[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 13166]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     THE IMPROVING COAL COMBUSTION RESIDUALS REGULATION ACT OF 2015

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Paulsen). The Chair recognizes the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, responsible use and 
recycle of coal ash has the ability to reduce waste, provide 
construction materials, and keep utility costs low.
  This past April the EPA released yet another rule aimed at coal by 
mandating new standards for the disposal and storage of coal combustion 
residuals.
  As a result of this proposal, the House considered and passed H.R. 
1734, the Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act of 2015. 
This legislation codifies the base standards of EPA's final proposed 
rule, while also giving flexibility to the States to implement.
  Specifically, H.R. 1734 will allow States to create and enforce their 
own coal ash recycling permit programs. It also sets up enforceable 
State permit programs while utilizing the EPA's minimum requirements 
and will protect 316,000 jobs.
  Mr. Speaker, States also have the option to make their requirements 
more stringent than the EPA's final rule if they choose. I strongly 
support and was happy to vote for H.R. 1734 and the responsible use of 
coal and coal ash.


              Pennsylvania Hemlocks and the Woolly Adelgid

  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, recently I visited the 
Tionesta Research Natural Area of the Allegheny National Forest. This 
old-growth area is home to many 600-year-old hemlock trees.
  During this visit, Mr. Speaker, I spoke to forestry officials about 
efforts to fight the woolly adelgid. I even applied a treatment 
designed to combat the invasive insect to one of these massive trees.
  Mr. Speaker, many States are involved in the effort to fight the 
adelgid, which originated in Japan and was first found in the United 
States in the early 1950s. It can kill a hemlock tree within a few 
years after it becomes infested.
  In 2012, I teamed with Federal researchers and those from my alma 
mater, Penn State University, at a forum I hosted to discuss efforts to 
save our State tree, the Eastern Hemlock.
  As the chairman of the Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee, I am 
proud Pennsylvanians are among those leading the way in fighting this 
disease and protecting our forests and the economic stimulus that these 
forests provide both through timber and through tourism, making sure 
that these magnificent trees which have stood for centuries will stand 
tall for future generations.


                    Special Needs Trust Fairness Act

  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, July 26, we 
marked the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
  The passage of this landmark legislation signified a commitment to 
eliminating barriers faced by millions of individuals with differing 
levels of disability.
  It required businesses, buildings, transportation, and other services 
to accommodate those living with disabilities and guaranteed equal 
opportunities for workers with disabilities.
  Mr. Speaker, 25 years later it is apparent that we have made 
tremendous strides in upholding the intent of this vastly important 
civil rights law.
  Today countless Americans are empowered to shape their own lives and 
plan their own futures as they experience their daily obstacles 
decreasing over time. While we have so much to celebrate, there is 
always more progress to be made.
  This Congress I introduced the Special Needs Trust Fairness Act with 
the goal of eliminating a current prohibition on a person with a 
disability to create his or her own special needs trust.
  This long overdue legislative fix was recently passed by the Senate 
Finance Committee, and I am committed to working with my colleagues to 
guide this and similar measures through the legislative processes here 
in the House.

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