Environment

Representative Lowey is a leader in the fight to protect America's air, land, and water, and to arrest global climate change. She is consistently among the Members of Congress rated most highly by the League of Conservation Voters. As former Co-Chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus, she has secured tens of millions of dollars to rehabilitate this fragile ecosystem, rejuvenate the local fishing industry, and reduce beach closures. And as a founder of the Hudson River Congressional Caucus, Lowey has worked to promote the interests of this vital and historic watershed.

Clean Water

Lowey has fought the Bush Administration’s efforts to rollback the Clean Water Act. The EPA has proposed rules that would permit unlimited development, filling, and pollution of 20 million acres of seasonal lakes and ponds, including smaller water bodies in New York, which could ultimately result in damage to larger water systems, such as the Hudson River. Lowey expressed her concerns in a letter to President Bush opposing harmful changes to the Clean Water Act, and has supported legislation that would block EPA from issuing the proposed rule.

Lowey has repeatedly worked to block crippling budget cuts to the EPA, pass key conservation measures, and punish polluters. She authored the landmark Water Pollution Control and Estuary Restoration Act, which provides federal assistance to rehabilitate crucial aquatic habitats. She has worked from her position on the Appropriations Committee to oppose cuts to environmental programs and the EPA as well as dangerous policy provisions added to appropriations bills. Lowey also supported, and the House passed, critical legislation in 2007 to authorize $14 billion for state and local governments to address water infrastructure needs, authorize $1.5 billion in grants related to solving sewer overflow problems, and establish a grant program to increase the useable water supply.

Commercial and residential development in the New York City watershed also threatens the drinking water supplies of millions of New Yorkers. Lowey cosponsored legislation reauthorizing the New York City Watershed Protection program, which provides money for land acquisition and conservation around the Catskill-Delaware Reservoir system. To date, Congress has approved $31.4 million to protect the watershed.

As a founder of the Hudson River Congressional Caucus, Lowey secured the first-ever federal commitment to protect the Hudson River Greenway and has worked hard to ensure that the EPA moves forward with the proposed clean-up of 150,000 pounds of PCBs from 40 miles of the upper Hudson River. Her stewardship of the Croton reservoir, an unfiltered drinking water source for millions of New York City and Westchester residents, promises to obviate the need for a multi-billion dollar water filtration plant.

In mid-November 2003, Lowey introduced the Storm Water Abatement Act (SWAA), which would provide municipalities with resources to combat a growing environmental menace - storm water pollution. Since March 2003, the EPA has required municipalities to aggressively control surface runoff from roads, parking lots, and other impervious surfaces. Unfortunately, many cash-strapped towns lack the resources to comply fully with the requirements, which will cost 5,000 mid-size cities around the country an estimated $300 million annually. That’s why Lowey introduced SWAA, which would make funds ordinarily reserved to deal with agricultural pollution permanently available for storm water abatement.

Clean Air

Congresswoman Lowey supports legislation that would allow states to continue enforcing tough pollution standards for dirty power plants. In late August 2003, the EPA issued new rules that would permit older power plants in New York and around the country to rely on outdated pollution technology for the indefinite future. Lowey believes New York should be permitted to maintain tougher clean air standards to protect public health and the environment. Lowey has also fought to prevent changes to the Clean Air Act that would weaken restrictions against the emission of mercury from coal plants that have proven hazardous to human and environmental health.

Regional and National Ecosystems

Lowey cosponsored the Highlands Stewardship Act to protect the Highlands Region in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and continues fighting for its full funding. This pristine wilderness is home to 247 endangered species and a destination for 12 million park visitors annually. Long championed by former Rep. Ben Gilman (R-Rockland and Westchester, NY), this legislation created an office to coordinate and complete research and conservation projects in the Highlands Region and authorized federal funds to assist conservation efforts.

The landmark Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) has facilitated the development of comprehensive plans to safeguard hundreds of miles of coastline and given states the power to exercise oversight over federal activities and commercial and industrial projects on their coasts. New York State, for example, concluded that the Millennium Pipeline was “inconsistent” with the state’s coastal management plan. Lowey has fought changes to CZMA, which would restrict states’ access to information and impose arbitrary decision deadlines.

Rep. Lowey has also consistently opposed logging in the Tongass National Forest, weakening the roadless area protection rule, and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). She has repeatedly voted against these wasteful and destructive activities and written to the President to express her opposition.