Date: 2011-07-26
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Chair. we are in some tough times. but I believe its important to have a structure in this government that provides oversight over the environment of this country. And however one may quarrel with regulations that may seem a little steep. the work of the Environmental Protection Agency is important. And as we stand here today. this legislation cuts the budget of the Environmental Protection Agency by 18 percent. in addition to a 16 percent cut in funding for FY 2011. Thirtyfour percent. This is unacceptable. In order to protect the environment without harming industry. we must reach a compromise. instead of haphazardly slashing the EPA budget. These cuts purposely limit the EPAs ability to ensure that all Americans have access to drinking water that does not contain harmful pathogens and toxins that expose Americans to serious risk such as typhoid. hepatitis. cancer. and organ damage. The assault on public health does not stop with the quality of our drinking water. This bill also takes drastic steps to weaken the Clean Air Act. A rider is attached that will prevent the EPA from implementing the Cross State Air Pollution Rule. a regulation that was implemented to protect the public from dangerous air pollution and prevent up to 34.000 premature deaths. 15.000 heart attacks. and 400.000 cases of aggregated asthma. Ive never seen an EPA director work as hard as Administrator Lisa Jackson. Although we have had some outstanding administrators. she has worked to work with Members across the aisle. But these cuts reduce funding for the very programs that keep Americans. our constituents safe. And I cannot speak for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. but I cannot afford to have these cuts impact the people of Houston and around the Nation. Since 1999. Houston has exchanged titles with Los Angeles for the poorest air quality in the Nation. And so it is important that we find a way to increase the funding for the EPA. And as this bill makes its way through the floor. I am continuing to work to do so. And I start first with this effort. And I ask my colleagues to support this amendment. Let me explain to you about the Old Acres Home Citizens Council. This is a historic African American community located in Houston. Texas. The Council partnered with the University of Texas to conduct a study to assess the communitys health risk. It was determined that a local landfill could be the cause for the communitys healthrelated problems. enormous cancer in that area. As a result of the study. the Council was awarded a $20.000 grant from the EPA Justice Small Grants Program. under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation Liability Act. commonly known as the Superfund. which. obviously. it was in some years past to conduct tests to detect. assess. and evaluate the risk to human health from hazardous substances. The goal of these Small Grants Program evaluation projects was to investigate whether there were hazardous substances in the runoff from the adjacent landfill. This community needed those resources. The Council used the EPA grant funds to hire an EPAapproved environmental consultant to take soil and water samples from the backyards. The results of the sample analysis revealed high concentrations of toxic substances. many of which are harmful to humans. Since 2002. the residents of Old Acres homes have observed water and substances seeping from the landfill into their back yards. This runoff collects into pools of standing water. Due to poor drainage. these standing pools became engorged and then flood. thereby increasing exposure of residences to potentially hazardous substances from the landfill. This was the work of the EPA. It educated a poor community of seniors and others about the conditions of their neighborhood. This funding that takes away from EPA also takes away from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and. of course. impacts communities like that of the Acres Home Community in the 18th Congressional District. My friends. we cannot gamble with the safety of the American public. the cleanliness of air and water. the quality of the environment for future generations. We need to restore this funding. and I have made this effort to do so. I will continue to do so. Since the debt limit was put in place. we have always paid Americas bills. We fight today to raise the debt ceiling. but at the same time were cutting away at Americas safety and Americas need for environmental protection. I ask my colleagues to support this amendment because it is the right thing to do. It is the right thing to do for Acres Home Community in Houston. Texas. With that. Madam Chairwoman. I yield back the balance of my time.