[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 99 (Friday, July 16, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1405-E1406]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND 
               RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2005

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. BOB FILNER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 13, 2004

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4766) making 
     appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and 
     Drug Administration, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year 
     ending September 30, 2005, and for other purposes:

  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Fiscal Year 2005 
Agriculture Appropriations bill. The bill includes several projects 
that will benefit my district.
  Imperial County in my Southern California district is a desert 
farming community located on the California-Mexico border. The county 
is one of the top agricultural counties in California. It produced over 
$1.2 billion of agricultural products in 2002. The county is a leading 
producer of agronomic and winter vegetable crops, as well as livestock.
  This bill contains language that directs the Under Secretary for 
Rural Development to give consideration to projects that would directly 
benefit my constituents:
  The Imperial Valley Sugarcane/Renewable Energy/Ethanol Project--
Environmental and water conservation issues are of grave concern to the 
agricultural producers in my district. Alternative, higher-value 
commodities must become available to ensure the best economic and 
environmental use of the land and water. This rural development project 
could provide such an alternative to many of our farmers while 
producing sugar, ethanol, and renewable energy. My constituents are 
pursuing an economic development project to develop sugarcane 
production and processing capabilities, along with ethanol and 
renewable energy production, in the Imperial Valley. The number one 
crop in the Imperial Valley is alfalfa, which has a much lower dollar 
value than sugarcane. Due to a rural-to-urban water transfer that has 
reduced the number of acres that may be planted in the Valley, my rural 
constituents searched for an alternative to alfalfa--and found it in 
sugarcane. The economic conversion project includes development of 
sugarcane acreage in the Valley, as well as construction of a new 
sugarcane processing facility on the site of an existing sugar beet 
processing facility in the Valley. The current sugar beet facility, 
which currently only operates four months of the year, employs 
approximately 300 people (100 full-time and 200 seasonal employees). 
Opening the new sugarcane processing facility would allow year-round 
processing at the site, dramatically increasing the number of full-time 
job opportunities at the facility. The project would also allow the 
creation of a power plant reliant on renewable fuels, principally from 
residue from the production and processing of sugarcane. Further, the 
project includes plans for ethanol production from the sugarcane. Due 
to California's phase-out of MTBE as a gasoline oxygenate, the state 
requires a stable supply of ethanol, and a local supply will 
dramatically reduce transportation costs for ethanol purchasers. 
Sugarcane-to-ethanol production in the Imperial Valley will greatly 
benefit the economic well-being of my constituents--as well as reduce 
renewable and clean fuel costs for the nation while protecting 
environmental quality.
  Environmental Technology Business Park--The County of Imperial is 
working to catalyze development of an EcoPark for location of renewable 
energy and ``green technology'' industrial projects. An investment in 
this project would leverage funding already allocated for development 
of biomass-to-ethanol projects in Imperial County over the past three 
years by local, state and federal agencies. The EcoPark is expected to 
attract more than $400 million in private investment and sustain more 
than 4,000 jobs in the related industry and agricultural sectors. 
Further, a variety of new and established firms are interested in 
bringing additional technologies to the EcoPark, such as methane 
digesters, minibiorefineries for biodiesel, nutraceutical manufacture, 
liquid natural gas production, and solar power generation. The EcoPark 
will be a beacon of economic and environmental development for 
renewable fuels projects.
  Desert Farming Institute and The National Center for the Study of 
International Trade in Agriculture--My constituents are interested in 
establishing a ``California Desert Farming Institute'' at the San Diego 
State University's Imperial Valley campus. The Imperial Valley of 
California is one of the most successful examples of desert farming in 
the world. San Diego State University-Imperial Valley campus, a 
Hispanic-Serving Institution, is located on the border with Mexico and 
thus a logical site for

[[Page E1406]]

a Center charged with studying the international aspects of 
agriculture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated the 
campus as a ``National Center of Excellence.'' The Institute's primary 
mission would be to compile, analyze, and disseminate information on 
desert farming and its commercial viability; to study the environmental 
and health issues related to desert farming; to compile, analyze, and 
disseminate information on international trade in agriculture, 
including trends in agricultural production around the world; and to 
form collaborative research partnerships with other institutions around 
the world to encourage research in the development of desert farming. A 
significant part of the world, including major parts of the United 
States, is desert land with little productivity. However, the 
application of state-of-the-art technology to farming and the 
development of modern agriculture have made desert farming a viable 
and, in some cases, a necessary activity. Any major expansion of desert 
farming could have a significant and positive effect on the global 
competitiveness of the American farmer, as well as positive impacts 
throughout arid regions of the world.

  Neighborhood House of Calexico Youth Center--Throughout the past 66 
years of its service, Neighborhood House of Calexico has targeted low-
income families in the community, serving an average of 7,000 low-
income persons per year. The Neighborhood House provides services such 
as day care, youth violence prevention, micro-business development, and 
shelter for homeless and abused women and children. The Neighborhood 
House Youth Center has been successful in interacting with at-risk 
youth, in diverting gang activities and helping youth obtain job 
skills, conflict resolution skills, increased level of interaction 
between adult role models and youth, and recreational activities. The 
City of Calexico is experiencing a significant increase in gang 
activity and potential for intensification with the downturn of 
availability of jobs, a 22 percent unemployment rate, and reduced level 
of training opportunity for youth and adults. Funding for this project 
would provide youth mentoring, assist youth in obtaining job training, 
and creating youth employment opportunities.
  Calexico Telemedicine Center--Calexico, California is a very poor 
community located in rural Imperial County along the U.S.-Mexico 
border. Unfortunately, this community does not have a hospital. 
Pioneers Memorial Hospital and the Heffernan Memorial Hospital 
District, the two major healthcare providers located in other cities in 
the county, have partnered to open an urgent-care center in the vacant 
Calexico Hospital building, which could be wired for telemedicine. 
Locally, this project has the support of all the stakeholders, 
government leaders, health boards, and businesses. Funding for this 
project would provide for the equipment needed to start a telemedicine 
center. Imperial County has a low number of medical professionals, and 
the residents of the city of Calexico are especially medically 
underserved. Telemedicine will allow patients to have appropriate 
medical treatment without having to travel across the county, or to 
other counties, states, or even countries, for service.
  This bill also contains language to uphold funding for the 
Agricultural Research Station in my district. The Brawley Research 
Station performs crucial research work under the arid saline conditions 
of the Imperial Valley in support of U.S. agriculture in desert and 
arid environments. For example, crop salinity trials are conducted in 
conjunction with the U.S. Salinity Lab based in Riverside, California. 
The salinity work done at Brawley could not effectively be performed at 
Riverside because smog negates the scientific validity of the findings. 
Such research has worldwide application as saline soils are a constant 
challenge to farming practices in many regions. Further, the station is 
strategically located to provide quick response support to biosecurity 
and agroterrorism detection work. It is situated less than 90 miles 
from six border crossings, one of which is the busiest passenger 
crossing in the world. The constant supply of host crops and high 
international traffic puts Imperial County on the front line of 
protection of the American food supply from foreign introduction of 
diseases, insects, and many invasive species. The Brawley Field Station 
currently headquarters research facilities and personnel from USDA and 
the California Department of Food & Agriculture, which can quickly 
implement control and eradication programs in coordination with local 
authorities--thereby making use of the best capabilities of local, 
state, and federal agencies.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and these important 
agricultural and rural development projects.

                          ____________________