{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/at-senate-agriculture-committee-hearing-brown-urges-approval-of-20-million-in-funds-to-reduce-runoff-improve-water-quality-in-western-lake-erie", "At Senate Agriculture Committee Hearing, Brown Urges Approval of $20 Million in Funds to Reduce Runoff, Improve Water Quality in Western Lake Erie", "2014-12-03", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "OH", "Sherrod Brown", "B000944", "www.brown.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Brown, the First Ohioan on the Senate Agriculture Committee in More Than 40 Years, Has Introduced a Series of Bills to Address Water Quality and Conservation Efforts\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWednesday, December 3, 2014\n            \n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) attended a hearing of the Senate Agriculture Committee entitled, \u201cFarmers and Fresh Water:\u00a0 Voluntary Conservation to Protect our Land and Waters.\u201d Brown, who introduced Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins who testified at the hearing, urged approval of $20 million in funds to reduce runoff and improve water quality in the Western Lake Erie Basin.\r\n\u201cOhio\u2019s Western Lake Erie Basin is a critical source of our state\u2019s drinking water and the lifeblood of our agricultural industry,\u201d Brown said. \u201cAs we examine methods to improve water quality, it\u2019s critical that we bring all stakeholders to the table\u2014cities, farmers, boaters, and anglers\u2014as we work to protect and preserve Lake Erie for future generations of Ohioans.\u201d\r\nAt the hearing, Brown pressed Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Jason Weller on the Tri-State Western Lake Erie Basin Phosphorus Reduction Initiative application for funding through Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), which provides funding to promote conservation efforts that ensure clean soil and water. This partnership \u2013 among Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana \u2013 has advanced to the next stage of consideration for a $20 million federal award \u2013 $13 million of which would go to Ohio.\r\nBrown, the first Ohioan on the Senate Agriculture Committee in more than 40 years, has worked to secure federal funding to reduce phosphorus runoff and has introduced a series of proposals to improve water quality. In Aug. 2014, Brown announced $2 million in federal emergency funds to reduce runoff in the Western Lake Erie Basin and outline how the new funding \u2013 part of NRCS\u2019 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) \u2013 provides resources for producers to implement conservation practices.\r\nBrown also helped establish the RCPP that would provide up to $1.2 billion nationwide for farmers to implement conservation measures, including those that could reduce runoff into Lake Erie. During Senate consideration of the 2014 Farm Bill, Brown fought to strengthen RCPP as a means to help improve water quality in the Western Lake Erie Basin. Of the total $2.4 billion in funding, 35 percent of total program funding will now be directed to improvements in the Great Lakes region and Mississippi River Basin, both crucial watersheds in Ohio.\r\nIn September, Brown reintroduced the Clean Water Affordability Act, which would direct additional funding to communities in Ohio to eliminate combined sewer overflows, which are a contributing factor in harmful algal blooms. Brown first introduced this legislation with former Senator George V. Voinovich in 2008 and worked with local officials across Ohio to fine-tune the bill.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\n\t\t\t\t\tMeghan Dubyak/Lauren Kulik\r\n(202) 224-3978", 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": ["http://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/at-senate-agriculture-committee-hearing-brown-urges-approval-of-20-million-in-funds-to-reduce-runoff-improve-water-quality-in-western-lake-erie"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8099849112331867, "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"}