Congressional Record, Volume 153 Issue 189 (Tuesday, December 11, 2007)

[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 189 (Tuesday, December 11, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H15259-H15261]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

HONORING THOSE WHO HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO ASSIST IN THE CLEANUP OF THE
NOVEMBER 7, 2007, OIL SPILL IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 853) honoring those who have volunteered to
assist in the cleanup of the November 7, 2007, oil spill in San
Francisco Bay.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:

H. Res. 853

Whereas the oil spill that occurred on November 7, 2007, in
the San Francisco Bay resulted in the discharge of between
53,570 and 58,000 gallons of toxic bunker fuel, causing one
of the Bay Area's worse environmental disasters;
Whereas 28 beaches were closed and over 1,300 birds so far
have been severely impacted by the spill;
Whereas thousands of individuals throughout the San
Francisco Bay Area immediately volunteered to assist with the
cleanup;
Whereas Bay Area community non-profit organizations, such
as San Francisco Connect, have also rallied to support the
response and recovery work by supporting these volunteer
efforts;
Whereas Bay Area environmental organizations, such as
Baykeeper, Save the Bay, and the Bay Institute, have provided
invaluable leadership in reporting, assessing, and helping to
remediate the damage to the Bay's ecosystem;
Whereas the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's
Associations, members of the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners
Association, commercial crabbers, and other Bay Area
fishermen have all joined the cleanup efforts as well; and
Whereas the city of San Francisco, particularly through its
Department of Emergency Management, has significantly
contributed to the overall response, bringing considerable
resources to bear: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors those
individuals and organizations who have volunteered to assist
in the cleanup of the November 7, 2007, oil spill in one of
our Nation's most beloved national treasures, the San
Francisco Bay.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
California (Mrs. Tauscher) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House
Resolution 853, introduced by my good friend and distinguished Speaker
of the House, Nancy Pelosi.
This resolution honors thousands of volunteers who helped clean up
the Bay Area's beaches and wildlife after the harmful oil spill of
November 7 of this year. The public's response to 58,000 gallons of
fuel polluting the bay typified how the San Francisco Bay community
comes together during a crisis. Our Bay Area constituents were eager to
volunteer their time and help minimize the negative effects to the Bay
Area's fragile ecosystem. For days and days after the spill, they
cleaned birds and combed the shoreline for oil residue, and in some
cases put their own health at risk in order to protect our bay.
In order to coordinate the volunteer efforts, numerous organizations
mobilized their members in support of the cleanup, including Save the
Bay, the Fishermen's Association and the Crab Boat Owners. I am so
proud of our Bay Area constituents, how much energy they showed, how
much passion they showed, and such dedication that they showed to the
bay during this environmental disaster. These volunteers deserve
recognition from the House of Representatives.
I strongly support House Resolution 853.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might
consume.
Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 853 honors the efforts of all of those
that volunteered to assist the response to the recent oil spill in San
Francisco Bay. Last month a cargo vessel collided with a span of the
San Francisco Bay Bridge, resulting in a gash to the vessel's hull and
the release of approximately 58,000 gallons of fuel oil into the bay.
Following reports of the oil spill, the Coast Guard, with its
Federal, State and local government partners, initiated a response to
the spill which has resulted in the deployment of 440 personnel and the
recovery of more than 4,000 cubic yards of oily solids.
In addition to the critical work performed by the Coast Guard and
other government officials, literally thousands of volunteers have
assisted in cleanup operations at beaches throughout the San Francisco
Bay Area. Volunteers have assisted professional cleanup crews in
removing oil from beaches and have reported sightings of oil-affected
areas and impaired wildlife to oil spill response personnel.
Additionally, volunteers were required to undergo at least 4 hours of
hazardous waste and emergency response training before participating in
the cleanup efforts.
I want to commend the Speaker of the House, Ms. Pelosi, and join with
her today in thanking these volunteers and honoring their efforts to
respond to this unfortunate event.
I also want to take time to thank all of the Federal, State, and
local officials for their efforts to contain and minimize the
environmental and economic impacts of the spill.
I urge all members to support this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of our time.

General Leave

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 853.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.

