madam chairman , i have some grave concerns about several provisions of this bill . 
among the most important concerns to marylanders is the fact that this bill cuts clean water funding by $ 241 million from last year 's appropriated level -- bringing our financial commitment to clean water down to 1989 funding levels . 
this money -- in the clean water state revolving fund -- pays for sewage system upgrades across the country . 
we in maryland know how incredibly important this money is to protect the health of our people . 
fifty million gallons of waste will spew from baltimore 's crumbling sewers in may . 
nitrogen pollution is the most significant environmental hazard facing the chesapeake bay . 
the so-called `` dead zones '' in the chesapeake bay and its tributaries ( in which there is too little oxygen to support a healthy ecosystem ) are a direct result of nutrient pollution , principally nitrogen . 
in july of 2003 , data from the epa 's chesapeake bay program shows one of the largest areas of oxygen-depleted water seen since the program began monitoring 20 years ago . 
the clean water act requires the environmental protection agency to issue permits for all sewage treatment plants that will protect water quality in the chesapeake bay and its tributaries , yet the epa routinely fails to include restrictions on nitrogen pollution in these permits . 
the epa has not updated the standards on nitrogen pollution in almost 20 years . 
we need to commit more money -- not less -- to enforce the clean water act . 
no issue united the people of maryland and our region as well as the effort to `` save the bay. '' rather than fulfill the obligations of the federal government to serve these people and protect the bay , this bill reduces the federal government 's commitment to enforcing the clean water act . 
we have an obligation to ensure that our estuaries nationwide are there for future generations , and to do that we must restore funding to enforce the clean water act . 
