[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 44 (Thursday, April 1, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3568-S3569]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BOND (for himself and Ms. Mikulski):
  S. 2269. A bill to improve environmental enforcement and security; to 
the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I am delighted to join with my friend and 
colleague Senator Mikulski to introduce today the Environmental 
Enforcement and Security Act (EESA) of 2004. This bill will increase 
substantially enforcement of our Nation's environmental laws, increase 
environmentally related homeland security, and further protect our 
Nation's water supply from terrorist attack.
  Our families and environment deserve communities free from 
intentional violators of environmental laws and terrorists who would 
attack our drinking water supplies.
  With this dramatic new commitment to environmental enforcement and 
drinking water security, we will tell those who would intentionally 
harm us that we are coming after them.
  The environment and health of our communities need vigorous 
prosecution of intentional violations of our Nation's environmental 
laws. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Criminal 
Enforcement program investigates the most significant and egregious 
violators of environmental laws that pose a significant threat to human 
health and the environment. However, the number of EPA Criminal 
Enforcement Special Agents has remained constant for the last several 
years.
  In addition, in our post-9/11 world, EPA Special Agents are needed 
for homeland security duties to detect, investigate and respond to 
terrorist threats involving chemical or biological hazards.
  EPA Special Agents support the Department of Homeland Security, 
Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice. EPA 
Special Agents are members of FBI Counter-Terrorism Response Teams and 
Evidence Response Teams.
  However, with this new post-9/11 need to respond to the threat of 
terrorism, some are concerned that environmental violations may not be 
receiving the attention they deserve. A recent report by the EPA 
Inspector General, an internal review by the EPA Enforcement and 
Compliance Assurance program, and various media accounts tell how EPA 
needs more resources to meet both its environmental and homeland 
security duties.
  Our bill responds to these calls with a dramatic new commitment to 
EPA's enforcement program. My bill will put 50 new EPA Criminal 
Enforcement Special Agents on the environmental beat. EESA will also 
provide for 80 Special Agents to support homeland security duties.
  With our bill, we will no longer need to make a choice between 
protecting our homeland and protecting our environment.
  With out bill, those who would intentionally hurt our families and 
communities through environmental harm will know that we are sending 
the manpower and resources needed to come after them.
  We are also sending local communities new funding to protect our 
drinking water supplies. Every family and every business needs clean 
and safe drinking water. Every mother needs to know that when she turns 
on the tap in her kitchen sink, clean and safe water will come out.
  That is why our bill devotes $100 million for additional drinking 
water security protections. EESA will send grant funds directly to 
water systems to protect against terrorist attack with fencing, 
intruder detection, access control and water monitoring. The need is 
great, but the federal government will attempt to do its share.

[[Page S3569]]

  Our bill will also enhance EPA's ability to protect the environment 
and human health in several other ways. EESA will double the number of 
enforcement trainers and triple EPA's enforcement training budget. EESA 
funds will train Federal, State and local inspectors, law enforcement 
agents and prosecutors with the training they need to pursue 
environmental violations.
  Our bill will also improve the environment by doubling compliance 
assistance funds to fill gaps in enforcement coverage, reach regulated 
facilities not visited by inspectors, and help the regulated community, 
especially small businesses, to understand EPA's complex and extensive 
regulatory requirements.
  Our bill will also make EPA's enforcement actions more efficient and 
targeted by fully funding a strategic enforcement targeting program. 
EESA will enhance EPA's ability to target its enforcement actions to 
where the environment needs them most. Strategic targeting will also 
improve EPA's ability to identify and respond to increased 
noncompliance with environmental laws.
  Our Nation's environmental laws exist to protect our families, our 
communities and our natural resources. Those who would intentionally 
violate our environmental laws deserve the full force of the government 
to stop them.
  Our families and communities also deserve our most vigorous efforts 
to protect them from the specter of terror. Chemical and biological 
threats represent one of the most sinister means for men to terrorize 
each other.
  We will send our homeland security agencies the environmental 
expertise and personnel they need to confront these threats.
  We will also send our local communities new help for additional 
drinking water security protections.
  Our environment deserves no less, our families deserve no less. I 
urge my colleagues to support passage and funding of the Environmental 
Enforcement and Security Act of 2004.
                                 ______