Water Resources and Environment
The jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment consists generally of matters relating to water resources development, conservation and management, water pollution control and water infrastructure, and hazardous waste cleanup. Within this scope of authority, the Subcommittee has jurisdiction over all programs within the civil works and regulatory programs of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the water quality and Clean Water Act-related infrastructure programs of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) (within the U.S. Department of Transportation). The Subcommittee also shares jurisdiction with the Committee on Energy and Commerce over EPA’s hazardous waste cleanup and liability authorities (under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), more commonly known as Superfund) and brownfields revitalization program. In addition, the Subcommittee shares jurisdiction over the joint EPA-U.S. Coast Guard authorities under the Oil Pollution Act with the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. Finally, the Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the small watershed grants and remediation programs under the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) (within the U.S. Department of Agriculture), and water quality and water-infrastructure related programs of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) (within the U.S. Department of State)
Issues under the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee include:
- Water resources programs (projects and regulations) – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps)
- Clean Water Act, water infrastructure and watershed protection programs – Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Superfund and brownfields revitalization (EPA)
- Ocean dumping – Corps and EPA
- Oil pollution – EPA and U.S. Coast Guard
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (US. Department of Transportation).
- The small watershed program of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
- Water quality and water-infrastructure related issues on the U.S. Border – International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) (within the U.S. Department of State)
- Deepwater ports – EPA, Coast Guard, Corps
- Invasive/aquatic nuisance species – EPA, Coast Guard, Corps, and other agencies
- Coastal pollution and coastal zone management – EPA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- Natural resource damages – NOAA, Interior, and other agencies
- Groundwater protection – EPA and Corps
- Water resources policy – multiple agencies
Recent Activity
- Apr 21, 2021 : “Sustainable Wastewater Infrastructure: Measures to Promote Resiliency and Climate Adaptation and Mitigation”
- Mar 23, 2021 : Chairs DeFazio, Napolitano Statements from Hearing on Status of WRDA 2020 Implementation
- Mar 23, 2021 : “The Water Resources Development Act of 2020: Status of Essential Provisions”
- Mar 19, 2021 : Chairs DeFazio, Napolitano Announce Subcommittee Hearing on the Status of WRDA 2020 Implementation
- Mar 17, 2021 : Committee Chairs Urge President Biden to Delay Implementation of Flawed Trump-era Army Corps Permitting Rule
- Mar 16, 2021 : DeFazio, Napolitano, and Fitzpatrick to Introduce Legislation to Help Communities Across the Country Upgrade Their Wastewater Infrastructure and Address Local Water Quality Challenges
- Mar 11, 2021 : Huffman, DeFazio Urge Biden EPA to Protect Bristol Bay from Pebble Mine
- Feb 23, 2021 : “Building Back Better: The Urgent Need for Investment in America’s Wastewater Infrastructure”
- Feb 19, 2021 : Chairs DeFazio, Norton Announce Subcommittee Hearing on Examining Equity in Transportation Safety Enforcement
- Feb 19, 2021 : Chairs DeFazio, Napolitano Announce Subcommittee Hearing on the Urgent Need to Invest in America’s Wastewater Infrastructure
- Feb 12, 2021 : Chair DeFazio and Ranking Member Graves Urge President Biden to Start Using Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund Immediately to Maintain U.S. Ports and Harbors and Support American Jobs
- Feb 2, 2021 : Chairs DeFazio and Napolitano Urge President Biden to Repeal Trump’s Rollback of Federal Clean Water Protections
- Jan 21, 2021 : DeFazio and Napolitano Applaud President Biden for Prioritizing Review of Trump Environmental Rollbacks as Part of Day One Executive Order
- Dec 21, 2020 : DeFazio, Graves, Napolitano, and Westerman Applaud Passage of Bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2020 in Omnibus Legislation
- Dec 16, 2020 : DeFazio, Napolitano, Beyer, and Carper File Amicus Brief over Trump Administration’s “Dirty Water Rule”
The House Subcommittee on
Water Resources and Environment
Democrats
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Jared Huffman - CA 02
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Eddie Bernice Johnson - TX 30
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John Garamendi - CA 03
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Alan S. Lowenthal - CA 47
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Tom Malinowski - NJ 7
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Antonio Delgado - NY 19
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Chris Pappas - NH 1
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Carolyn Bourdeaux - GA 7
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Frederica S. Wilson - FL 24
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Salud O. Carbajal - CA 24
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Greg Stanton - AZ 9
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Eleanor Holmes Norton - DC
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Steve Cohen - TN 09
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Peter A. DeFazio (Ex Officio) - OR 04