The House approved two bills on Tuesday that would renew various water quality protection and restoration programs as well as order an investigation into conflicts between unmanned drones into areas closed for wildfires.
The “American Water Stewardship Act,” H.R. 6422, sponsored by Minnesota Rep. Pete Stauber (R), passed 378-32 with significant bipartisan backing.
The bill would amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize existing EPA programs in the Great Lakes, Columbia River Basin, Long Island Sound and San Francisco Bay through 2031. It would also expand the National Estuary Program to include the Mississippi Sound, a region along the Gulf Coast.
“At its core, this package reflects a commonsense approach to water stewardship, supporting community-led efforts, encouraging collaboration and demonstrating that responsible environmental protection goes hand-in-hand with economic growth and fiscal responsibility,” Stauber said Tuesday during floor debate.
