Choose Clean Water Coalition Statement on Defeat of Perry Amendment

(ANNAPOLIS, MD)—Last night, Congress rejected Amendment #82 to the House Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill (H.R. 8998). The amendment, offered by Congressman Scott Perry (R-PA), was resoundly defeated on a bipartisan basis, by a vote count of 231 against and 185 for. If adopted, the amendment would have crippled the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort by removing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to enforce the Chesapeake Bay clean up. In response, Choose Clean Water Coalition Director Kristin Reilly issued the following statement:

"We applaud the many members of Congress who championed the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort by firmly rejecting this harmful amendment. Accountability is a critical element of keeping the Bay cleanup effort on track. Safeguarding the accountability measures when we need it most prevent us from reverting to the failed policies of the past and more polluted waters.

"As the Bay restoration effort faces a critical juncture with the upcoming deadline to have all pollution reduction practices in place by 2025, we are encouraged by the defeat of this amendment on a bipartisan basis. The Choose Clean Water Coalition and our more than 300 nonprofit organizations throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed will continue to advocate for the defense of the collaborative effort which has resulted in real progress toward achieving clean water and healthy communities across the Bay watershed."

The Choose Clean Water Coalition is an organization that harnesses the collective power of more than 300 local, state, regional and national groups to advocate for clean rivers and streams in all communities in the Chesapeake region.

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Media Contact:
Drew Robinson
Choose Clean Water Coalition
443-927-8049
RobinsonAQ@nwf.org