[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 23, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H1571]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              TOXIC CONTAMINATION IN SOUTHEAST LOS ANGELES

  (Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in order 
to bring attention to an issue afflicting communities in southeast Los 
Angeles.
  Today communities in Vernon and the surrounding areas are dealing 
with the aftermath of years of toxic contamination by a now-closed 
lead-acid battery recycling plant.
  The recycling plant, which was owned by the company Exide 
Technologies, operated for years in the city of Vernon. Even though it 
had multiple violations documented by inspectors in the late 1990s of 
bad things going on, there were few punitive measures used against 
them.
  Ultimately, who paid the price? The contaminated areas can be cleaned 
up, but those communities that live there, mostly composed of working 
class Mexican Americans, now have to deal with long-term health effects 
of being exposed, like cancer.
  Time and time again, when our infrastructure fails us, when 
corporations violate the rules, it is the most vulnerable communities 
that pay for it. I want to remind my colleagues we have to be vigilant.

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