How Senator Portman Has Worked to Preserve and Protect the Environment in the 116th Congress

Senator Portman continues to be a leader in Washington in bipartisan efforts to protect and preserve the environment.  Whether it is protecting and preserving our national parks, protecting our forestland at home and abroad, promoting greater energy efficiency and recycling, or protecting our Great Lakes, Portman continues to deliver results for Ohio.

Here’s a brief summary of Portman’s record of delivering results this year that help protect and preserve our environment: 

Protecting the Great Lakes

Portman, who serves as co-chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, has consistently worked to protect Lake Erie. He has led the effort in the Senate to reauthorize and fully fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), a results-driven program to address the most serious issues that threaten the ecological and economic well-being of the Great Lakes basin, including invasive species, pollution, and toxic contamination. By fighting to keep the lake clean, protect the lake from dangerous invasive species and harmful algal blooms, strengthen fish and wildlife restoration efforts, ensure that Ohioans have safe drinking water, and much more, Portman has demonstrated his commitment to improving the health of Lake Erie and supporting the tourism, fishing, and recreation industries that depend on it.

• Following news in 2017 that the administration proposed to eliminate funding for the GLRI, Portman fought for and secured full funding for GLRI.  In February 2018, the administration once again proposed to cut funding for GLRI in the President’s FY 2019 budget request. Portman, once again, fought for and secured full funding for GLRI at $300 million for FY 2019. He then secured an additional $9 million for GLRI in the Senate-passed FY 2020 Commerce, Justice, Science, Interior, Agriculture, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies funding bill. The funding, a $9 million increase from the FY 2020 proposed level of $301 million, brought the total amount of Senate-passed funding for GLRI to $310 million for FY 2020. The final FY 2020 funding measure went above that to include $320 million for GLRI, the largest investment in the program since its enactment. In January 2020, Portman urged the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide at least $320 million for the GLRI in the fiscal year (FY) 2021 president’s budget request.  In March 2020, Portman introduced legislation to reauthorize GLRI through FY 2026. 

• Portman’s bipartisan Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act was signed into law by President Trump on January 7, 2019. The legislation helps protect freshwater bodies such as Lake Erie by reauthorizing the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act (HABHRCA), which was first enacted in 1998. For almost two decades, the HABHRCA program has served as the federal government’s research and response toolkit for harmful algal blooms.

• Portman worked to include language in the final FY 2019 funding bill to prevent the Army Corps of Engineers from dumping dredged material from the Cleveland Harbor into Lake Erie without the approval from the Ohio EPA to prevent contamination. He worked to again include this language in the final FY 2020 funding bill which was signed into law on December 20, 2019.

• Portman and his bipartisan colleagues urged the Army Corps of Engineers to remain on target to complete the Brandon Road Chief’s Report by early 2019. The Army Corps released its Chief’s Report in May 2019, which recommends ways to ensure that Asian Carp do not enter the Great Lakes and threaten the lakes’ $7 billion fishing industry. The Corps is now working on the Preconstruction, Engineering, and Design for the project.  Additionally, Portman has led efforts to authorize construction of the project. In May 2020, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2020, which authorized the construction of the Brandon Road project at 75 percent federal cost share. Similar language was passed by the House in July as part of the Water Resources Development Act of 2020.

• In February 2019, Portman introduced the bipartisan Great Lakes Fishery Research Authorization (GLFRA) Act with Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) to give the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) the legislative authority to support the $7 billion Great Lakes sport and commercial fishery industry. This legislation was signed into law on December 20, 2019.

• On July 30, 2019, the Senate passed Portman’s bipartisan resolution marking 50 years of environmental progress since the last time the Cuyahoga River caught on fire on June 22, 1969. The Senate resolution describes how the fire spurred important federal environmental action, including passage of the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act.

• Senator Portman’s legislation with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the Safe Drinking Water Assistance Act, was included in the Senate-passed FY 2020 NDAA conference report which was signed into law on December 20, 2019. The legislation improves coordination across the federal government in identifying and responding to emerging contaminants like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and cyanotoxins, which contribute to harmful algal blooms (HABs). The bipartisan bill also provides support and resources to states dealing with the health challenges posed by these potentially harmful materials.

