[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 137 (Tuesday, September 27, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 27, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                        HUD-VA CONFERENCE REPORT

  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise in opposition to the amendments 
that were offered by my colleagues from Arizona and New Hampshire 
against the water infrastructure projects in the HUD-VA conference 
report.
  Let me begin by commending the Senator from Maryland for taking the 
initiative to fund these very needed projects which have been awaiting 
authorizing legislation. I personally introduced authorizing 
legislation for the two worthy and important projects in New Mexico, 
which are due to receive funding in this bill. Unfortunately, the 
appropriate legislative vehicle which I hoped would be completed this 
year--that is the Clean Water Act--is not scheduled to reach the Senate 
floor before the end of this Congress.
  For this reason, I am very pleased that the Senator from Maryland has 
identified the importance of these issues and has provided funding in 
this HUD-VA bill. The first is funding for the colonias along the 
United States-Mexico border. For those who may believe this is not a 
worthy project, I want to bring to your attention and to their 
attention the plight of these poor communities. Residents are generally 
poor and live in substandard housing with inadequate plumbing and 
drinking water. Housing lots are extremely small in size and packed 
together, frequently creating a high density of cesspools and 
inadequate septic tanks. The population in these areas is growing in 
size daily and compounds the existing problems.
  If by chance any Member of the Senate were to visit these colonias, 
they would only be struck by the primitive conditions in which the 
residents live. You would walk away in disbelief that over 350,000 
American citizens and legal, permanent residents are subject to what 
most of us would call developing countries' living conditions.
  The other area that I am very pleased the Senator from Maryland was 
able to provide some funding for is related to the South Valley in 
Bernalillo County in New Mexico, a small, unincorporated community 
outside of Albuquerque along the Rio Grande. For over 30 years, this 
community has suffered the health hazards of inadequate sewer and water 
facilities. The South Valley is more than 50 percent Hispanic and 
qualifies as one of the poorest communities in our country. Most of the 
12,000 residents rely on septic tanks. Their drinking water comes from 
wells on their property. Heavily concentrated septic tanks, a shallow 
water table and tight soils resulting in poorly drained septic tanks 
are contaminating the ground water. This problem continues to escalate 
as the population increases.

  State and local governments have already contributed significant 
funds to address the problem, but additional funding is needed. If this 
funding were to come through revenue bonds, residents in the area would 
have to pay four to six times as much as other New Mexico residents for 
monthly water and sewer service. These citizens cannot afford such 
rates.
  Congress provided a $500 million reserve in fiscal year 1994 to 
support projects in hardship communities such as the colonias and the 
South Valley pending enactment of authorizing legislation. The Senator 
from Maryland, recognizing that authorizing legislation had not been 
completed, seized the opportunity to provide desperately needed funding 
to these and other needy communities.
  Let me clarify that the grants for these and other projects are to be 
made available only upon enactment of clean water authorizing 
legislation, but if no such legislation is enacted by November 1, 1994, 
the funds will immediately be made available. I believe that the 
Senator from Maryland has provided the opportunity for authorizing 
legislation to be enacted. There is no doubt that this funding in this 
conference report is critical in assuring that these communities have 
access to clean and safe water and I urge my colleagues to oppose the 
amendments offered by the Senators from Arizona and New Hampshire.
  Mr. President, I thank the Chair. I yield the floor.

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