[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17365]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        AUTHORIZING PARTICIPATION IN CERTAIN RECYCLING PROJECTS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. JOE BACA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 19, 2004

  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of Congressman 
Dreier's Inland Empire Regional Water Recycling Initiative, H.R. 2991, 
which will specifically benefit the cities of Ontario and Fontana in my 
district.
  I am an original co-sponsor of the bill and I look forward to seeing 
its benefits in the Inland Empire in California.
  I consider it top priority to improve water quality and increase 
water quantity in my community. This community has had to juggle: 
wildfires, huge population growth, drought, and water contamination 
with perchlorate and other chemicals. For all of these reasons, water 
recycling and new technology for treatment are critical to this area.
  We need to increase and improve the quality of our water supply, and 
this legislation before us today is a giant step in that direction.
  I would like to commend my neighbor, Congressman Dreier, for his 
leadership in improving water availability in Southern California, as 
well as in the fight to clean up perchlorate-contaminated groundwater.
  I also commend the bipartisan California delegation for bringing 
forward important legislation that will bring crucial water benefits to 
our State.
  I urge my colleagues to support this initiative that will help 
``drought-proof'' a region that desperately needs it.

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