• In August 2019, Portman attended the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) annual event where he received the 2019 Great Lakes Legislator of the Year award due to language he negotiated in the Frank Liobiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act, signed into law in December 2018, to ensure that Great Lakes are protected against pollution and the spread of invasive species while creating regulatory certainty for the shipping industry across the region. Most recently, in September, Senator Portman introduced the Great Lakes Navigation Act to ensure the Great Lakes Navigation System receives no less than 12 percent of total annual funding from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund.  

Protecting our National Parks and Ohio’s National Heritage Areas

In August 2020, President Trump signed into law Senator Portman’s bipartisan Restore Our Parks Act to help address the nearly $12 billion backlog in long-delayed maintenance projects at the National Park Service (NPS). The law, which was praised by key Ohio and national stakeholders, established the “National Park Service Legacy Restoration Fund” from existing unobligated revenues the government receives from on and offshore energy development to fund deferred maintenance projects at NPS sites across the country. Notably, the law will help tackle the more than $100 million maintenance backlog at Ohio’s eight national park sites. 

• This year, Portman has visited National Parks sites around the state of Ohio to see firsthand the long-delayed maintenance needs that will be addressed by his bipartisan legislation including the National Aviation Heritage National Historic Park Area in Dayton, Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Cleveland, the First Ladies' National Historic Site in Canton, the James A. Garfield National Historic Site in Mentor, the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Xenia, the Jesse Owens State Park and Wildlife Area in McConnelsville, and the Wayne National Forest in Nelsonville.

• In March 2019, President Trump signed into law Portman’s bipartisan legislation to provide greater funding certainty to the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area, which spans more than 110 miles between New Philadelphia and Cleveland, and ensure it can continue to draw investment and support local jobs, tourism and economic development in northeast Ohio. Portman’s measure was included as part of a broader public lands package (P.L. 116-9) that was signed by President Trump.

• In March 2019, Senator Portman introduced the National Aviation Heritage Area Reauthorization Act with Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) to extend the authorization for the National Aviation Heritage Area in for seven years. NAHA spans eight counties throughout western Ohio, with a large presence in Dayton, the home of the Wright Brothers. The bill will provide funding certainty for the site, which is home to more than two million visitors annually, generating $35 million in economic impact and supporting 1,500 jobs in the region. Portman introduced similar legislation in November to reauthorize NAHA through FY 2022.  This legislation was signed into law on December 20, 2019.

Leading in Recycling Efforts 

Senator Portman has taken the lead in the Senate to introduce legislation to help educate and promote recycling in communities in Ohio and across the country, which will help increase recycling rates and reduce contamination in the recycling stream.

• In November 2019, Portman introduced the bipartisan RECYCLE Act to create a new federal grant program through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help educate households and consumers about their residential and community recycling programs. This legislation has already received widespread praise from recycling groups, key business leaders, and national recycling stakeholders. In the New Year, he will introduce another bill to incentivize upgrades to recycling infrastructure, which will allow waste management entities to more effectively collect and sort recycled material or include additional types of material to recycle so that more material is diverted from landfills and reused.

Promoting Conservation and Protecting Wildlife

As co-chair of the International Conservation Caucus, Portman has worked to protect our natural resources and wildlife both at home and abroad.

• In July 2020, Senator Portman introduced the bipartisan Repairing Existing Public Land by Adding Necessary Trees Act or the REPLANT Act, legislation to expand funding for the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to carry out reforestation projects in U.S. forestland damaged by events such as wildfires, insects and disease, while creating nearly 49,000 jobs over the next 10 years.

