[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 149 (Thursday, September 18, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S9013]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION TRAGEDY

  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I would like to take a few minutes today 
to express my sadness regarding the tragedy this week involving 
officials with the International Boundary and Water Commission, IBWC. 
On Monday, an airplane carrying U.S. Commissioner Carlos Marin; Mexican 
Commissioner Arturo Herrera; and also Jake Brisbin, Jr., Executive 
Director of the Rio Grande Council of Governments; and Matthew Peter 
Juneau, the pilot, was reported as missing when it failed to arrive at 
its destination of Presidio, TX. Wreckage of that aircraft was located 
yesterday, and it was confirmed that there were no survivors. I offer 
my condolences to the family members of all of the individuals who were 
on the aircraft.
  I would like to say a few words in particular about Commissioner 
Marin, who I had the pleasure of working with on a range of IBWC 
matters in New Mexico. Commissioner Marin was appointed to his position 
by President Bush in December 2006 after 27 years of service to the 
Commission. Previous to that, he worked with the Bureau of Reclamation 
after receiving a bachelor's degree in civil, engineering. He took over 
the IBWC at a tumultuous time, and quickly gained the respect of his 
colleagues and employees with calm and steady leadership of the agency. 
He was a problem-solver, focused on the IBWC's mission, and someone who 
was always readily accessible to my staff and me. Recently, my staff 
worked with him on the management plan for the Rio Grande in southern 
New Mexico. Commissioner Marin was instrumental in moving this project 
along after an impasse of many years. We will miss his effective 
leadership and his warm personality. My sympathies go out to his wife 
Rosa and two adult children.

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