[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 74 (Tuesday, June 3, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H3216]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     POTENTIAL POLLUTION OF POTOMAC

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 21, 1997, the gentleman from West Virginia [Mr. Wise] is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, Sunday, residents of this area, the 
Washington, D.C. area, found a front page Washington Post article 
dealing with potential pollution problems coming down the Potomac from 
West Virginia. This followed a report a couple of weeks ago by a group 
called the American Rivers group. Since most of the Members in this 
Chamber at some time or another are going to be drinking water 
generated at the headwaters of the Potomac, namely, West Virginia, I 
thought we ought to talk about it and talk about what is being done to 
deal with this concern.
  I think that people ought to know that there is a commonsense 
solution to these problems and, indeed, a number of measures are being 
untaken, and that no one is trying to close their eyes to the 
situation, but at the same time we also have to appreciate what is 
being done and that, indeed, a number of steps are already underway to 
deal with this.
  This is not a new issue. In 1994, Federal and State officials were 
proactive in initiating a project to monitor water quality generated in 
the Potomac and a number of agencies came together, along with the U.S. 
Geological Service and the Natural Resource Conservation Service. They 
performed a long-term study and found that there were high 
concentrations of fecal coliform and fecal streptococci.
  As a result of these findings the following efforts have been 
initiated, and I think they are significant:
  First of all, the Potomac Headwater Land Treatment project. This is a 
very significant program initiated just a few months ago in which there 
is a cost share program funded under the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture's watershed program to assist poultry and livestock 
producers in developing a nutrient management plan and directing them 
to build storage facilities.
  Poultry litter composting demonstration project, another similar type 
of effort.
  One area that I think has great promise and is already being tested 
successfully is the power digest project, a project of the West 
Virginia Department of Agriculture, formerly working with the Olin Co., 
now with a West Virginia firm, demonstrating ways to reduce the chicken 
litter to produce methane gas for energy and compost. This is now ready 
for full-scale application.
  We also have the pesticide collection program in which the Eastern 
Panhandle and Potomac Valley Soil Conservation districts are holding 
separate pesticide collection days and already more than 30 tons of 
pesticides have been collected that is not going into the water system.
  The Geographic Information System administered by the NRCS and the 
West Virginia Soil Conservation Agency to record data on the location 
of poultry houses and feedlots that could be creating problems. The 
riparian zone development project undertaken in cooperation with the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Partners for Wildlife Program.
  The manure testing laboratory, very significant, established in 
Moorefield through the cooperative efforts of the West Virginia 
Department of Agriculture, the NRCS, the Soil Conservation Service and 
the EPA.
  The water quality incentive program, which provides incentive 
payments to farmers to improve land health by changing their management 
methods.
  Also the litter hotline so that farmers and poultry producers can 
receive assistance in how to deal with this problem. There are a number 
of other efforts underway as well, including adding additional staff at 
the new laboratory in Moorefield to work firsthand on these concerns.
  I want to reassure people that several things are being done. I have 
directed my staff to coordinate closely with the West Virginia 
Commissioner of Agriculture, Gus Douglas, who has already taken the 
lead on this over the past few years. We are today in the field in 
Hardy County and other areas talking with many of the parties involved. 
The first thing is to identify the full extent of the problem and the 
second is to make sure that we are working in close coordination.
  I believe that there is a coordinated effort already underway. If it 
is not enough, it will be made enough. But I think it is significant, 
and I wanted people to understand that no one is taking this problem 
lightly in West Virginia, that indeed working with the poultry 
industry, working with the poultry producers, those who own the houses, 
those who are raising the poultry, working with the economic 
development concerns and working with environmentalists, we are 
addressing this problem and indeed making every effort to make sure 
that the Potomac is safe, every part of the Potomac.
  So we look forward, Mr. Speaker, to reporting back on progress that 
is being made. But in light of these reports that have been issued, I 
think it is important that many people in this area understand that 
significant efforts are underway to deal in a very meaningful and 
commonsense way with whatever pollution there may be, because we all 
benefit, whether at the headwaters of the Potomac or at the receiving 
end in the Chesapeake Bay, we all benefit from cleaner waters. And we 
are dedicated to making sure that happens.

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