentleman from Connecticut said, a classic example that there is no Republican or Democratic way to protect a body of water. This is something that we need to develop consensus on and this bill does just that. This bill is bipartisan, and it is bicoastal at the same time. I am hoping that when we come back next year we can continue that spirit of bipartisanship and advance the Long Island Sound stewardship program which Mr. Bishop, Mr. Simmons, and I have been working on; and I am confident that the same sense of consensus will prevail.

As we have heard, Mr. Speaker, the Long Island Sound is one of America's great natural wonders. It sustains the diversity of birds, wildlife, marine organisms and serves as a recreational magnet and economic generator to the tens of millions of American who live within 50 miles of its shores. The Long Island Sound is an important part of America's heritage. Nathan Hale slipped across the Long Island Sound, arrived in Huntingtown. It played a critical part in the American Revolution. It is important to our economy. It is important to our national identity. It is important to our environment.

For thousands of years, the sound has been a productive and a central resource for the human inhabitants occupying its shores. Three New York counties, 24 Connecticut towns border the sound. That puts pressure on this environmental asset in terms of surface run off from some of the most densely populated areas in the country. Over 100 sewage treatment plants discharge a combined one billion gallons of waste into the sound each day.

Thankfully, in 2000 the Long Island Sound Restoration Act authorized the Federal Government to spend $40 million annually over 5 years to clean the sound. Now we need to continue that important effort.

There is still a lot of work to be done. We have made some progress, but not enough. Nitrogen levels have decreased since 2000, but the sound continues to suffer from significant nitrogen pollution, and high nitrogen levels in the sound lead to decreased levels of dissolved oxygen in the water, a condition called hypoxia, which kills marine life and destroys the delicate ecosystem of the sound.

This reauthorization gives us an opportunity to continue the important work of respecting and preserving the Long Island Sound, not only as a critical environmental asset for the United States of America but also as an important economic generator.

Once again I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Bishop), the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons), my cochair of the Long Island Sound; the ranking member and chairman for bringing us to this point today and urge support for this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3963) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to extend the authorization of appropriations for Long Island Sound.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3963 to extend the authorization of appropriations for the Long Island Sound program under the Clean Water Act.

More than 8 million people live within the Long Island Sound watershed. The sound generates more than $5 billion annually for the regional economy from boating, swimming, and commercial and sport fishing, plus other activities. The Long Island Sound, like many estuaries around the Nation, supports multiple uses and demands and provides habitat for a multitude of fish and wildlife species.

Yet despite its value, the sound is experiencing stress from increasing population growth and development. Storm water and agricultural runoff, wastewater discharges with high nutrient levels, industrial pollution, and commercial and recreational waste all have led to water quality issues arising in the sound. The Long Island Sound is one of the estuaries in the EPA's national estuary program. A long- term estuary management plan has been developed and approved for the sound. The Long Island Sound program was created in part to help carry out the goals of the sound's estuary management plan.

H.R. 3963 reauthorizes the current level of funding for the Long Island Sound program to continue implementing the sound's estuary management plan. This includes $40 million annually through fiscal year 2010 for the EPA to make grants to State and local parties for projects and studies aimed at improving water quality in the sound. H.R. 3963 will help the local States and the EPA to restore and protect Long Island Sound, which is so important to the economy of this very important region of our country.

I want to especially congratulate the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons) for sponsoring and pushing this bill to the floor here today. I urge all Members to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the primary sponsor of this legislation, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons).

Mr. Speaker, I will close simply by saying, as has been pointed out, 8 million people live directly within the Long Island Watershed, 28 million people within 50 miles, and millions more visit those areas each year. This is a bill that is very important for the environment and very important for the economy. Both of these bills amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, and both the BEACH Act and the Long Island Sound legislation are good bills that all Members on both sides can be very proud of.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in full support of H.R. 3963, bipartisan legislation offered by the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons). This bill is important to all of us who rely on the sound as an economic engine for our communities and as a clean source of water and food for our families.

It is important to recognize nationally designated estuaries such as Long Island Sound, not only for the economic growth they generate, but also their important role in the global environment. Estuaries provide feeding and nursing grounds for diverse plant life, wild birds and fish, along with other animals.

In addition, countless families and businesses in my district and indeed throughout the northeast rely on Long Island Sound for their livelihood, enjoyment and peace of mind. The sound plays an integral role in not only the 8 million people who live in the immediate vicinity, but also the tens of millions who visit the area each year.

In fact, this dynamic body of water produces $5.5 billion in revenue for State and local economies in the tourism, fishing and boating industries in the northeast each year.

I am proud to have participated in developing this legislation, and today's consideration ensures that we will be renewing our commitment to preserving Long Island Sound for future generations of Americans.

On a more personal note, Mr. Speaker, I would encourage each of my colleagues to visit the sound and experience its grandeur. Again, I appreciate

my colleague from Connecticut's leadership and hard work on this legislation, and I urge support of this important bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel), the cochair of the Long Island Sound Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, I will close simply by urging my colleagues to support this very worthwhile and very important piece of legislation. Again I want to thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel) for their great work on this important bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 3963, a bill to extend the authorization of appropriations for the Long Island Sound Program until 2010. A healthy Sound is critical to the communities surrounding the urban watershed as well as to the wildlife within it. I offer my congratulations to my colleagues on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Mr. Bishop and Mr. Simmons, for working so diligently on this imperative bill.

Long Island Sound stretches 110 miles, from New York City to southern New England. One in ten Americans lives within an hour's drive of the Sound, which provides over $5 billion for the local economy. Over 120 species of finfish currently inhabit its waters, supplying a diverse population for sport fishing and the seafood industry. The Sound supports its neighboring industries with not only products for sale but also an important means of transportation. It provides aquatic recreation activities, sightseeing, and beautiful views for homes along its shores. Indeed, the Sound is the foundation of livelihood for many.

However, many pressures from residential, industrial, and agricultural activities have caused the natural conditions of this region to be altered. Economic advances in the watershed have changed land surfaces, reduced open spaces, and restricted access to the Sound, while increasing several types of pollution in the waters.

These harmful effects are not a hopeless ending to the Sound. In the early 1900s, the Sound's population of terrapins was near the point of extinction due to overfarming to feed the nation's appetite for turtle soup. During Prohibition, however, sherry--a key ingredient in turtle soup--was forbidden to be sold. The farming for the terrapins waned and the population was able to rebound to its natural state, even after sherry became legal once more.

Similar progress to restore and protect the populations and quality of the Sound are still necessary, this time in a more direct manner. The Long Island Program contributes this support that is so direly needed.

I support this bill and urge my colleagues to take swift action for its passage.