[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 161 (Tuesday, October 23, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H11849-H11850]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            CLEAN WATER ACT

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, last week we observed the 35th 
anniversary of the Clean Water Act, and it was an important observation 
here on the floor as we dealt with the impact that that new law had, 
the heightened awareness and the progress that resulted. Back in 1972 
when the law was enacted, only one-third of our waterways met water 
quality standards. Two-thirds did not. In the course of that 35 years, 
we have reversed that: Now there are only one-third that don't meet the 
goal. But the fact is that there still is one-third that are not in 
compliance with our basic water quality standards.
  When we look under the ground, the situation is even worse. There are 
over 72,000 miles of sewer pipe and water main that are over 80 years 
old. It is one of the reason large sink holes open up and swallow 
trucks in American streets, why the American Society of Civil Engineers 
has given our water infrastructure a D-minus grade.
  All of this is compounded by the stress from global warming, as we 
see not just the ice caps shrink but the snow pack being reduced, we 
watch evaporation being accelerated as a result of the elevated 
temperatures, and we see that thirsty crops need more water because of 
the global warming. Agriculture of course is 90 percent of our water 
commitment.
  Now, there is going to be more friction, more problems over time with 
Water and Agriculture. We have some of our programs that have been 
enacted that are just plain silly. We continue to grow heavily 
subsidized cotton with subsidized water in the desert, something that 
long since should have been phased out. The New York Times Magazine 
this weekend featured the Southwest United States water problems, 
especially centered on the Colorado River and the demands that are 
rising there. But this tremendous problem is not limited to the 
southwest. On the front page of this morning's paper we see the Georgia 
delegation in Congress is suggesting that they deal with their severe 
drought and water supply problems by ignoring the environmental 
regulations of the Endangered Species Act, upsetting not just 
environmentalists but their friends downstream. It is a problem we are 
familiar with in the Pacific Northwest, where we have a severely water 
stressed Klamath River Basin, where the Federal Government as in most 
all instances has been part of the problem as we promise more water to 
more diverse users than nature can deliver.
  It is time for us to revisit, not just the celebration of the 35th 
anniversary of the Clean Water Act, but revisit our commitment that is 
embodied in that Act and where we are going over the next 35 years.
  It is important that we deal with very real problems of environmental 
quality requirements to save fish and wildlife and protect eco systems 
and, indeed, human life. We are watching the problems of diminishing 
supplies as we mine fossilized water in ancient underground aquifers. 
Global warming of course is going to make all of these problems more 
complex, more severe, and harder to solve.
  Every Member of Congress needs to do more than just celebrate the 
35th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. I would hope that, in the 
months ahead, every one of us does an assessment at home to find out 
how bad the situation is with our local water supply, storm water, 
sewage, and drainage. Are we one of the over 1,000 communities with 
combined sewer overflow problems? How is it going to be paid for? What 
is the planning that needs to take place? Every one of us should be 
insisting that we shift to basinwide framework for analyzing and 
solving water problems, not just looking at isolated instances.
  It is time for us to be serious about a funding solution. In 1978, 
the Federal Government provided 78 percent of the funding for our water 
quality problems. Today, that is just 3 percent. Even that 3 percent is 
as uncertain, as it is inadequate. It is time to establish a water 
trust fund, like the Highway Trust Fund, to help be a partner with 
State and local communities in meeting water quality needs. Finally, we 
need to begin addressing the ultimate question of who is going to get 
the water

[[Page H11850]]

and why, beyond just some historic accident and water rights policy no 
longer adequate for today's challenges.
  I strongly urge my friends in Congress to reflect on the 35th 
anniversary of the Clean Water Act by getting serious today with our 
constituents at home about what we are going to do for the next 35 
years of clean water.

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