Congressman leads delegation addressing water challenges

U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) has released a letter signed by all 12 members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation requesting a meeting with officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to discuss the difficulties many communities are facing in complying with the Clean Water Act.

"There are many communities in my district, and across the state, that are facing serious challenges in bringing their water and sewer systems into compliance with federal mandates," McGovern said. "Just as importantly, those mandates need to be thoughtful and reasonable. Our communities want to be good environmental stewards, but we believe that the federal government must do more to help them in that effort. I want to thank my colleagues for signing this letter, and I look forward to meeting with EPA officials as soon as possible."

McGovern has also joined a letter to the House Appropriations Committee requesting $2 billion for the Clean Water and at least $1 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs) in the fiscal year 2009 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations.

The text of the delegation letter to the EPA follows:

Robert W. Varney, Regional Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-Region 1
1 Congress Street, Suite 1100
Boston, MA 02114-2023

Dear Mr. Varney,
We are writing to kindly request a Massachusetts congressional delegation meeting with you in Washington D.C. at your earliest convenience.
Specifically, we would like the opportunity to discuss the EPA New England region's approach to permitting under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program with a select group of communities and sewer districts we represent.

We respect the EPA's authority under the Clean Water Act and appreciate the difficult task the agency faces in protecting the nation's waters.
However, we are growing increasingly concerned with the financial impact the NPDES permits are having on cities and towns throughout Massachusetts. We believe that a meeting to discuss opportunities to enhance cooperation with cities and towns and to focus on pragmatic solutions to improving water quality would be worthwhile.

Please contact Christopher Philbin in Congressman McGovern's office at (202) 225-6101 to schedule this important delegation meeting. We look forward to discussing these concerns with you in person.