[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 154 (Thursday, October 22, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H11585]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      OUR NATION'S INFRASTRUCTURE

  (Mr. ARCURI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ARCURI. Mr. Speaker, the upcoming reauthorization of our surface 
transportation programs provides us with a unique opportunity to 
examine the ways we can maximize the return on our investment of 
taxpayer dollars we make in our Nation's infrastructure. If we strive 
for both economic and environmental sustainability, I believe we should 
support the idea of having this Nation's infrastructure designed to 
last without maintenance as long as possible and be 100 percent 
recyclable. The technology to meet these goals exists today, and we 
will save billions of dollars over time and lighten the financial 
burden for future generations.
  As we work to address the cost of rebuilding our roads, bridges, and 
transit systems, we can require the use of 75-year maintenance-free and 
100 percent recyclable materials. If we do this, we will be able to 
fund more projects and make critical infrastructure improvements 
faster.
  The technology that exists today to meet all of these goals is 
galvanized steel. Galvanized steel is made up of naturally occurring 
zinc bonded to steel, which protects it from erosion for 75 years 
without maintenance. Steel bridges, sign structures, guide rail, light 
poles, facilities can benefit from it. This is technology available to 
us.

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