[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 142 (Saturday, October 10, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2013-E2014]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CONGRATULATIONS, SAGINAW

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES A. BARCIA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 9, 1998

  Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud the good work of the 
City of Saginaw,

[[Page E2014]]

in my 5th District of Michigan, and particularly the leadership of the 
Saginaw City Council and City Manager Reed Phillips. In October 1998, 
at the 71st annual Water Environment Federation Conference in Orlando, 
the City of Saginaw was presented with the Environmental Protection 
Agency's 1998 National Sewer Overflow Control Program Excellence Award. 
The award is presented for innovation and quality for their combined 
sewer overflow control measures.
  As we in the 5th District well know, the Saginaw River is a major 
contributor to the health or problems in the Saginaw Bay and Lake 
Huron. During our communities' long history in the region, we have 
struggled to reverse the degradation of the river and the lake from our 
cities and industry. A major role in that effort lies with city 
officials in our area. The Saginaw City Council and Mr. Phillips have 
provided a cutting edge example of how we can return our environment to 
the safe, healthy and productive resource whose beauty has made our 
region one of the largest tourist attractions in the Midwest.
  Combined sewer overflows are a critically important problem in our 
country, particularly in the Northeastern, Midwestern and Northwestern 
United States. This 19th century engineering breakthrough represents an 
environmental nightmare for our cities of today. Periodic heavy 
rainfall can lead to releases which compromise our rivers, streams, 
lakes and oceans.
  The efforts of Mr. Phillips to make me aware of this crisis in 
Saginaw, Bay City and other towns in our State led me to introduce H.R. 
4242, the Combined Sewer Overflow Control and Partnership Act of 1998. 
Only massive expenditures of limited municipal resources can solve this 
problem today. With Reed's help, I learned that a national grant 
program is essential to long term solutions to this problem.
  This is why, Mr. Speaker, that the creativity and innovation of the 
City of Saginaw is so impressive. To gain national recognition for 
success in attacking a problem which seems to have no solution is truly 
a victory for our citizens and our environment. Instead of giving up in 
the face of nearly insurmountable odds, the City of Saginaw has 
dedicated itself to making progress, and has proven that dedication and 
effort can change the course of rivers.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to join me today in 
applauding the City of Saginaw and City Manager Reed Phillips, and 
cherishing the environment which they so dutifully protect.

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