[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 108 (Monday, September 13, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H7023-H7024]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CLARIFYING BOUNDARIES OF JOHN H. CHAFEE COAST BARRIER RESOURCES SYSTEM
Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 3056) to clarify the boundaries of the John H. Chafee
Coast Barrier Resources System Cedar Keys Unit P25 on Otherwise
Protected Area P25P, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 3056
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. REPLACEMENT OF CERTAIN JOHN H. CHAFEE COASTAL
BARRIER RESOURCES SYSTEM MAP.
(a) In General.--Of the 2 maps subtitled ``P25/P25P'' that
relate to the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System
unit designated as Coastal Barrier Resources System Cedar
Keys Unit P25/P25P and are included in the set of maps
entitled ``Coastal Barrier Resources System'' referred to in
section 4(a) of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C.
3503(a)), the map depicting the northernmost area of that
unit is hereby replaced by another map relating to that unit
entitled ``John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System
Cedar Keys Unit P25/P25P'' and dated February 9, 2004.
(b) Availability.--The Secretary of the Interior shall keep
the replacement map referred to in subsection (a) on file and
available for inspection in accordance with section 4(b) of
the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3503(b)).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Radanovich) and the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms.
Bordallo) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich).
General Leave
Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume
to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite).
Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to
speak in favor of H.R. 3056.
In 1992, Congress made changes to the Coastal Barrier Resources
System that have effectively protected environmentally sensitive
communities and have deterred residents from building or buying lands
that are prone to natural disasters, such as flooding and erosion.
Under the Coastal Barrier Resources Act, also known as COBRA, residents
may build within the system but if they do, they will not qualify for
Federal assistance. In order to qualify for Federal assistance, the
most important being Federal flood insurance, residents must live in an
excluded area.
The maps used to depict the Coastal Barrier Resources System were
created over 10 years ago using the technology that was available at
that time. Basically they were paper maps with longitude and latitude
markings and
[[Page H7024]]
hand-drawn boundaries and land masses. Today we have digital technology
available to more accurately depict where Congress intended the COBRA
boundaries to actually lie. Unfortunately, this new technology has
found a number of incorrect determinations. Areas that were meant to be
excluded from the system were inadvertently included in the act.
Three such cases exist in my district in Cedar Key. Prior to
purchasing their properties, all three families were told by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service that the areas were in the ``excluded area.''
The families purchased their properties, paid the premiums for the
flood insurance required by the mortgage lender, but then last year
they were told by the Fish and Wildlife Service that an error had been
made and that in fact they were within the Coastal Barrier Resource
System. Thus, they do not qualify for Federal flood insurance.
Can any of us imagine the anguish and heartache that they are feeling
today? They paid premiums for flood insurance for years, only to be hit
by back-to-back hurricanes Charley and Frances, and possibly the
impending Ivan, and then they are told that because of an incorrect
determination they have no coverage. We still do not know how many
billions of dollars these disasters are going to cost the residents of
the State of Florida. The assistance residents may receive from FEMA
will only cover a fraction of the cost of damages in my area of Cedar
Key. Moreover, flood insurance is virtually unavailable in the private
market and can cost six times that of a federally insured flood policy.
What is even worse is one of these families was in the process of
selling their home last year and upon receiving the new determination
from Fish and Wildlife, their home depreciated actually on the real
estate market by over 50 percent.
My bill clarifies the boundaries of Unit P25 and the Otherwise
Protected Area P25P of the Coastal Barrier Resources System where my
constituents live. This bill uses digital technology to redraw the
boundaries to better reflect the intent of Congress in 1992 and it
excludes those families from the system. H.R. 3056 does not seek to add
any areas to the excluded portion of the system. It merely clarifies
the mistakes the outdated technology made in these instances. I believe
it is imperative that our citizens receive the assistance that they are
entitled to receive. It is imperative that Congress correct the flaws
in this good law to ensure that more residents in the area are not
adversely affected.
I would certainly like to thank the gentleman from California (Mr.
Pombo), the chairman, and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest),
the subcommittee chairman, for all their assistance with this bill. I
urge the Members' favorable support of the bill.
Mr. RADANOVICH. I thank the gentlewoman from Florida.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
(Ms. BORDALLO asked and was given permission to revise and extend her
remarks.)
Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the brief summary of the
bill provided by the previous speaker. As noted, H.R. 3056 is
noncontroversial legislation to correct a legitimate mapping error for
a John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resource System unit in the State of
Florida.
{time} 1645
Recent hurricanes in Florida have dramatically shown that building on
low-lying coastal barriers is inherently risky and costly both in lives
and property. I might add, Madam Speaker, that if anyone is familiar
with coastal areas and storms and the damage that occurs after such a
storm, it would be a resident from Guam, where we have had three major
typhoons in a year and a half.
Upholding the integrity of the Coastal Barrier Resources System is
essential if we hope to protect the Federal taxpayer from the folly of
subsidizing future foolhardy private development along these
undeveloped high-risk areas.
I commend the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest), chairman of
the Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans Subcommittee, and the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), the subcommittee's ranking
Democrat member, for their diligent evaluation to ensure that the new
maps adopted through the legislation are accurate and consistent
entirely with the purposes of the Coastal Barrier Resources Act. I urge
Members to support this noncontroversial legislation.
Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Blackburn). The question is on the
motion offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich) that
the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3056, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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