[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 142 (Tuesday, October 4, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 4, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 1994

                                 ______


                               speech of

                      HON. WILLIAM F. CLINGER, JR.

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 3, 1994

  Mr. CLINGER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the bill. Other 
speakers have described the provisions of the bill so I will take this 
time to elaborate further.
  From a parochial standpoint, however, I would like to point out that 
the conference report includes language concerning the performance of 
the Corps of Engineers in issuing wetlands permits for flood prevention 
initiatives in north-central Pennsylvania.
  In mid-August north-central Pennsylvania, which is represented in 
this Chamber by Joe McDade and myself, was deluged with rain by 
tropical storm Beryl. Streams carrying the runoff were unable to handle 
the quantity of rain because gravel bars, built up over the years, 
diverted the water flow. Consequently, stream banks eroded and flooding 
occurred in several areas. Damage has been estimated in the tens of 
millions dollars.
  A few days after these storms hit, I met with about 500 constituents 
in Wellsboro, PA. At this meeting it was revealed that residents had 
been trying to remove the very gravel bars that had been the root cause 
of the flooding, but the Corps of Engineers had been slow in issuing 
the permits necessary to do so. This delay left many residents of Tioga 
County with the impression that the government was exacerbating the 
problem rather than helping them find a solution or even staying out of 
the process altogether.
  It had been my hope that the Corps permitting process would have been 
addressed legislatively before this Congress adjourned. Obviously that 
will not come to pass, but, until such time, it is inevitable that 
extraordinary situations will arise which makes it incumbent upon the 
Corps to act as quickly as possible under the law.
  In conclusion, I would like to thank the subcommittee staff for their 
help in drafting the language and the committee leadership for agreeing 
to include this language in the bill.

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