[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 114 (Friday, July 30, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1511]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           ASSISTANCE, QUALITY, AND AFFORDABILITY ACT OF 2010

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. BOBBY L. RUSH

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 29, 2010

  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to thank Chairman Waxman and 
Chairman Markey, and their capable staffs, for working with my office 
over the past year to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to avoid a 
repeat of the outrageous abuse of the public trust that left many of my 
constituents in Crestwood, IL, without clean drinking water for over 20 
years.
  In 1986, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was 
alerted that Village of Crestwood officials were piping in contaminated 
drinking water to its citizens.
  Despite warnings from the state agency to end this illegal practice, 
incredibly, it took another 20 years, and a personal investigation from 
a courageous and determined private citizen, my constituent, Tricia 
Krause, before the state finally went back out to inspect the water 
supply and found that contaminated water was still being used. Twenty 
years!!!
  Mr. Speaker, my amendment to H.R. 5320, which was adopted unanimously 
in committee, will compel the U.S. EPA to issue a final rule, within 12 
months, requiring public water systems and states agencies to submit 
all compliance monitoring data electronically.
  This will allow the U.S. EPA to update their systems to gather 
accurate and timely data collection so they are able to act more 
quickly and effectively against violations, especially when the 
public's health is in jeopardy.
  This bill will also require U.S. EPA to categorize any violations of 
federal drinking standards and determine what types of follow-up 
inspections are needed, as well as the frequency of inspections the 
state will need to carry out, depending on the risk to public health.
  By enacting this bill, as Representatives of the people, we will be 
able to better ensure that all citizens have access to clean, safe 
drinking water, and that the outrageous acts that resulted in the toxic 
contamination of Crestwood drinking water are never repeated.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

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