[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 107 (Thursday, July 10, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1135]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2015

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. DAVID N. CICILLINE

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 9, 2014

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4923) making 
     appropriations for energy and water development and related 
     agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2015, and 
     for other purposes:

  Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Chair, yesterday I offered an Amendment to the 
Energy and Water Appropriations Bill that would support environmental 
infrastructure projects through the Army Corps of Engineers for 
financially distressed municipalities.
  We require, quite rightly, water and sewage treatment plants to 
maintain federally mandated standards to keep our water supply safe and 
sustainable. About 72% of the population is served by sewage treatment 
plants, but 3.8 million of those people are served by facilities 
providing less than secondary treatment, which is a basic requirement 
by federal law. Often, the financial burden to meet these requirements 
falls on state and local governments. This can leave communities 
experiencing particular financial distress with outdated infrastructure 
and facing down huge costs to bring them in line with requirements. And 
this affects all of us, as aging wastewater management systems 
discharge billions of gallons of untreated sewage into U.S. surface 
waters each year.
  The Army Corps of Engineers can provide invaluable assistance to 
financially strapped communities through its general construction fund, 
specifically for wastewater and water improvements.
  The amendment I introduced would direct $44 million through the 
general construction account to support environmental infrastructure 
programs for financially distressed municipalities, in the hopes that 
we can provide some support for some of the most pressing wastewater 
improvement projects in the country.
  This same amount has been included for environmental infrastructure 
programs in the past, but no funding is included in this year's bill.
  Federal assistance has not kept pace with the needs of wastewater 
treatment systems, despite the fact that authorities agree that funding 
needs remain very high: The EPA estimates that the country will need to 
invest $390 billion over the next 20 years to replace existing systems 
and build new ones to meet demand. Furthermore, they estimate that 
there will be a $6 billion gap between current spending projections and 
need, if no changes are made.
  These infrastructure projects are extremely important to many 
communities across the country, including in my own state of Rhode 
Island. Though I withdrew my amendment, I look forward to working with 
the chair and ranking member of the Energy and Water Appropriations 
Subcommittee to ensure that these vulnerable communities receive 
support to ensure that Americans across the country have access to 
clean, safe water and sewage systems.

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