JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – A bill that could fine the City of Jackson up to $1 million for contamination of the Pearl River passed in the Mississippi House on Thursday morning.

Even though there is an ongoing federal involvement into the contamination of the river, one state representative said not enough has been done.

A federal consent decree from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) has been monitoring the pollution of the river since 2012.

The bill’s author, State Rep. Becky Currie (R-District 92), believes more should be getting done given how it has impacted the entire state, including her district.

“Nearly 20 million gallons of raw sewage flowed into the town creek, which flowed into the Pearl River, which flowed down into my district in Monticello. People who used to enjoy swimming, fishing, kayaking, canoeing and other things that we do in Mississippi have been taken away from us,” said Currie.

State Rep. Zakiya Summers (D-District 68) offered an amendment that was successfully adopted.

Her amendment changed language in House Bill 1094 that allowed for any city in the state to be subject to the $1 million fine, not just Jackson.