Protecting Our Oceans and Land

Kennedy Supported Additional Funding to Protect Water Resources. In 1972, the Federal Water Pollution Act was enacted to provide funding to states for water pollution prevention and clean-up. Despite substantial progress in protecting and improving water quality in the United States, serious pollution problems remain. A 2002 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study disclosed a $535 billion gap between current spending and projected water funding needs over the next 20 years. Payments from the Federal Water Pollution Control State Revolving Fund are essential to protecting vital water resources, wildlife and the public health in the U.S. To ensure adequate funding for the account, Senator Kennedy introduced an amendment to the FY 2006 Budget Resolution that expressed support for increasing water pollution payments to states.

Kennedy Fought to Cleanup Brownfields Sites and Revitalize Local Communities. In 2001, Senator Kennedy was a lead sponsor of the Brownfields Revitalization and Environmental Restoration Act, which authorized funds for assessment and cleanup of “brownfields” sites. Brownfields are former industrial sites that at one time were determined unsuitable for development because of environmental contamination. Today however, these sites are being cleaned up and redeveloped, enhancing the environment, creating jobs and expanding economic development in communities across the country. Massachusetts alone has identified over 7,000 such sites in the state. With over 500,000 brownfields sites in the United States, Senator Kennedy’s legislation provided important grants and revolving loans to states and local governments to inventory, assess, and cleanup contaminated sites. Unfortunately, despite its ability to bring economic vitality to communities throughout the country, the Administration’s budget for FY 2006 incorporated large cuts in the program.

• Massachusetts Received Millions of Dollars to Clean Up Brownfields Sites. The year following passage of Senator Kennedy’s Brownfields revitalization bill, eleven communities in Massachusetts were selected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to receive federal grants for their Brownfield Assessment Demonstration Pilot programs. The total of more than $3.4 million helped these communities establish new methods of assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment.

Kennedy Fought to Prevent Oil Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) represents one of the last remaining protected wilderness areas in the country, and is home to a variety of unique wildlife. The FY 2004 Budget Resolution contained language allowing energy drilling in ANWR, opening the environmentally protected area to development. Senator Kennedy introduced an amendment to eliminate the language and prevent the consideration of drilling in the refuge. Energy Department forecasts predict that, if retrieved all at once, the refuge would produce at most six months worth of American oil, and would not start flowing until 2013. This is a fruitless effort that would convert this spectacular ecosystem into nothing more than an oilfield, and damage the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for future generations.

• Kennedy Supported an Amendment to Prevent Drilling in ANWR During consideration of the FY 2006 Budget Resolution, Senator Kennedy strongly supported an amendment to remove language that opened the door for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). In recent years, the Senate has voted down attempts to allow drilling in ANWR, which would destroy one of the last remaining wilderness areas in the country. Drilling would do little to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, and would have almost no impact on energy prices. Although the amendment was defeated, Kennedy will continue the fight to ensure this environmentally sensitive area remains free from oil drilling.

• Kennedy Helped Defeat Drilling in ANWR Senator Kennedy and his colleagues were successful in defeating a provision from the Defense Department Appropriations bill that would have allowed drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Republican leaders attempted to include the special interest provision in the Defense bill, but it was removed after being determined unrelated to the underlying measure.

Kennedy Supported the Goals of National Oceans Week. Oceans contribute vitally to the nation’s economy, the quality of the environment, and the health of the population. Providing oxygen to breath, food to eat, and a wealth of natural resources, these waters play a critical role in sustaining life on earth. As a result, the United States has a responsibility to promote and practice stewardship of the ocean. In 2003, Senator Kennedy cosponsored a resolution to designate the week of June 9, 2003, as National Oceans Week, and urged the country to exercise programs to advance ocean literacy and education.

Kennedy Worked to Expand Ocean Research and Apply it to Human Health In 2004, Senator Kennedy cosponsored legislation to establish a federal research program examining ocean resources and their application to human health. The bill would have created the Oceans and Human Health Program at the Department of Commerce, and directed the Department to establish an outreach effort with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This coordination would help merge oceanographers and biomedical researchers to collaborate on marine research and its impact on human health. Senator Kennedy’s legislation passed in the Senate, but stalled in the House of Representatives.

Kennedy Cosponsored Legislation to Protect Coastal Lands and Wetlands In 2003, Senator Kennedy introduced legislation to help preserve America’s coasts and wetlands, and protect these unspoiled areas from development. The bipartisan bill would have provided grant funding to states and non-governmental organizations for land conservation at the state and local level. Funding would have been targeted to protect important coastal and wetland areas with significant conservation, recreation, and ecological value. The program would have supported coordination between private organizations and federal, state, and local governments for land acquisition and protection. The Coastal and Estuarine Land Protection Act failed to reach the floor for consideration.

Protecting the Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail System in Massachusetts In 2001, Senator Kennedy sponsored legislation to direct the National Park Service to study the Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett trail system in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and consider its possible inclusion in the National Trails System. A concerted effort is necessary to protect the trail system as a recreational resource for future generations, and Senator Kennedy’s bill helped determine the availability of future funding. Designating the Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett trail as a national trail would generate additional resources for maintenance needs, landowner relations, and habitat protection