[[Page H15260]]

Mr. Speaker, I want to speak personally from my position as someone
who lives in the Bay Area. I live on the east bay in Alamo, California,
far from where the spill was. But I have to tell you that of the 8 or 9
million people that live in the Bay Area, not one single one was
completely unaffected by what happened on this terrible day of November
7. Many of us are deeply concerned that this was an accident that
shouldn't have happened, that this was something that may have been
prevented. And I have to commend the Speaker and the delegation from
the Bay Area for moving very quickly on a bipartisan basis to begin
hearings to be sure that we actually know what exactly happened so that
it can be prevented in the future. But today we're really here to
celebrate the thousands of Bay Area members that came forward so
quickly to volunteer to assist in the cleanup of the bay at a time when
it was in great jeopardy, at a time when they put their own health at
risk when, for many of them, it was as simple as just going down the
road to the beach near their house and attempting to do whatever kind
of cleanup they could have.
The environmental impact of the spill is still being felt, and
certainly for the wildlife of the Bay Area, it is still a question of
how many will survive in the long term. When you have this kind of
bunker oil, which is pretty toxic stuff, come into the bay and flow on
to these wild fowl and other animals, it puts them in great jeopardy.
We believe that in San Francisco the bay is a national treasure. We
believe it is not only a source of environmental pride, but it is also
a place where many thousands of San Franciscans and Bay Area people
work. We have obviously a very big crab industry, a big fishing
industry; and tourism, of course, is a big part of what we do in the
Bay Area. So we are deeply concerned about what happened on November 7.
But I think that this is a good time to celebrate the activism and
the volunteerism of people of the Bay Area and the San Francisco area.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I would advise my friend and colleague
from California that I have no further speakers at this time and would
reserve until she finds herself in a similar position.
Mrs. TAUSCHER. The Speaker became as concerned as we all were
immediately upon hearing about this, and brought the California Bay
Area delegation together to understand what we can do in our Federal
capacity to move this issue. And it was the Speaker's intention today
to speak about the volunteerism of the Bay Area people. Her speech will
be in the Record.
At this time I ask all of my colleagues to support H. Res. 853.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, again I yield myself such time as I
might consume just simply to thank the honorable Speaker of the House
for introducing this resolution and, again, to commend the selfless
acts, thousands of selfless acts of the volunteers in the San Francisco
Bay Area, also my good friend on the Transportation Committee, Mrs.
Tauscher, for her stewardship of this bill. I urge passage.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my constituents in San
Francisco and my colleagues in the Bay Area delegation, I want to thank
Chairmen Oberstar and Cummings, and Ranking Members Mica and
LaTourette, for their cooperation in bringing this resolution to the
floor.
The San Francisco Bay is one of Northern California's most precious
resources. Its biodiversity and fundamental role in commerce and
recreation make it essential to the vitality of the entire Bay Area.
The Bay is special to San Franciscans. We bring our kids and
grandkids here to play and learn about the environment. We surf and
sail. And we appreciate the precious ecosystem that exists on the
beaches, in the estuaries, under the water, and in the nearby National
Marine Sanctuary--the Gulf of the Farallones. So protection of this
Bay--its safety and its health--has always been a high priority. Any
harm to the Bay is a serious matter, and when disaster struck on
November 7th our community was quick to respond.
Thousands of Bay Area residents immediately volunteered to clean
beaches, rescue wildlife and undo the damage caused by this devastating
spill. City officials worked with federal authorities on a volunteer
management agreement to train and deploy local volunteers who were
qualified to assist with difficult shoreline and wildlife recovery
efforts. As a result, over 1,000 members of the Bay Area community were
quickly trained and credentialed.
In addition, community non-profit organizations such as San Francisco
Connect and the San Francisco Volunteer Center rallied support;
environmental organizations like Baykeeper, Save the Bay and the Bay
Institute offered their expertise; and the Pacific Coast Federation of
Fishermen's Associations, members of the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners
Association, commercial crabbers and other Bay Area fishermen offered
their equipment and experience.
Today's resolution honors all of the individuals, organizations and
officials who volunteered their time, their skills and their energy in
response to this disaster. Their commitment to both the environment and
their community saved wildlife from oil residue, protected the Bay's
ecosystem and made our beaches safe again for Bay Area families.
As it says in the Bible, `to minister to God's creation is an act of
worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.'
To all of those who ministered to the Bay, I thank you as a San
Franciscan, as one who is honored to represent our great city in this
House, and as Speaker of the House.
Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution
853 honoring those who have volunteered to assist in the cleanup of the
November 7, 2007 oil spill in San Francisco Bay.
My district lies roughly 50 miles south of the area affected by the
oil spill. Even though they were not directly affected by the spill,
the institutions and people in my district offered their help and
support to their northern neighbors. The Marine Wildlife Center at the
Long Marine Lab in Santa Cruz treated birds injured by this spill, the
NOAA Weather Service in Monterey played a pivotal role in providing
wind and sea forecasts necessary to predict the spill's trajectory and
assist in containment, and local organizations such as the Santa Cruz
Surfrider Chapter organized volunteers to assist cleanup efforts in the
San Francisco Bay.
I am proud of all of the people who unselfishly volunteered to assist
the cleanup. Their unselfish response to this environmental disaster
highlights just how important marine resources are to our communities.
But, despite our best intentions ``business as usual'' is killing our
oceans. We can no longer rely on the generosity of the citizens of this
country to clean up the mess created by big business and poor
governance.
When my constituents invest their valuable time to take care of the
environment, I take notice. Actions speak louder than words, and with
their actions in November, the people of the Central Coast are asking
us to do more to ensure that we protect the environment while we
conduct our business. If there is one thing that this oil spill shows,
it is that if we don't make protecting the environment a higher
priority, it will come back to haunt us . . . look at climate change.
Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, we were reminded about just how fragile our
waterways are when a ship ran into the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge
and spilled 58,000 gallons of oil into the San Francisco Bay. The spill
spread and soiled the pristine beaches of Marin County, in my district.
It also threatened the Point Reyes seashore and restoration projects in
Richardson Bay and San Pablo Bay.
Thousands of volunteers, including many of my constituents, spent
countless hours cleaning up. Fishermen volunteered their boats and
their time to help with clean up efforts. Without their help, the
cleanup efforts would have taken much longer, more birds could have
died, and more of the oil would have been unrecoverable.
Unfortunately, not enough training sessions were offered and many
potential volunteers were turned away from helping with the clean up
efforts because they lacked the necessary training. We need to learn
from this and provide more training opportunities and better utilize
potential volunteers.
As we move forward, we must also look into new technologies to
prevent spills and protect water and beaches. In Marin County, booms
across Bolinas Lagoon and Drakes Estero failed and left these areas
vulnerable to oil spill contamination. We need to ensure that we have
enough equipment to respond quickly and effectively, especially for
areas somewhat distant from spill mobilization centers. We also need to
ensure that we have enough people trained to handle this equipment and
manage the response efforts at these sites.
Thank you, Speaker Pelosi and Representative Tauscher for your
leadership on this resolution. Thank you to my constituents and to all
the volunteers who assisted with clean up efforts.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 853 and
to honor those selfless individuals who volunteered to help cleanup the
recent San Francisco Bay oil spill.

