Senate Committee Passes Bill to Protect Puget Sound

Media Contacts
Dan Kohler

Environment Washington

Washington, D.C. – This morning, the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed the Puget Sound Recover Act, and seven other clean water bills to restore and protect America’s great waters, including bills to protect Long Island Sound, Chesapeake Bay, Columbia River, Gulf of Mexico, San Francisco Bay, Great Lakes, and estuaries across the country.

Environment Washington’s environmental advocate, Heather Shute issued the following statement in response to today’s vote:

“Today’s vote is a significant bi-partisan step toward giving some of our great waters, such as Puget Sound, the resources and restoration efforts they so desperately need. Here in Washington, Puget Sound provides us with invaluable natural resources and significant economic revenue. But as we continue to allow sewage discharges and the dumping of toxic chemicals from industrial facilities, we are putting their bottom lines before the natural value that our great waterways provides us with.

“One of the bills passed this morning was the Puget Sound Recover Act, introduced by Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and Rep. Norm Dicks. This bill will help address stormwater and sewage discharges into the Puget Sound watershed, and gives special emphasis to protecting endangered species like the orca and salmon. The bill will also set up new infrastructure and funding to implement conservation and management plans.

“Maintaining America’s great waters is going to take new action and stronger measures than are currently in place. Today’s vote by the Senate Environment and Public Works committee has started a renewed commitment to our great waters.

“We applaud the Senate Environment and Public Works committee for passing the Puget Sound Recover Act, and the set of bills that will offer similar protections for our great waters across the country. As these bills move to the floor, we look forward to continuing to work with Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell to get the Puget Sound Recover Act through the full Senate this year.”

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Environment Washington is a state-based, citizen-funded environmental advocacy organization working for clean air, clean water, and open space.