• In October 2020, Senators Portman and Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced bipartisan legislation to combat wildlife poaching and trafficking, which continues to persist around the world today. Wildlife trafficking is a major threat to the conservation of threatened species and has also been linked to other transnational organized criminal activities, including trafficking in narcotics, weapons, and people. The Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt (END) Wildlife Trafficking Reauthorization and Improvements Act of 2020 would permanently authorize and expand legislation that was signed into law in 2016, which Senator Portman cosponsored.
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• ​​​Senators Portman and Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced legislation in January to reauthorize the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (S. 310) to promote the long-term conservation, education, research, monitoring, and habitat protection for more than 380 species of migratory birds. The bill was signed into law as part of the public lands package (P.L. 116-9) by President Trump in March 2019. 
• In January 2019, President Trump signed into law Portman’s bipartisan Tropical Forest Conservation Reauthorization Act (TFCA), which reauthorizes a program that has saved more than 67 million acres of tropical forest by allowing developing countries that meet certain criteria to be relieved of debt owed to the United States in exchange for their conservation efforts. In addition, the bill expands these efforts to coral reef ecosystems. To date, the TFCA program has sequestered 56 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, which is the equivalent of taking 11.8 million cars off the road. In August 2020, Portman introduced the Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2020 to reauthorize the program.
• In March 2019, Portman introduced the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Reauthorization Act, legislation to extend the authorization of a special postage stamp that funds conservation programs. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, since the first of these stamps went on sale in 2011, more than 50 million have been sold, raising more than $5.7 million. This has helped fund 99 projects in 35 countries. This legislation was signed into law on December 20, 2019.

• On February 26, 2019, U.S. Senators Portman and Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced a bipartisan resolution designating March 3, 2019 as “World Wildlife Day.” The resolution was unanimously passed in the Senate. The resolution supports raising awareness of the benefits that wildlife provides to people and the threats facing wildlife around the world.

Leading in Energy Initiatives

Senator Portman has been a strong advocate for a comprehensive energy strategy while also protecting our environment. He has continually worked to keep Ohio’s energy sector competitive while promoting energy efficiency.

• In July 2019, Portman introduced the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act (ESIC) with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), which passed out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee with a bipartisan vote in September 2019. The measure contains important energy efficiency policy reforms that will strengthen the economy and reduce pollution without any new taxes or mandates. Components of the bill were signed into law by President Obama in April 2015 and are already helping individuals and companies use less energy, create jobs, and reduce emissions. Taken together, these bipartisan reforms include common-sense initiatives that will create nearly 200,000 new jobs, save consumers $15 billion annually in reduced energy costs, and reduce carbon emissions equivalent to taking nearly 13 million cars off the road. It has received widespread praise from business and efficiency leaders across the country.

• In July 2020, Senator Portman announced that the Senate-passed FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes $35 million for an Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program (ERCIP) project at Wright-Patt. The ERCIP funds projects that improve the energy resilience and energy and water efficiency at DOD installations. This intelligence facility central utility plant project at Wright-Patt will help make the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) more energy-efficient.

• In October 2020, President Trump signed into law Portman’s bipartisan legislation that will help save taxpayer dollars by updating policies to help federal agencies adopt electric vehicles, which are more energy efficient than traditional gas-powered vehicles. The Charging Helps Agencies Realize General Efficiencies Act (CHARGE Act) directs the General Services Administration (GSA) to allow vehicle charge cards to be used to pay for electric vehicle recharging at commercially available charging stations.  

• In June 2019, Portman introduced the Carbon Capture Improvement Act with Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO). This legislation would help power plants and industrial facilities finance the purchase and installation of carbon capture and storage equipment, allowing states like Ohio to continue to utilize our natural resources while reducing our impact on the environment. Specifically, this bill would allow businesses to use private activity bonds (PABs) issued by local or state governments to finance a carbon capture project, storing carbon dioxide that would have otherwise been emitted into the atmosphere.

 

• In October 2020, Portman announced the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) awarded $5.7 million to organizations across Ohio. POWER grants are a congressionally funded initiative that targets federal resources to help communities and regions that have been affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations, and coal-related supply chain industries due to the changing economics of America's energy production. These funds will give the organizations listed below the ability to support Ohio communities with emerging world-class technology to help ensure economic development and job creation. Earlier this year, Portman sent a letter to ARC urging the awarding of this grant to Eastgate Council of Governments.  

In the 116th Congress, Portman made various visits across Ohio to see his work to preserve and protect the environment in action. He saw federally-funded research at Ohio State’s Stone Laboratory at Gibraltar Island, hosted a tourism roundtable in Sandusky, visited ports in Cleveland, Ashtabula, and Toledo to highlight economic development, and held his annual fishing trip and Lake Erie roundtable in Lake County with federal, state, and local water quality experts, and visited the Coast Guard's Ninth District HQ at Station Cleveland Harbor. He will continue his efforts to make a difference for Ohio and be a leader in Washington in preserving and protecting our environment.

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