Clean Water

New York is home to some of the most spectacular waterways in the nation, which provide endless recreational, environmental, tourism, and other economic opportunities. In the 109th Congress, I became the senior Democrat on the Fisheries, Wildlife and Water subcommittee of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. As ranking member, I will continue to work to improve our efforts to protect New York’s water. In 2004, I secured Senate passage of a bill to fund watershed protection measures to protect New York City’s water supplies. In addition, I helped to pass through the Senate two other important water resource bills: the Great Lakes Legacy Act and the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Lake Champlain Basin Act. I am currently working to pass legislation to protect Long Island Sound from dumping contaminated materials, and to provide funding for watershed protection efforts in the Finger Lakes.