“INTRODUCTION OF THE STORMWATER ENFORCEMENT AND PERMITTING ACT OF 2006” published by the Congressional Record on June 8, 2006

Volume 152, No. 72 covering the 2nd Session of the 109th Congress (2005 - 2006) was published by the Congressional Record.

The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.

“INTRODUCTION OF THE STORMWATER ENFORCEMENT AND PERMITTING ACT OF 2006” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1086 on June 8, 2006.

The publication is reproduced in full below:

INTRODUCTION OF THE STORMWATER ENFORCEMENT AND PERMITTING ACT OF 2006

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HON. GARY G. MILLER

of california

in the house of representatives

Thursday, June 8, 2006

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, as a homebuilder for over 35 years, I rise today in support of the Stormwater Enforcement and Permitting Act of 2006, a bill introduced by Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chairman Duncan to streamline the Clean Water Act stormwater permitting process for residential construction sites.

The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) costly, excessive, and inconsistent stormwater regulations need to be reformed to ensure affordable homes can be constructed without burdensome regulations that do little to protect the environment. More effective environmental protection will come from simple, straightforward rules that encourage compliance.

Stormwater is different from the industrial pollutants that are the focus of EPA's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. Rainfall events that generate stormwater runoff on residential construction sites cannot be controlled in the same way a manufacturing plant can control the flow of its industrial processes. The inflexible requirements imposed by the EPA do not acknowledge these differences. A more consistent and sensible enforcement approach would better protect our water resources without increasing housing costs.

I believe stormwater regulations must be reasonable, which is why I am an original cosponsor of the Stormwater Enforcement and Permitting Act of 2006. This bill creates an outreach program to ensure all homebuilders know of EPA's regulations, gives builders an opportunity to correct benign stormwater permit deficiencies that do not result in environmental damage, and clarifies, codifies, and streamlines EPA's stormwater regulations for residential construction sites.

At a time when housing prices have hit record highs, burdensome regulations are pushing up the costs of housing, squeezing working families out of the market. I look forward to working with my colleagues to move this bill forward to streamline EPA's stormwater regulations to ensure all Americans can realize the dream of homeownership.

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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 152, No. 72