[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 57 (Wednesday, May 11, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 11, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
        NEBRASKA OFFERS PROPOSALS TO MEET CLEAN WATER OBJECTIVES

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                           HON. DOUG BEREUTER

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 11, 1994

  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, as reauthorization of the Clean Water Act 
receives increased attention, this Member would like to stress the need 
for flexibility and local involvement before Congress mandates one-
size-fits-all solutions to water problems. Flexibility to meet the 
diverse conditions of this country should be the basic premise behind 
any clean water reauthorization bill.
  For example, Nebraska relies far more heavily on groundwater sources 
for both drinking water and commercial uses than any other state. As a 
result, Nebraska has been a pioneer in the protection of groundwater 
and the management of its natural resources. As a result, Nebraska is 
the only state that has consolidated its special-purpose natural 
resource areas into local political subdivisions, known as Natural 
Resource Districts. These NRD's, established on a watershed basis, have 
made significant progress in addressing non-point source pollution 
through local, voluntary, and incentive-based programs.
  Nebraska has also been a national leader in protecting groundwater 
through the use of Special Protection Areas as a means of preventing 
and controlling the contamination of groundwater. The program provides 
an excellent example of necessary coordination on the state and local 
level.
  To be successful, the Clean Water Act must avoid specifically 
mandating national solutions to the problems being addressed. As 
Nebraska has demonstrated, flexibility and local involvement are the 
keys to success in achieving clean water.

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