[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 67 (Tuesday, May 5, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E658-E659]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2016

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. DAVID N. CICILLINE

                            of rhode island

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 30, 2015

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2028) making 
     appropriations for energy and water development and related 
     agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2016, and 
     for other purposes:

  Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Chair, I am concerned that the Fiscal Year 2016 
Energy and Water Appropriations Bill passed on May 1st limits 
investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency at the expense of 
increased investment in fossil fuels, risking the future of America's 
clean energy future. It is vitally important that the United States 
continue to make strong investments in clean energy technologies, so 
that we can move away from reliance on dirty and expensive fossil 
fuels. By adhering to sequester level caps for non-defense spending 
risks the future of an American clean energy economy.
  In addition to the spending cuts, I am deeply concerned about 
misguided rider included in the bill that would prevent funding of the 
National Ocean Policy, which permits better coordination among federal 
agencies responsible for coastal and ocean planning.
  In 2011, ocean industries supported 2.8 million jobs and $282 billion 
in GDP. Our 21st century economy depends on our oceans, but there is 
increasing pressure on and competition for resources. Ocean planning 
seeks to reduce these conflicts and strengthen the resilience of ocean 
communities and ecosystems.
  In the Northeast, our Regional Ocean Council has allowed our states 
to pool resources and businesses to have a voice in decision-making and 
has coordinated with federal partners to ensure all stakeholders have a 
voice in the process.

[[Page E659]]

  Allowing federal agencies to coordinate implementation of over 100 
ocean laws and giving state and local governments a voice in the ocean 
planning process is smart public policy, and I hope that as the 
Appropriations process moves forward we will remove this harmful 
provision from the Energy and Water Bill.
  I would like to note that this year's Energy and Water bill includes 
$10 million for environmental infrastructure projects within the Army 
Corps of Engineers' General Construction account. These funds are 
vitally important to communities that desperately require improvements 
to their water and sanitation infrastructure, and may require 
additional funds to do so.
  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 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.
  For example, in my home state of Rhode Island a large-scale 
restoration is underway to improve the 143 year old waterworks 
infrastructure that runs through Cranston and Providence and serves a 
majority of the state. According to local news reports the project may 
take up to 40 years. In the northern part of our state, Woonsocket is 
planning its own major reconstruction of its water infrastructure, 
built in the 1930s, as they grapple with aging equipment that can no 
longer comply with environmental regulations.
  I applaud the excellent planning and fundraising being done in Rhode 
Island to meet the needs of our aging water infrastructure, and I note 
the benefit that having access to Army Corps of Engineers expertise and 
funds adds to local governments striving to meet the infrastructure 
needs of their communities.
  I urge my colleagues to include robust funding for Army Corps 
environmental infrastructure programs in the final Energy and water 
spending bill.