Today, Skagit County Commissioner Don Munks testified to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in a hearing on the Clean Water Restoration Act, legislation proposed by Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) which would amend the Clean Water Act. U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) worked with the Committee to get Skagit concerns a hearing in Congress.
“I’m pleased that Commissioner Munks will have the opportunity to testify and make sure that Skagit County’s concerns are heard in Congress,” said Larsen, who worked with Oberstar to have Munks included on the witness list.
In November, Larsen hosted a roundtable discussion in Mount Vernon with representatives from the counties, agricultural community, home builders, and Realtors to hear from local stakeholders about the legislation and bring their concerns back to his colleagues on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
“I would like to thank Congressman Rick Larsen for graciously working with the people of Skagit County to provide us with this opportunity,” Munks told the Committee today.
“We ask you for the opportunity to continue to be the “first responders” for clean water by not saddling us with additional bureaucracy,” Munks continued. “We’ve worked hard for decades to protect our natural resources and keep our water clean. Without our recommended change [to the bill] these proactive efforts could be lost forever in the morass of federal regulation and bureaucracy.”
As written, the Clean Water Restoration Act removes the word “navigable” (pertaining to “navigable waters”) from the Clean Water Act and makes several definitional changes to the Act, changes that many in Skagit County fear would expand the jurisdiction of the legislation to include gutters, driveway culverts, agricultural ditches, farm ponds and roadside ditches and require a Clean Water Act Permit for routine tasks. This change could dramatically increase the time needed to process permits and add to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ already-substantial backlog.
“I’m concerned that the Clean Water Restoration Act, as written, could hinder local efforts to protect water quality and salmon habitat while preserving our farming legacy. I will continue to work with Chairman Oberstar to make sure these concerns are addressed,” Larsen concluded.