Eleanor Holmes Norton Proposes Bill to Increase DC's Flood Protection Funding

• April 10th 2019

by Nena Perry-Brown

Last year, a glimpse was provided of how severe flooding could be in DC if sea levels continue to rise at their current pace. Now, DC's non-voting delegate to Congress wants to add additional tools the city can use to address the threats of climate change.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton announced this week that she had introduced a bill amending the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 to designate DC as a "coastal state". If this bill passes, the designation would make DC eligible to receive federal funding and grants for coastal flood protection. 

The bill would also give DC oversight over federally-issued permits and actions pertinent to the city's "coasts". In her introductory statement, Norton noted that both the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers are influenced by tidal ebbs and flows.

“Even though the District is located on two rivers and has suffered substantial coastal floods in the past, D.C. was omitted from the list of eligible states and territories in the CZMA," Norton said.  "Scientists have predicted that the tides on the Atlantic Coast could rise two to four feet by the year 2100, causing as much as $7 billion worth of property in the District to be routinely under threat by floodwaters. This damage not only would be to private homes and businesses, but the National Mall, federal buildings, and three military bases located in the District."

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/dc-representative-proposes-bill-to-increase-dcs-flood-protection-funding/15242.