Leads Bipartisan Florida Delegation Push for Congressional Approval of Critical Everglades Restoration Project to Improve the Health of Local Waterways
Washington, D.C. – February 9, 2016 – (RealEstateRama) — Florida lawmakers from both parties and both chambers united to push for Congressional authorization of the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) in the upcoming Water Resources Development Act to allow this vital project to move forward without further delay. Once completed, CEPP will increase water flow south of Lake Okeechobee, reducing the harmful discharges to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers to the east and west of the lake. Congressman Patrick E. Murphy (FL-18) led this effort in the House with Congressman David Jolly (FL-13) alongside support from U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Corrine Brown (FL-05), Vern Buchanan (FL-16), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Curt Clawson (FL-19), Ander Crenshaw (FL-04), Ron DeSantis (FL-06), Ted Deutch (FL-21), Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Gwen Graham (FL-02), Alan Grayson (FL-09), Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20), Jeff Miller (FL-01), Richard Nugent (FL-11), Bill Posey (FL-08), Tom Rooney (FL-17), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-27), Dennis Ross (FL-15), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23), Frederica Wilson (FL-24), and Ted Yoho (FL-03) as well as Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) in the Senate. (Click here to view a copy of the letter, full text below).
Committed to continuing to fight to improve the health of local waterways, Murphy also led a bipartisan group of Florida lawmakers at the beginning of this Congress in introducing H.R. 230 to authorize CEPP after the Army Corps finalized its Chief’s Report for the project in December of 2014.
“With El Niño conditions bringing record levels of rainfall, the Army Corps unfortunately has started discharges from Lake Okeechobee into the St. Lucie Estuary, which is very rare for this time of year,” said Murphy. “This not only is harmful to the environment, but also our economy that relies so much on our local waterways. That is why we must double down on our efforts to improve the health of the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon. CEPP will help do just that by sending more clean water south of the lake and reducing the need for these harmful discharges, which is why I’m once again calling on Congress to authorize this vital project.”
Background:
CEPP is a $2 billion series of engineering projects intended to collect and channel water around Lake Okeechobee south into the center of the Everglades, thereby reducing harmful discharges to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries and improving the health of the entire ecosystem. CEPP was not included in the Water Resources Reform and Development Act because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had not completed a key report approving the project before the bill was signed into law on June 10, 2014. The Chief’s Report was finalized on December 23, 2014, which allows Congress to now take action to authorize it. Once authorized, the project can begin to receive federal funding and construction can begin.
Florida Delegation Letter Requesting CEPP Be Included in 2016 WRDA:
February 8, 2016
Chairman Jim Inhofe Ranking Member Barbara Boxer
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
410 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg. 456 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510
Chairman Bill Shuster Ranking Member Peter DeFazio
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
2251 Rayburn House Office Bldg. 2164 Rayburn House Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairman Inhofe, Chairman Shuster, Ranking Member Boxer and Ranking Member DeFazio:
As Members of the Florida delegation, we write to express our strong support for Everglades restoration. These important wetlands are critical for the environment of Florida and enjoy bipartisan support.
America’s Everglades spans nearly two million acres of wetland ecosystems and waterways, stretching from Central Florida to the Peninsula. Our state’s waterways are essential to both our economic health and to the environment. The Everglades is known to improve water quality, support agricultural activities, provide drinking water supplies for approximately 8 million Floridians, exhibits animal and plant diversity, and reduces flooding.
The Central Everglades Planning Process (CEPP) is a vital project, and once authorized by Congress, will be a major step towards the restoration of the Everglades. Due to delays by the Army Corps of Engineers in issuing the final Project Implementation Report (PIR), the 2014 Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) did not include this important authorization. Now that this Chief’s Report has been submitted, the Congress can move forward to final enactment.
The State of Florida has long been a partner in measures to counteract the damage and restore the Everglades. However, full restoration requires federal involvement. We respectfully request that you include the authorization of the Central Everglades Planning Project in the forthcoming Water Resources Development Act.
Erin Moffet (561-253-8433)
