[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 110 (Wednesday, August 1, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H4994]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                EPA ASSAULT ON HUDSON RIVER COMMUNITIES

  (Mr. SWEENEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SWEENEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on one of the infamous days 
for the citizens of New York's 22nd congressional district, a district 
that I represent.
  That is because yesterday, regrettably, the EPA Administrator leaked 
to the press her decision to dredge over 40 miles, 2.6 million cubic 
yards, 100,000 dump-truck loads of sludge from the bottom of the Hudson 
River.

                              {time}  1030

  This is after much debate and much study but, more importantly, after 
weeks of negotiation where we sought to bring the parties together so 
that we could find an amicable and immediate solution.
  This decision will wreak havoc on the citizens of the 22nd 
Congressional District. I would ask my colleagues to imagine, imagine 
finding out that your life has been turned upside down through a press 
leak; imagine knowing that this could lead to the seizure of your home, 
of your property, a change of your quality of life; imagine for 20 
years, fighting on an issue in which almost every public-appointed and 
elected official has abandoned you, and then having this occur to you.
  Mr. Speaker, shame on the EPA, shame on the administrator. I vow to 
continue this fight on behalf of the citizens of the 22nd Congressional 
District.

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