[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 130 (Thursday, September 19, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1663-E1664]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 REPORT FROM INDIANA--TRIBUTE TO THOMAS JACKSON AND NATIONAL POLLUTION 
                            PREVENTION WEEK

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                         HON. DAVID M. McINTOSH

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 19, 1996

  Mr. McINTOSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give my report from 
Indiana.
  Each weekend, my wife Ruthie and I travel across Indiana to meet with 
Hoosiers. And every time to travel to the second District of Indiana, 
we become more impressed with the hundreds and hundreds of individuals 
who are out there working day and night to make a difference taking 
responsibility to make our communities better places to live. I like to 
call these individuals Hoosier heros.
  Hoosier heros because they do good things for their friends and 
neighbors. For my first part of this weeks report, today I recognize 
Thomas Jackson of Anderson, IN, as a Hoosier hero. Ruthie recently 
spent a day with Thomas.
  Afterward she shared with me Tom's tireless efforts to help children 
in Madison County. You see Tom owns and operates his own restaurant--
the prime time deli and more.
  And between spending time with his family and the responsibilities of 
running his own business, but that doesn't stop Tom from helping 
others.
  He has taken on a crucial challenge. Thomas has taken on himself, the 
mission, to spread the message just say no to our young people. Tom 
travels to schools in Madison County educating, warning and teaching 
children to say: No to drugs and alcohol. Thomas' mission is special 
and close to his heart.
  Nine years ago, his own son Thomas Jr., became involved with a drug 
cartel in the neighboring city of Muncie. His son almost lost his own 
life. Thomas Jr. was in pretty bad shape but with the love of his 
father and family, he survived. He turned his life around.
  Thomas Jr. was recently married and today lives a happy life. Thomas 
Jackson, Sr., decided that the best way for others to avoid the same 
tragedy as his own son was to take a leadership role in warning 
children.
  He started an alcohol and drug awareness program: Youth needs prime 
time. That's reassuring. Today he educates children about the very real 
danger and possible lethal consequences of drugs and alcohol use.
  One of his volunteers is a 24 year old, ex gang member, Roosevelt 
Rees. Roosevelt has turned his life around, and is now dedicated to 
making sure kids don't make the same mistake of using drugs like he 
did.
  The effort--is crucial, especially, when study after study tells us 
that drug use among America's children is at an alarming all-time high. 
Drug usage among 14 and 15 year olds are up 200 percent since 1992. And 
that's frightening. So today, I want to lift up Thomas Jackson as a 
Hoosier hero, for taking his own version of just say no to children of 
Anderson, IN.
  For the second part of my report I will report on National Pollution 
Prevention Week efforts in Indiana. The week of September 16 to 22 is 
being recognized across America as National Pollution Prevention Week.
  I strongly believe that pollution prevention is not only the most 
effective means of protecting human health and the environment, but 
also makes excellent business sense. I believe that free market 
principles can actually do a better job of ensuring we have a cleaner 
America.
  In observance of this week, I would like to commend the efforts of 
those in Indiana to increase the development and use of pollution 
prevention methods.
  In particular, I would like to applaud the work of the Indiana 
Pollution Prevention and Safe Materials Institute. This State-funded 
organization provides technical assistance and educational services to 
a variety of Indiana's industry.
  Specifically, this institute helps businesses develop pollution 
prevention programs to reduce waste at the source and to prevent the 
environmental and health hazards of manufacturing wastes.
  With the assistance of this institute, numerous Indiana manufacturing 
facilities have adopted pollution prevention strategies that have 
resulted in the significant reduction of pollutants being released into 
the environment.
  They have also saved considerable dollars. Today, I also would like 
to recognize the metal finishing industry--a key segment of American 
manufacturing and a leader in pollution prevention initiatives.

[[Page E1664]]

  This industry is dominated by small businesses, with most employing 
less than 25 people. For the past decade, the metal finishing sector 
has worked diligently to improve its environmental performance. Today, 
nearly 30 percent of the total expenditures of these small companies 
are invested in pollution prevention and control equipment.
  However, current regulations imposed on this industry are actually 
hindering the achievement of additional environmental gains by 
stymieing the development and use of innovative technology that would 
allow reuse of valuable metals resulting from the manufacturing 
process. Under these regulations, businesses presently are given a 
choice of expensive offsite recycling or burying valuable resources in 
the ground.
  In fact, companies like McDowell Enterprises in Elkhart, IN, pay a 
25-percent premium to save their resources through recycling. 
Certainly, a better option exists. We should be encouraging onsite 
metal recovery or the use of the innovative treatment technologies
  A sound national pollution prevention program should spur voluntary 
initiatives. We must promote a broad range of risk management options, 
for reducing environmental releases of toxic chemicals and in some 
cases eliminating the generation of hazardous wastes altogether. This 
includes such methods as source reduction, reuse, recycling treatment 
and other waste minimization techniques.
  A broad program will permit businesses, large and small, the 
flexibility to design pollution prevention strategies based on the 
level of risk to public health and the environment.
  I urge Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency to provide 
leadership to free America's innovative spirit. We must encourage all 
Americans to create new technologies that will allow industries to go 
beyond compliance and that will lead to a better environment.

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