[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 135 (Tuesday, September 13, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1609]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CELEBRATING THE SERVICE OF LINDA S. ADAMS

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 13, 2011

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ms. Linda S. 
Adams on the occasion of her retirement as the State of California's 
Secretary for Environmental Protection. More than thirty years of 
service to California and its residents make her most deserving of this 
honor.
  Linda was appointed as Secretary of the California Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) in 2006, by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Her 
appointment was historical, as she was the first woman to ever be 
appointed to this position. As California's EPA Secretary, Linda had a 
number of responsibilities which helped ensure the well-being of the 
people of California. During her time as secretary, Linda oversaw the 
activities of the Air Resources Board, State Water Resources Control 
Board, Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, Department of 
Toxic Substances Control, Department of Pesticide Regulation, and 
approximately 5,000 employees.
  Upon her appointment, Linda began to do innovative work to address 
climate change and global warming. She was selected by Governor 
Schwarzenegger as the lead negotiator on Assembly Bill 32, the Global 
Warming Solutions Act of 2006. She was instrumental in launching the 
Green Chemistry Initiative, which calls for a more comprehensive look 
at California's chemical policies, as well as California's 
biomonitoring program which seeks to find links between environmental 
contaminants and human health. She has since continued to work closely 
with a number of states and countries to develop climate initiatives to 
achieve the greatest global reductions.
  Before her service as Secretary of California's EPA, Linda functioned 
as the director of the California Department of Water Resources and as 
a member of Governor Gray Davis' staff. Prior to becoming a member of 
Governor Davis' staff, Linda served Californians for 20 years as a 
staff member for the California State Legislature. Of note was her time 
as chief consultant to the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Water 
Resources. During her time as a legislative staffer, she worked 
diligently on assisting the passage of Proposition 204, the Safe, 
Clean, Reliable Water Supply Act.
  Linda has spent her life working on behalf of the people of 
California and has been a longtime friend of California's Central 
Valley. She has worked on several air quality issues--a deeply 
important issue to the Central Valley, and most recently served as a 
member of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board.
  I applaud Linda for her many years of diligent work on behalf of all 
of the people of California and the Central Valley. I invite my 
colleagues to join me in congratulating Linda on her retirement and 
thanking her for her innovative approach to enriching the lives of all 
Californians.

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