{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=335968", "Jaime Herrera Beutler Urges EPA to Consider Southwest Washington Fishing Community in Environmental Assessment of Bristol Bay", "2013-05-30", "2013", "2013-05", "Republican", "House", "WA", "Jaime Herrera Beutler", "H001056", "herrerabeutler.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Jaime Herrera Beutler urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday to consider the livelihoods of Southwest Washington residents when finalizing their Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment.\u00a0 In a letter sent to Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe, Jaime points out concerns raised by the fishing community in her region who may be impacted by a proposed pebble mine in Bristol Bay.\u00a0 The EPA is currently accepting public comment on its revised draft of the project.\u00a0  In the letter, Jaime points out that last year, residents of her district held 91 commercial fishing permits for Bristol Bay.\u00a0 The bay is home to large sockeye, coho, chum, and king salmon runs that support both commercial and recreational fishing.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \r\n\r\nThe text of the letter follows:\r\nBob Perciasepe, Acting Administrator  \r\nU.S. Environmental Protection Agency  \r\nAriel Rios Building  \r\n1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW  \r\nWashington, DC 20460 Dear Acting Administrator Perciasepe, It is my understanding that your agency has released a revised assessment of the Bristol Bay watershed.\u00a0 On behalf of residents and small business owners in Southwest Washington, I ask that you take the livelihoods of the fishermen from my region into account when you finalize your Watershed Assessment.\u00a0  Bristol Bay is home to one of the world's greatest salmon fisheries and supports many sustainable jobs that benefit my region\u2019s economy.\u00a0 In fact, residents of my districts held 91 commercial fishing permits for Bristol Bay in 2012 \u2013 permits that help support hundreds of jobs in Southwest Washington.\u00a0 However, recent EPA findings outlined in the updated risk assessment have raised serious concerns within this fishing community over the sustainability of the fishery and the potential impact of a large scale mining operations.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0  I ask that a thorough, science-based approach be used so that an accurate assessment can inform this critical decision. I will continue following this issue and would appreciate any updates your staff can provide as this process moves forward.\u00a0 Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of assistance.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=335968"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0674740187823772, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}