[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 78 (Thursday, May 11, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H4801]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       WATER CROSSES STATE LINES

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I was disappointed yesterday that the 
substitute for the Clean Water Act was not passed on the House floor, 
but I think that during the course of the debate one very important 
fact was brought out.
  Several speakers said and pointed out that the problem with clean 
water, or the problem with water in general, is that it follows, it 
crosses State lines. In other words, when we are dealing with the 
various amendments to the Clean Water Act today, we have to keep in 
mind that each State cannot be responsible totally for the water within 
its jurisdiction, because it has an impact on other States. That is why 
I think it was very important yesterday that we were able to pass the 
amendment on coastal nonpoint source pollution, because it means that 
one State will not be able to have a lesser standard or a lesser 
management program than another State and negatively impact that State.
  The same philosophy has to go before us today when we are dealing 
with the other amendments, whether it is ocean discharge and waivers 
for secondary treatment, or it is beach water testing. All these things 
should be voted on and looked at in the context of the fact that water 
crosses State lines. Whatever one State does is going to have an impact 
on another State.


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