Laura Gatz of CRS gave this testimony before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's Subcommittee on Water and Environment: 'The Clean Water Act at Fifty - Highlights and Lessons Learned from a Half Century of Transformative Legislation'.
Download CRS_TE_CWA_House_Cmte_Trans_Infra_20Sept2022
Very good report - somewhat different from the others. Only 11 pages so you can give it a read. I won't paste much here because it won't come out too well. I will post the graphics (click on the graphics to enlarge them).
I remember when it was passed!
Introduction
Chairwoman Napolitano, Ranking Member Rouzer, and Members of the subcommittee, good morning. My name is Laura Gatz, and I am an analyst in Environmental Policy for the Congressional Research Service (CRS). On behalf of CRS, I want to thank you for inviting me to testify today. I have been asked by the Subcommittee to discuss the history of the Clean Water Act, including the goals of the act, selected trends in its implementation identified by the subcommittee, and challenges that remain.
In serving the U.S. Congress on a nonpartisan and objective basis, CRS does not take positions on legislation and makes no recommendations to policymakers. My testimony draws on my own area of specialization at CRS—the Clean Water Act and water quality. I work with a team of analysts with relevant expertise, including policy, economics, toxicology, chemistry, engineering, and law to address related issues for Congress. My CRS colleagues and I remain available to assist the subcommittee in its development and consideration of water quality issues and other legislation.
Cutting to the chase...
Successes and Challenges
The past 50 years of CWA implementation have yielded improvements in water quality in certain aspects. CWA funding programs and CWA permitting programs have done much to reduce direct discharges of untreated domestic sewage and industrial waste to the nation’s waterways. States continue to make progress in their efforts to reduce stormwater discharges and to address nonpoint sources of pollution through best management practices and other activities. Implementation of place-based programs, such as the National Estuary Program and CWA Geographic Programs, have also bolstered coordination among a range of stakeholders, leveraged resources, and led to comprehensive plans to achieve water quality and restoration goals.
However, challenges remain as population growth and development and climate-related changes (e.g., increased frequency and intensity of storms) limit the progress made in addressing remaining water quality issues, including those caused by nonpoint sources of pollution. In addition, although Congress has provided and continues to provide funds for wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, funding needs persist as states and localities address aging systems and needs for increased capacity and resilience to address population growth and climate-related impacts. These and other aspects of CWA implementation implementation will continue to present Congress, EPA, states, and other stakeholders with hurdles in their efforts to achieve the ambitious goals of the 1972 act.
This concludes my prepared remarks. Thank you for the opportunity to testify, and I look forward to answering any questions you may have. If additional research and analysis related to this issue would be helpful, my CRS colleagues and I stand ready to assist the subcommittee.
Enjoy!
"I became an ass dean to keep someone else from becoming an ass dean. Can you imagine how much worse it could have been?" - @ass_deans
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