[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 42 (Monday, March 12, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E523-E524]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  WATER QUALITY INVESTMENT ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. MICHAEL E. CAPUANO

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 7, 2007

  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 
569, introduced by my colleagues Mr. Pascrell and Mr. Camp. This bill 
would reauthorize a grant program that expired in 2003, which 
authorized grants to States and municipalities to combat the problem of 
combined sewer overflows and sanitary sewer overflows. I was proud to 
be an original co-sponsor of this legislation.
  In 2001, the EPA estimated there were 772 communities in the country 
that have combined sewer systems, including all of the communities in 
my district: Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, and Somerville. The EPA also 
estimated that to address these problems would cost communities $50.6 
billion for CSOs and an additional $88.5 billion to address SSOs. These 
enormous costs cannot be borne by the communities alone.
  Since the Clean Water Act was first passed in 1972, the condition of 
our Nation's waters has improved greatly. H.R. 569 demonstrates a 
renewed commitment by Congress to clean water by providing targeted 
assistance to address two large outstanding problems still affecting 
water quality, CSOs and SSOs. I urge my colleagues to support this 
bill.

[[Page E524]]



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