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August 3, 2017
D. Lee Forsgren, Jr, Deputy Assistant Administrator Office of Water U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Room 3223A Washington. DC 20460
Dear Mr, Forsgren:
We am writing to ask that you support the City of Houston's application to use proceeds from a Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) loan to replace/modify bridges over Brays Bayou as part of the Harris County Flood Control District's (HCFCD) Project Brays flood control project.
Since the bridge modifications include a water quality benefit, and stormwater projects having a water quality' benefit are eligible for funding under the CWSRF, Region 6 should approve the City's request to use CWSRF proceeds for this activity.
Bridge modifications, integral to the project's channel widening activities, will improve water quality in the Brays Bayou watershed. The City of Houston explained to Region 6, in response to a question about the water quality benefit of the project, that the channel improvements will lower the tailwater at the existing stormwater outfalls and enable the system to drain more efficiently reducing the frequency of sanitary sewer overflows.
As water levels in the channel are lowered, the existing storm sewer system becomes more efficient and there is decreased risk of sanitary sewer overflows caused by the inundation from heavy localized rainfall. These infrastructure improvements, combined with the city's on-going investment in improving neighborhood drainage, will significantly lessen sanitary sewer overflows.
Further, bridge modifications will widen the earthen portion of the proposed channel section. During non-flood stage, grass will serve as a filter, like a bioswale, for runoff sediment before it reaches Galveston Bay.
Improving water quality Is a key goal of the city's proposed CWSRF' activities. Therefore, we urge the EPA to support the Texas Water Development Board's decision in approving this loan application. Devastating floods in 2015 and 2016 affected thousands of residents and business
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owners in the project area, thereby underscoring the importance of advancing completion of the project. Because of the urgency of HCFCD making the necessary infrastructure improvements to contain stormwater, I urge the EPA to reconsider its ruling and support Houston's loan application so that relief will come sooner, rather than later, to anxious citizens.
Thank you for your consideration. Please contact Sergio Espinosa with Rep. Gene Green at
(202) 225-1688 or Cheye-Ann Corona with Rep. A1 Green at (202) 225-7508 if the U.S,
Environmental Protection Agency has any questions. We look forward to hearing from you
shortly.
.
Sincerely,
Gene Green Member of Congress
AlGreen Member of Congress
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