A bill which directs the US Army Corps of Engineers to dump dredge material at all other available sites instead of Site 104 passed the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, and could reach the House floor as early as next week, U.S. Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest (R-Maryland-1st) said Tuesday.

Gilchrest had members of the Appropriations Committee include language pertaining to Site 104, the open water dumping location in the Chesapeake Bay where the state of Maryland hopes to dump 18 million cubic yards of dredge material.

The language was part of the FY2000 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill, which includes funding for the Corps of Engineers.

"The committee is deeply concerned about the potential approval of this site and imposes upon the Corps an obligation to thoroughly analyze and review all practicable alternatives," the committee wrote in report language which accompanies the bill and seeks to clarify the committee's intent of the legislation.

"Since other dredge disposal sites are available, the Corps is directed to exhaust the space in these other sites before using Site 104 for the disposition of dredged material," the committee said.

"This is a huge victory for the Chesapeake Bay and for the citizens of Maryland," Gilchrest said. "This gives the Army Corps of Engineers clear instructions that alternatives need to be found and should encourage them to withdraw the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and start over."

While the provision passed the House Appropriations Committee and should pass the full House of Representatives, the bill will then go to a conference committee where it will be reconciled with a different version passed by the Senate. Gilchrest said the provision could be stripped at that level.

"I'm calling on Maryland's two senators to help me protect the Chesapeake Bay and fight to keep this provision in the bill when it reaches that conference committee," Gilchrest said.

Related Articles at TheChesapeakeBay.com

• Stop Open Bay Dumping at Site 104 - 2/22/99
• Rep. Gilchrest Asks Governor To Delay Site 104 Dumping - 5/26/99