[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 38 (Friday, March 21, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E565]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     IN HONOR OF NOMAN M. COLE, JR.

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                          HON. THOMAS M. DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 21, 1997

  Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, it is with deep sadness that I 
rise today to announce the passing of Mr. Noman M. Cole, Jr., whose 
contributions to the northern Virginia area, are beyond measure. Noman 
died suddenly in a skiing accident on February 2, 1997, and it is hard 
for me, and the entire Fairfax community to believe that such a vibrant 
and dynamic citizen is gone.
  I would like to take this opportunity to inform others of what an 
outstanding activist and advisor Noman was. As past chairman of the 
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, I had the opportunity to work with 
Noman and I viewed him as one of the fathers of modern Fairfax. He 
served on my commission to study the county's budget in 1992 and his 
insight helped the county to achieve a balance without a tax increase. 
He was a visionary who saw the big picture in the way government 
operates, and he was able to put together the coalitions to get things 
done. Noman was former chairman of Virginia's State Water Control Board 
and an activist who frequently spoke out in defense of measures to 
protect northern Virginia's water supply. While chairman, Noman 
initiated the State standards for treating sewage before it was 
released into the Potomac River.
  No one had more to do with protecting the Potomac River and shaping 
the region's water supply. Many of Norman's other brilliant ideas have 
been adopted by the Virginia General Assembly. Noman also served as a 
member of the Occoquan Sewage Authority and most recently was involved 
in assessing Dominion's semiconductor's plans to build a $1.7 billion 
computer chip plant in northern Virginia. He also was a fighter for 
such causes as conserving energy and decreasing government spending.
  Noman will be missed by all the residents of northern Virginia that 
were among the lucky to know him, and my deepest condolences goes to 
his wife, Janet, and his family. Noman will be a friend I will never 
forget, and he will be missed by the community he served. A recent 
editorial in the Washington Post clearly defines Mr. Cole's 
contributions to the region.

                    In Honor of Norman M. Cole, Jr.

                [From the Washington Post, Feb. 9, 1997]

       The Potomac River is far cleaner today than it was 30 years 
     ago, and the credit for this transformation goes to one man 
     whose expertise, persistence and political skills forced the 
     issue on officialdom until he got results. Norman Cole Jr., 
     who died in a skiing accident last weekend at the age of 63, 
     was the undisputed champion of efforts to achieve what 
     presidents and other elected leaders all talked about but 
     never seemed ready to do: rid the Potomac of serious 
     pollution. Poll anyone who ever got involved in the revival 
     of the river and they point to Mr. Cole, the caring man who 
     knew more than anyone else about water quality.
       Mr. Cole served in a variety of state and local assignments 
     pertinent to the longtime health of the region. He did stints 
     as technical and policy adviser to Govs. John Dalton and 
     Linwood Holton on energy and water pollution abatement. The 
     government of Fairfax County leaned on Mr. Cole constantly 
     for guidance, and civic groups sought him out for help, which 
     he generously provided. Mr. Cole also was principal author of 
     the 1971 Occoquan Watershed Policy, which prompted creation 
     of a sewage authority there as well as of a world-class 
     treatment plant.
       Mr. Cole's expertise extended to global issues. He was a 
     nuclear engineer who was a leader in the inspection and 
     rectification of problems involving the reactor after the 
     Three Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania. He served on the 
     Ukrainian international jury reviewing proposals to stabilize 
     Chernobyl Unit No. 4 after the disaster there. Mr. Cole 
     assisted the Russian government in defueling its nuclear-
     powered submarines.
       Mr. Cole was the man who was always testing the waters--
     literally as well as in his elaborate charts brightened by 
     his famous multicolored underliners. When the Potomac started 
     passing his tests, he would organize group swims. When the 
     attention spans of government officials got short, he would 
     nag and educate them until they at least listened some more. 
     He did what he did out of a deep concern for the safety and 
     pleasure of his own children and out of a love of the outdoor 
     life and a special affection for the Potomac. His legacy is a 
     unique treasure.

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