[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 72 (Thursday, June 8, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1086]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF THE STORMWATER ENFORCEMENT AND PERMITTING ACT OF 2006

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY G. MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 8, 2006

  Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, as a homebuilder for 
over 35 years, I rise today in support of the Stormwater Enforcement 
and Permitting Act of 2006, a bill introduced by Water Resources and 
Environment Subcommittee Chairman Duncan to streamline the Clean Water 
Act stormwater permitting process for residential construction sites.
  The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) costly, excessive, and 
inconsistent stormwater regulations need to be reformed to ensure 
affordable homes can be constructed without burdensome regulations that 
do little to protect the environment. More effective environmental 
protection will come from simple, straightforward rules that encourage 
compliance.
  Stormwater is different from the industrial pollutants that are the 
focus of EPA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. 
Rainfall events that generate stormwater runoff on residential 
construction sites cannot be controlled in the same way a manufacturing 
plant can control the flow of its industrial processes. The inflexible 
requirements imposed by the EPA do not acknowledge these differences. A 
more consistent and sensible enforcement approach would better protect 
our water resources without increasing housing costs.
  I believe stormwater regulations must be reasonable, which is why I 
am an original cosponsor of the Stormwater Enforcement and Permitting 
Act of 2006. This bill creates an outreach program to ensure all 
homebuilders know of EPA's regulations, gives builders an opportunity 
to correct benign stormwater permit deficiencies that do not result in 
environmental damage, and clarifies, codifies, and streamlines EPA's 
stormwater regulations for residential construction sites.
  At a time when housing prices have hit record highs, burdensome 
regulations are pushing up the costs of housing, squeezing working 
families out of the market. I look forward to working with my 
colleagues to move this bill forward to streamline EPA's stormwater 
regulations to ensure all Americans can realize the dream of 
homeownership.

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