[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 45 (Monday, March 16, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E674-E675]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  WATER QUALITY INVESTMENT ACT OF 2009

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 12, 2009

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1262):

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise today to express my strong support 
for the Water Quality Investment Act of 2009. I thank Chairman Oberstar 
and the House leadership for their hard work on this timely 
legislation, which will modernize our nation's wastewater 
infrastructure to ensure our water supply is clean and safe for 
America's children and families.
  A growing economy and population over the past decades have stretched 
the availability and compromised the quality of America's water supply. 
Our country has outgrown the capacity of our wastewater systems. Sewage 
overflows and toxic spillage are contaminating our water supply and 
posing grave threats to human health and the health of our water 
ecosystems.
  By authorizing $13.8 billion in federal grants for the Clean Water 
State Revolving Fund and $1.8 billion for sewer overflow control grants 
over the next five years, the Water Quality Investment Act will put 
480,000 Americans to work and help bridge the gap between the number of 
wastewater infrastructure projects that need assistance and the amount 
of funding available. Over the next five years, Minnesota will receive 
over $250 million to modernize its water systems, thereby helping to 
protect and restore the more than 10,000 lakes that help define our 
state.
  This legislation also takes bold steps to clean up the Great Lakes, 
one of the nation's greatest natural resources. The Great Lakes make up 
the largest system of fresh, surface water on Earth, providing 90 
percent of America's fresh surface water and 18 percent of the world's 
fresh water supply. In 2006 alone, over 23 billion gallons of sewage 
entered the Great

[[Page E675]]

Lakes due to failing wastewater systems. This threatens human health 
and compromises the environmental integrity of these precious water 
bodies. This legislation authorizes $750 million over five years for 
the Great Lakes Legacy Act, which supports projects to restore and 
protect the water quality of the Great Lakes.
  Water is a scarce, precious resource and we must use it with great 
care. By passing the Water Quality Investment Act, Congress is working 
to ensure that our water can remain clean and safe for generations to 
come. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important 
legislation.

                          ____________________