House Resolution 121 - Introduced HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 121 BY ISENHART , ABDUL-SAMAD , OLSON , KURTH , HUNTER , THEDE , BENNETT , ANDERSON , STAED , STECKMAN , WILLIAMS , HANSEN , McCONKEY , COHOON , WESSEL-KROESCHELL , SUNDE , EHLERT , BROWN-POWERS , KRESSIG , CAHILL , WILBURN , WINCKLER , and DONAHUE A Resolution commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of 1 the enactment of the Clean Water Act, recognizing 2 the impact of the landmark legislation, and 3 committing to necessary and appropriate legislative 4 action to prevent water pollution, improve water 5 quality, and protect public health. 6 WHEREAS, the Clean Water Act was enacted with 7 bipartisan support by the United States Congress 50 8 years ago; and 9 WHEREAS, the legislation established the basic 10 structure for regulating pollutant discharges into 11 waters of the United States; and 12 WHEREAS, the legislation established a national goal 13 of fishable, swimmable waters by 1983 and complete 14 elimination of pollution in navigable waters by 15 1985; and 16 WHEREAS, an estimated 16,507 miles of rivers and 17 streams in the United States were made swimmable and 18 24,713 more miles were made fishable by 2000 due to the 19 Clean Water Act; and 20 WHEREAS, more than 4,500 miles of Iowa’s rivers 21 are currently classified as impaired for swimming and 22 primary contact recreation; and 23 WHEREAS, more than 68,000 acres of Iowa’s lakes 24 -1- LSB 6239YH (8) 89 js/rn 1/ 4
H.R. 121 are currently classified as impaired for swimming and 1 primary contact recreation; and 2 WHEREAS, research shows that flooding and water 3 pollution have a documented impact on human health 4 and safety, including an increased risk of disease 5 and acute illness, and also negative impacts on soil 6 health, soil conservation, biodiversity, and wildlife 7 habitat; and 8 WHEREAS, research by both government and 9 nongovernment agencies document continued water quality 10 challenges in the United States that have resulted in 11 the Mississippi, Missouri, and Raccoon rivers being 12 listed among the most endangered rivers in the United 13 States; and 14 WHEREAS, Iowans have continually demonstrated a 15 desire for cleaner water and more water recreation 16 opportunities by visiting Iowa state parks in 17 record numbers in 2020, passing an amendment to the 18 Constitution of the State of Iowa, with 63 percent 19 of voters in favor, to create the Natural Resources 20 and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund in 2010, and 21 showing local support for county-level water and land 22 legacy bond initiatives and Resource Enhancement and 23 Protection program projects; and 24 WHEREAS, the state’s 2013 adoption of a nutrient 25 reduction strategy in response to the Mississippi 26 River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force’s call on 27 states to reduce nutrient pollution by 45 percent 28 reflects the state’s commitment to achieve improvements 29 in water quality by addressing both point and nonpoint 30 -2- LSB 6239YH (8) 89 js/rn 2/ 4
H.R. 121 sources of nutrient pollution; and 1 WHEREAS, the United States Environmental Protection 2 Agency has delegated authority to the Iowa Department 3 of Natural Resources to implement and enforce the Clean 4 Water Act in the State of Iowa; NOW THEREFORE, 5 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, That 6 the House of Representatives celebrates the progress 7 made since the passage of the Clean Water Act and 8 encourages the people of the State of Iowa to gather 9 locally for events to observe the anniversary and 10 develop plans for the future to promote clean water and 11 enjoy Iowa’s plentiful water resources; and 12 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 13 Representatives encourages the United States Congress, 14 the Iowa General Assembly, the Governor of Iowa, 15 cities, counties, soil and water conservation 16 districts, county extension districts, and all other 17 public jurisdictions and elected officials to adopt 18 other appropriate resolutions, policies, programs, and 19 funding commitments, taking necessary steps to prevent 20 water pollution and improve water quality in the State 21 of Iowa; and 22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 23 Representatives commits to enacting state water 24 policies, programs, and funding to achieve further 25 reduction of water pollution and to protect drinking 26 water resources; and 27 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 28 Representatives encourages educational institutions, 29 public jurisdictions, and other entities to provide 30 -3- LSB 6239YH (8) 89 js/rn 3/ 4
H.R. 121 critical research, educate the public, and engage in 1 collaborative projects to protect Iowa’s groundwaters 2 and surface waters for human health, human enjoyment, 3 soil conservation, soil health, biodiversity, and 4 wildlife habitat; and 5 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the House of 6 Representatives encourages other policymakers and the 7 public to consider the merits of proposing an amendment 8 to the Constitution of the State of Iowa to make a 9 clean environment a fundamental part of the Bill of 10 Rights for the people of Iowa, providing an enduring 11 foundation for protecting and regenerating the waters 12 and other natural resources of the state. 13 -4- LSB 6239YH (8) 89 js/rn 4/ 4