Volume 163, No. 49 covering the 1st Session of the 115th Congress (2017 - 2018) 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 WATER INFRASTRUCTURE TRUST FUND ACT” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E360 on March 21, 2017.
More than half of the Agency's employees are engineers, scientists and protection specialists. The Climate Reality Project, a global climate activist organization, accused Agency leadership in the last five years of undermining its main mission.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
INTRODUCTION OF THE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE TRUST FUND ACT
______
HON. EARL BLUMENAUER
of oregon
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, America's water systems are in crisis. The American Society of Civil Engineers 2017 report card graded our wastewater infrastructure a D+, while drinking water received a D. While our clean water needs are estimated to be nearly $11 billion per year, appropriations for clean water infrastructure have averaged just
$1.4 billion per year over the past five years. Drinking water infrastructure is in worse shape--the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) estimates that we need to invest over $19 billion annually to ensure the provision of safe tap water, while Congress appro riates less than $1 billion. Though most of our water and wastewater systems are 75 to 100 years old, these growing challenges are not due to age alone: federal investment has fallen more than 85 percent since 1977.
Our failure to maintain and improve our water infrastructure doesn't only result in a poor grade on paper, it has real and dangerous outcomes, like the ongoing lead crisis in Flint, MI or lead-tainted water in Portland Public Schools. Water infrastructure-related problems are not confined to attention-grabbing headlines. Last year alone, American communities suffered more than 250,000 water main breaks and saw overflowing combined sewer systems--causing contamination, property damage, disruptions in the water supply, and massive traffic jams. These problems will only increase. It is time to establish a dedicated trust fund for water infrastructure similar to the Highway Trust Fund.
In honor of Water Week, today, I'm introducing the Water Infrastructure Trust Fund Act. This bipartisan bill will provide a small, deficit-neutral source of revenue to help states replace, repair, and rehabilitate critical clean and drinking water facilities. Half of the trust fund revenue will be distributed to local governments as grants and loans through the existing Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) for wastewater treatment construction, while the other 50 percent will be distributed through the existing Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) to finance projects to meet federal drinking water standards.
The Water Infrastructure Trust Fund Act is a step in the right direction to addressing our growing water challenges, keeping our kids and families healthy and our communities safe, livable, and economically secure.
____________________
Alerts Sign-up