[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 10 (Wednesday, January 18, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E123-E124]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      COLONIA PLUMBING LOAN PROGRAM

                                 ______


                         HON. RONALD D. COLEMAN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 18, 1995
  Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, today I introduced two measures which will 
address a problem which has been forgotten and ignored for far too 
long. The lack of drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities in 
the Southwestern United States, in communities known as colonias, has 
caused environmental degradation and has had a detrimental impact on 
public health. Colonias are communities in the southwestern region of 
the United States along the United States-Mexico border which are 
generally unincorporated and characterized by a lack of running water, 
sewage treatment facilities, and safe, sanitary housing.
  Rather than go into an extensive history of the causes of the 
problem, I would just say to my colleagues that the residents of these 
communities thought that in buying a piece of land upon which they 
could build a home they were earning a piece of the American dream. 
Sadly, the dream has yet to come true for these hard working Americans 
and their children. I have been fighting for many years, on many 
levels, to address this problem. Today, I have introduced a measure 
specifically addressing the lack of sewage treatment facilities for the 
region and a measure to increase the State's flexibility in 
administering a current program. These measures are small steps to 
correcting a problem which has existed for more than 30 years.
  Unfortunately, when we talk of the citizens along the border with 
Mexico there are those among us who would distort the facts. As my 
colleagues review this legislation, I hope they will bear in mind that: 
first, the colonias are communities located wholly in the United 
States; second, the residents of colonias are American citizens and 
legal permanent residents; and third, the residents are not squatters. 
They purchased the land, for which they have legal deeds, from 
unscrupulous developers who promised them everything and delivered 
nothing. I hope my colleagues will avail themselves to addressing the 
needs of Americans, irrespective of where they live, and not bow to the 
misinformed arguments of those who are not from the border and cannot 
know the needs and concerns of the region. I am asking for fairness for 
American children who live in conditions similar to those of developing 
countries.
  Today, there are more than 350,000 Americans, many of them children, 
who live in colonias without any access to such basic services as 
indoor plumbing or safe sewage disposal. In my district alone there are 
nearly 48,000 people who live under these appalling conditions every 
day. Let me try to describe to my colleagues what life is like for 
these hard working Americans.
  In the State of Texas, there are nearly 300,000 people living in 
approximately 1200 colonias. The majority of these communities do not 
have paved roads. Forty percent of these communities, or roughly 
112,000 people, do not have access to public water, a precious and 
expensive commodity in the desert. Instead these people are forced to 
rely on water from wells or water which is transported 
[[Page E124]] from outside the community. Most of the wells are dug by 
hand and are no more than 15 feet deep. In my district the water table 
is only 7 feet deep in sandy soil, which make the water brackish and 
not suitable for drinking even under the best of circumstances. Only 
when we consider that many residents have equally crudely dug outhouse 
located less than 50 feet from these wells, can we begin to appreciate 
how truly unfit for drinking this water is. Those who must have their 
water brought in must find places to store it. Sadly, the storage 
container is all too often an old chemical barrel, frequently with the 
skull and crossbones still visible. As if storing water in contaminated 
containers were not bad enough, storing the water causes the chlorine, 
which is what keeps our drinking water safe, to dissipate. I ask my 
colleagues, Mr. Speaker, to try to imagine living every day of their 
lives having to constantly plan how much water would be required for 
every meal, every bath, every laundry day, and every time they washed 
their dishes by hand. I think my colleagues will agree this would be 
very burdensome indeed.
  It should be no surprise to my colleagues that this situation is also 
having very serious health consequences. The lack of public services 
means that the residents in these communities are, in effect, drinking, 
washing dishes and bathing in their own refuse. The incidence of 
hepatitis in the border region is two to three times higher than the 
national average,
 and in my district the hepatitis rate is five times the national 
average. Let me put that into perspective for my colleagues. Several 
years ago, one of the school districts in El Paso County tested the 
students for hepatitis. The results, Mr. Speaker, were shocking. By the 
age of 8 approximately 35 percent of the children had been infected 
with hepatitis A, and by the age of 35, up to 90 percent of colonia 
residents had been infected.

  Unfortunately, hepatitis is not the only disease which threatens the 
residents of the colonias. Perhaps the most disturbing, and the most 
widely publicized, consequence of the environmental problems associated 
with the lack of proper sewage and drinking water is the alarmingly 
high number of anencephalic, or brainless babies which have been born 
in the region. Less dramatic but no less dangerous are two 
gastrointestinal infestations, amebiasis which is caused by a parasite, 
and shigellosis which is caused by bacteria. Both are endemic to the 
region and have rates of two to three times the national average. In 
addition, 15 percent of families in colonias report that at least one 
family member suffers from diarrhea every week. Finally, Mr. Speaker, 
cholera, which is virtually unknown in the United States, continues to 
threaten border communities. Last year, cholera bacteria were found in 
the drinking water in Ciudad Juarez, El Paso's sister city. We all know 
that disease knows no international boundary, nor does it respect any 
internal divisions within this country. It is imperative that we take 
steps to eliminate the health hazards faced by the residents of the 
colonias.
  In the past, it has been difficult to secure funding for the EPA to 
provide grants to colonias. In fiscal year 1990, I was able to obtain 
$15 million to establish a special revolving fund to make loans to 
Texas counties along the United States-Mexico border. Due to the high 
level of poverty in this area, the counties have not been able to 
adequately access these funds. These funds were used to create the 
Colonia Plumbing Loan Program. The intention of this program was to 
fill a gap in State and Federal funding. While some moneys have been 
provided for wastewater treatment, little funding has been provided to 
equip these homes with the necessary plumbing to utilize these 
services. As anyone who has been involved with the building or 
remodeling of a home knows, the modifications which must be made to a 
home in order to access water distribution and wastewater systems are 
costly.
  My legislation would convert this program from a loan program to a 
grant program. As with other grants to the colonias, the State of Texas 
will match the Federal contribution, thus allowing us to maximize the 
allocation of these funds. Mr. Speaker, this bill provides us the 
opportunity to take an existing program that while well intended, did 
not meet the needs of its constituents and tailor the program to meet 
those needs.
  Mr. Speaker, my second bill addresses the question of authorization 
in regard to grants for wastewater systems. After long and needless 
battles, this House has provided funding to the State of Texas to make 
grants to the colonias for wastewater treatment. These funds have been 
matched dollar for dollar by the State. Despite the fact that there are 
currently four statutes in force which authorize such expenditures, it 
is my understanding that an additional, agency-specific authorization, 
is necessary in order to secure funding for these hard-working 
Americans. Mr. Speaker, this legislation provides an additional 
authorization.
  Mr. Speaker, several times a year this Congress is asked to assist 
victims of natural disasters. The residents of my district are only 
happy to do so. Now, however, they are asking for your help to address 
a situation no less devastating than that experienced by the victims of 
flood, fire, or hurricane. Victims of natural disasters must ensure 
conditions similar to that of the colonias for a short time. The 
residents of the colonias have been enduring their hardships for more 
than 30 years. The time has come to finally address the needs of poor 
Americans who live along the international border between the United 
States and Mexico.
  Every American citizen is entitled to a certain basic standard of 
living, and we as a national should own up to our responsibility to 
take care of those who are least able to take care of themselves.


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