By Kate OHara
NEWS RELEASE
DELAWARE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION
P.O. Box 7360, 25 State Police Drive
West Trenton, NJ 08628
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Clarke Rupert, (609) 883-9500 x260
DRBC ANNOUNCES RESTORATION OF FEDERAL FUNDING SUPPORT
WEST TRENTON, N.J. (March 19) – Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC)
Executive Director Carol R. Collier today announced that the U.S.
Congress approved legislation providing $715,000 to fulfill the federal
obligation to support the commission’s current expense budget for the
first time since 1996. The funding was contained in the fiscal year 2009
Omnibus Appropriations bill signed into law by President Obama on March 11.
"This is wonderful news and the culmination of years of work by many
individuals," Collier said. "We thank all the senators and
representatives who supported this legislation. In particular, we would
like to recognize and thank Reps. Rush Holt (N.J.-12), Charlie Dent
(Pa.-15), Maurice Hinchey (N.Y.-22), and Michael Castle (Del.-At Large),
who serve as co-chairs of the Delaware River Basin Congressional Task
Force, and Rep. Tim Holden (Pa.-17), who made this a top legislative
priority. We also would like to thank Reps. Jim Gerlach (Pa.-6), Allyson
Schwartz (Pa.-13), Robert Brady (Pa.-1), John Hall (N.Y.-19), and
Christopher Carney (Pa.-10) who all supported our request with House
Appropriations leadership."
"In addition, federal funding restoration would not have been possible
without the efforts of Senator Arlen Specter (Pa.), who was joined by
Senators Frank Lautenberg (N.J.), Tom Carper (Del.), Charles Schumer
(N.Y.), Robert Casey, Jr. (Pa.), Robert Menendez (N.J.), and former
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) in supporting our request before
Senate appropriators. Vice President Joseph Biden also was a staunch
advocate of funding restoration while serving as Delaware’s senior
senator," Collier added.
"On behalf of the DRBC commissioners and staff, I would also like to
thank the many individuals and organizations who wrote letters and
voiced their support of the commission over the years," Collier said.
Funding also was restored to two other mid-Atlantic river basin
commissions created by compact with federal membership. Like the DRBC,
the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) and the Interstate
Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB) had their operating budget
support from the federal government suspended since 1996. Congress had
previously authorized funding for all three commissions in their
respective compacts and in the Water Resources Development Act of 2007.
"The three commissions worked together to reach out to their respective
congressional delegations to garner support for this funding restoration
effort and the DRBC is grateful to those senators and members of
Congress representing the SRBC and ICPRB drainage areas who also backed
the DRBC’s request," Collier said.
The DRBC’s creation in 1961 marked the first time that the federal
government and a group of states joined together as equal partners in
river basin regulation, planning, development, and dispute resolution,
changing the Delaware Valley from an area of conflict to a model of
federal-state cooperation. Today, this contrasts sharply with
cross-border water crises in other parts of the country that continue to
cost the federal government millions of dollars, while tying up the
federal courts in ongoing litigation and running up huge costs to the
parties and states involved.
The commission serves federal, regional, state, and local interests by
providing comprehensive, proactive water resources management in the
Delaware River Basin without regard to political boundaries. DRBC
programs include water quality protection, monitoring and assessment,
water supply allocation, flood loss reduction, drought management, water
conservation initiatives, watershed planning, and habitat restoration.
Additional information can be found on the commission’s web site at
www.drbc.net.
2009

