U.S. House of Representatives To Debate,
Vote On Water Resources Development Act of 2020
The U.S. House of Representatives will tomorrow debate and vote on the Water Resources Development Act of 2020, which includes several provisions written by Congressman Brian Mast (FL-18) to protect clean water in Florida. These provisions include reducing toxic discharges from Lake Okeechobee, expediting construction of the EAA Southern Storage Reservoir and developing new technology to combat harmful algal blooms.
WHO:
Rep. Mast
U.S. House of Representatives
WHEN:
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
*Timing is TBD depending on the voting procedure.
WHERE:
The vote will be available online here.
WHAT:
For decades, Florida’s coastal communities have been on the receiving end of toxic discharges, including recently discharges that have tested more than 60 times more toxic than the Environmental Protection Agency considers safe for human contact. These discharges put public health at risk, damage the economy and destroy the environment. Last year, Rep. Mast worked with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set a new public health standard for microcystin (8 parts per billion), which in turn forced the Army Corps of Engineers to admit to knowingly discharging toxic water to the coastal estuaries. Despite acknowledging that these releases are toxic, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has continued to poison Americans. Rep. Mast’s provisions in this year’s Water Resources Development Act mandate that the Army Corps must seek to reduce discharges from Lake Okeechobee, combat harmful algal blooms and accelerate construction of the EAA Southern Storage Reservoir all with the goal of protecting Floridian’s public health, our economy and our environment. You can learn more about the bill here.
