(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Sen. David Vitter today praised the final passage of his Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Act.  This legislation is a reauthorization of Vitter’s previous House bill - the first bill he passed in the U.S. Congress.

            “Before Hurricane Katrina, a great deal had been accomplished since the passage of the Lake Pontchartrain Restoration Act of 2000, including improvements in water clarity and the return of pelicans, oysters, and blue crabs to the lake.  The beaches of Lake Pontchartrain were once not safe enough for swimming, but they were gradually being reopened,” said Vitter.  “This legislation gives great hope that we can rebuild what Katrina disrupted and ultimately finish the restoration.”

            The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Act granted Lake Pontchartrain the same status as the Great Lakes and Florida Everglades restoration efforts.  This legislation also created a partnership between the federal government and local stakeholders to further clean up the lake.  The reauthorization of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Act extends appropriations for the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program from fiscal year 2006 to 2011.

Carlton Dufrechou, executive director of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, traveled from Louisiana to testify before the U.S. Senate Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee at a reauthorization hearing in July. When he received the news about the recent reauthorization of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Act he said, “This program worked. Lake Pontchartrain was healthy before Katrina because of the Restoration Act and avoided the feared toxic soup because of it.  Even after 10 million gallons of storm water was pumped into Lake Pontchartrain, it was fishable and swimable again in two months.  The reauthorization of this program is necessary to continue the improvements made to the Pontchartrain, specifically as we focus on recovering the 80 square miles of coast lost to Hurricane Katrina.”

           Many of the parishes that benefit from this funding were affected by Hurricane Katrina, and passage of this legislation provides money to construct much needed watershed projects,” Vitter said. 

           Sen. Vitter’s Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Act passed both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives this week and now awaits the president’s signature before it becomes public law.