[[Page H15261]]

On November 7, a cargo vessel inexplicably collided with the San
Francisco Bay Bridge, spilling more than 58,000 gallons of toxic bunker
fuel and causing one of the worst environmental disasters the region
has ever seen. The impact on wildlife and surrounding beaches has been
extremely detrimental, with over 28 beaches closing and severely
impacting wildlife all around the bay.
However, in a strong testament to the American spirit, through this
disaster we saw resolve and self-sacrifice. I am extremely proud of the
thousands of individuals from around the area who immediately
volunteered to assist with the cleanup. Bay Area non-profit community
organizations like San Francisco Connect have supported the response
and recovery of volunteers, while Bay Area environmental organizations
like Baykeeper, Save the Bay, and the Bay Institute have provided
invaluable leadership in assessing the damage and remediating this
beautiful ecosystem.
Specifically, I want to recognize two of my constituents, Lynn Adams
and Deborah Nagle-Burks who, with the Pacifica Beach Coalition,
solicited volunteers while working through red tape to make sure anyone
who wanted to participate in the clean-up was able to. They remain
involved, and have advocated for a proactive approach to training
volunteers before a spill occurs so that the response of local citizens
can be faster and the damage limited.
In addition, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's
Associations, members of the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners
Association, commercial crabbers, and other Bay Area fishermen have all
joined the cleanup efforts, making an indelible contribution.
The collaborative effort of state and local agencies deserves our
thanks as well. The City of San Francisco, particularly through its
Department of Emergency Management, has significantly contributed to
the overall response.
Mr. Speaker, we owe a deep debt of gratitude to all the volunteers
who have given their time, the fishermen who have given their boats,
and the first responders who have given their expertise to this clean
up. Without the extraordinary efforts of these men and women it is
certain the scope of damage to the fragile Bay ecosystem would be even
greater than what we face today.
I will never cease to be proud and amazed by the dedication of my
constituents and of the American people. This why I rise in very strong
support of H. Res. 853. It is my hope that this resolution will be
swiftly passed and the selfless individuals who volunteered to clean up
the oil spill will be duly recognized.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Tauscher) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 853.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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