SCCF: Bill aims to use tech to improve water quality

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation reported that U S Rep Byron Donalds (R-FL) introduced H R 873, the “Water Quality and Environmental Innovation Act,” on Feb 10 The bill directs the U S Environmental Protection Agency to repurpose unused funds to support innovative technology to help tackle water quality issues

“Every day, nutrient-filled water flows into Lake Okeechobee and is subsequently discharged throughout east, west and South Florida ultimately resulting in poor water quality and the outbreak of Harmful Algal Blooms,” he said

The SCCF reported that the bill would fund projects that aim to improve multiple sources of poor water quality from nutrient pollution and algal blooms, to plastics and sea-level rise Projects would be able to implement various innovative technologies, including artificial intelligence and quantum computing, emerging technology using living shorelines, and the cultivation of aquatic species

SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

“This bill will help us jump-start the protections of our waterways It’s heartening to see our leaders reach across the aisle to make major investments, not only in solving the problems that plague America’s waters, but also recognizing the importance of naturebased solutions,” SCCF Environmental Policy Director Matt DePaolis said “Nature has done most of the difficult engineering for us over millions of years, and now it is up to us to determine innovative ways to deploy seagrass, mangroves, algae and bivalves to tackle the water quality issues that we collectively face ”

The bipartisan bill is co-led by U S Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ). It has been referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Committee on Energy and Commerce and Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

To read the full text of the bill, visit https://donalds.house.gov/ uploadedfiles/water quality environmental inn ovation act pdf