[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 91 (Thursday, June 17, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1136]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNITION OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CLEAN WATER AGENCIES (NACWA) 
                ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY

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                         HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 17, 2010

  Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, I wish to take this opportunity to 
congratulate the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) 
on the occasion of its 40th anniversary. NACWA is a dynamic national 
organization involved in all facets of water quality protection. As a 
key stakeholder in the legislative, regulatory, and legal arenas, NACWA 
has built credible collaborative relationships with members of 
Congress, the Environmental Protection Agency, the federal courts, and 
other governmental entities.
  The emergence of NACWA as a nationally-recognized leader in 
environmental policy and a technical resource on water quality and 
ecosystem protection issues has paralleled one of the nation's most 
successful environmental laws--the Clean Water Act. NACWA was 
established in 1970 by a group of individuals representing twenty-two 
large municipal sewerage agencies in order to secure federal funding 
for municipal wastewater treatment and to serve as a forum for 
discussing the best methods for improving the quality of our nation's 
waters.
  Over the past forty years, NACWA has expanded its member base and 
issue platform. It has changed its name, replacing the word 
``sewerage'' with ``clean water'' to better reflect the end-product of 
its members' treatment services--clean water. The organization also 
partners with diverse stakeholders while always advocating for sound 
science in advancing water quality protection. Today, as a leading 
clean water association, NACWA represents nearly 300 member 
organizations.
  Recent years have reflected heightened involvement for the 
association in a broadening array of complex 21st-century water quality 
issues including: green infrastructure, climate change, watershed-based 
approaches, and clean water funding and financing. Over the past 40 
years, I have observed an organization that is successfully working 
towards the goals that its founders established. NACWA continues to 
pursue every opportunity to develop and implement sound water quality 
policies that advance clean water and promote a healthy environment.
  I extend my congratulations to NACWA on the occasion of its 40th 
anniversary. During this time, NACWA's strategic input has been a 
valuable resource to me and the Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee and undoubtedly will continue to be as we shape the course of 
environmental protection for our nation's waters.

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