[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 20 (Monday, February 6, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S744-S745]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                          TRIBUTE TO TOM BURAK

 Ms. HASSAN. Mr President, today I wish to ask my colleagues to 
join me in recognizing Tom Burack and honoring his more than a decade 
of service to the State of New Hampshire. As commissioner of the New 
Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, he has been a strong 
advocate for our State and our environment.
  Our economic vitality as a State hinges on our pristine lakes and 
rivers, our clean air, and our strong protection of these natural 
resources. Under Tom's leadership, the department has focused on 
combating the serious challenge of climate change and ensuring that New 
Hampshire citizens and visitors have access to clean air, water, and 
land while providing excellent customer service--all of which is 
critical to our State's economy and future success. This includes the 
development of the 2009 Climate Action Plan, New Hampshire's entrance 
into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, RGGI, the creation of the 
MtBE Remediation Bureau, and the formation of the State Government 
Energy Committee, among many others.
  Tom has also led and facilitated a voluntary, informal network of 
State agency commissioners for 8 years, helping to bring agencies 
together to improve the operations of and drive innovation and 
efficiency in State government. He is a leader on the regional and 
national levels as well, including envisioning and coleading an overall 
modernization of how environmental protection services are delivered 
nationwide through a joint State-tribal-Federal initiative known as E-
Enterprise for the Environment. All of these actions and the many 
others that are too numerous to list have helped to strengthen our 
environment, protect public health, and combat climate change.
  New Hampshire's natural resources and scenic beauty must be 
protected, and doing so requires strong collaboration. As commissioner, 
Tom embodied New Hampshire's ``all-hands-on-deck'' spirit, working 
collaboratively with our neighboring States on issues like RGGI, local 
communities on issues like water quality and contamination, other State 
agencies on issues like State government energy efficiency, and 
partners at the Federal level.

[[Page S745]]

  New Hampshire and our country have benefitted enormously from Tom's 
vision, energy, and leadership, and I thank Tom for his tireless 
dedication to protecting our environment and his immense contributions 
that have helped make New Hampshire a special place to live, work, 
visit, and raise a family.

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