Interior Bill Holds $9 Million for Land Preservation & Environmental Projects

Washington, D.C., June 26th – Congressman Jim Moran, Virginia Democrat and senior member of the House Appropriations Committee announced the following projects were included for Northern Virginia in the FY 2010 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill (H.R. 2996). The legislation passed this afternoon on a 254-173 vote.

“Northern Virginia is the economic driver and fastest growing region in the Commonwealth,” said Moran. “But with this growth comes challenges. Protecting our environment and preserving historic sites for future generations must be a top priority. The projects I included in this bill were designed to ensure that land and natural resources in Northern Virginia and other locations in the Commonwealth are not left out as our nation’s economy recovers.”

Congressman Moran’s projects include:

$500,000 to implement a storm water management program in Falls Church to catch runoff from municipal building roofs and capture and treat storm water runoff from municipal parking lots. Runoff from impermeable surfaces is the leading cause of pollution in the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.

$500,000 to the Arlington/Alexandria partnership to restore the Four Mile Run watershed. Funding would be used to complete the first phase of the master plan to transform a segment of Four Mile Run, an urbanized cement stream channel, back into a natural stream and better utilize the open space adjacent to the stream. The total Congressman Moran has appropriated for this project is $9.1 million.
 
$500,000 for Alexandria’s Water Reuse Program that would enable Alexandria’s Sanitation Authority to use recycled waste water to be used as a coolant for the Covanta Waste Recovery Plant on Eisenhower Avenue.               

$250,000 for the restoration of the Fort Hunt NCO Quarters.  The NCO Quarters is the only remaining structure still standing from P.O. Box 1142, a classified World War II interrogation facility.  Restoration would enable the structure to be opened to the public with displays and exhibits portraying its significant intelligence contribution to the war effort—key intelligence gained without the use of torture.

$75,000 to preserve the Fort Ward Civil War Fort, improve access for the disabled, and update displays to include more recent historical developments in the park's history.

$2 million to support the development and maintenance of NatureServe’s Conservation Works program, the nation's only consistent data set on the status and location of species of greatest conservation need and their habitats.     

$500,000 to acquire the 265-acre Bowers tract at Fones Cliff for the Rappahannock River National Wildlife Refuge.  Federal acquisition will create opportunities to develop hiking trails and preserve historic sites related to the Captain John Smith National Water Trail, the largest gathering of bald eagles on the East coast.

$1 million to protect 125 acres, known as Blair’s Wharf, within the James River National Wildlife Refuge.  The site has important historic and conservation value and includes a half mile of pristine shoreline and Bald Eagle nests. 

$2 million for the Water Environment Research Foundation to support its applied research on cost-effective technologies to address drinking water issues including desalination, natural disaster preparation, replacing aging drinking systems, energy issues and treating water contaminants.

$750,000 to the Water Environment Federation for its National Biosolids Partnership program.  The cooperative program links the Water Environment Foundation, Clean Water agencies, EPA and more than 100 municipalities that provide technical assistance, best practices, training and guidance to wastewater treatment utilities.

--30--