Recognizing the American Concrete Institute's 100-year contribution as the standards development organization of the concrete industry and for the safe and technologically current construction activity it has enabled, which contributes to the economic stability, quality of life, durability of infrastructure, and international competitiveness of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I too rise in support of our resolution today recognizing the National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association. Again, Mr. Speaker, this is a part of the infrastructure that so many people take for granted, but they should not. This is an area that is absolutely vital to the way that we conduct our industry today. It employs well over 100,000 men and women, and the amounts of material that are moved are staggering: 2\3/4\ billion metric tons of crushed stone, sand, and gravel.

And it is not just the dollar value that approaches $15 billion. It is the way that it fits throughout how we run our economy today. For a typical home, there are about 400 tons of crushed stone, sand, and gravel that are used in the overall construction process. For a mile of interstate highway, it is 78 million pounds of aggregate.

Without aggregate we would not have the transportation infrastructure that we depend upon, whether for sidewalks, roads, airport runways, or railroad beds. They are so essential to human activity that virtually every county in the United States of any size has at least one of these facilities. I count in my State over two dozen active quarries, and eight companies just in my congressional district.

At times this produces a little heartburn for neighbors and local officials. But having the materials from a local quarry or sand or gravel mine significantly reduces the cost to the community in terms of residential, commercial, and industrial construction. It also reduces the wear and tear on other infrastructure transporting it and it saves energy.

We are learning today how many of these aggregate operation sites, can be reclaimed and converted to further beneficial use for the community. In some cases it is residential or commercial; in other cases office parks, golf courses, parks, storm water management facilities, or even farm land.

In my community we are watching a major reclamation effort taking place with Ross Island Sand and Gravel that has had a facility for years adjacent to and, in fact, in the Willamette River. As a result of the work with our State and local authorities, the company, and its owner Dr. Robert Pamplin, Jr., we are accelerating the reclamation of 118 acres of forest, 22 acres of wetlands, 14 additional acres of shallow water habitat. There is a commitment to make it a model in our community. It is going to be a jewel that for years has provided important materials but is going to be giving back to our community for generations to come.

There are other environmental benefits from the aggregates in terms of natural filtration, aggregates used in sewage control, waste water control, the purification of drinking water, wildlife protection. In many areas there are buffers around aggregate operations that can be used for wildlife habitat.

In terms of flue gas desulfurization, aggregates like limestone are used in the reduction of sulphur dioxide from industrial smokestacks, the treatment of landfill leachate, and landfill construction to precipitate heavy metals from discharges and to line or cap landfills.

It is not easy having these facilities in and around our communities, but they are absolutely essential and can work in harmony with the environment.

There is also work that is being undertaken now how to recycle many of these materials. The benefit economically goes far beyond just the actual output, and the estimate is that it is a multiplier effect of more than 1\1/2\ times the output of the aggregate. For each million dollars expended on aggregate, we create almost 20 jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today that the House is taking a moment to reflect on this often invisible top. It was valuable to remind the members of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the critical role these basic materials play and the progress that has been made to continue this essential supply on into the future in ways that not only advance the built environment, but protect the natural environment as well.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 280 and congratulate my friends at the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association on the occasion of reaching their 100th anniversary.

For 100 years, the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association and its 800 members have made vital contributions to the Nation's economy and to improving the quality of life through the constantly expanding roles stone, sand, and gravel serve in the Nation's everyday life.

Mr. Speaker, each man, woman and child across the nation ``uses'' about 10 tons of aggregate (crushed stone, sand and gravel) each year. These aggregates are so essential to human activity that there is a quarry or sand and gravel pit in almost every county in the Nation.

Four hundred tons of crushed stone, sand and gravel are used in the construction of the average home, 38,000 tons of aggregate go into each mile of interstate highway. Pulverized minerals from rock are used in the manufacture of paint, paper, plastics, vinyl, pharmaceuticals, toothpaste, chewing gum, glass, cleansers and dozens of other everyday household items.

Without aggregates, there would be no paved streets, roads, sidewalks, airport runways or railroad beds. In fact, more than 94 percent of asphalt pavement and more than 80 percent of a concrete sidewalk is aggregate.

The National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association is a key member of the Transportation Construction Coalition and a founding member of Americans for Transportation Mobility, whose objective is to improve the Nation's roads, bridges, mass transit systems, waterways, airports, and water and wastewater system that are the backbone of the Nation's economy.

The association invests valuable resources in improving the professional development of industry employees by sponsoring educational seminars, and advocates that members maintain a strong and unwavering commitment to safety and health at workplaces.

Research and development supported by the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association is creating increasingly superior asphalt and concrete products that are cost-effective, easier to maintain, and have a longer life span, resulting in significant savings for taxpayers.

The leaders in the aggregates industry are continuously demonstrating their willingness and desire to act and operate responsibly in serving the construction needs of the country by respecting and observing the well-being and the environmental sensibilities of the communities of which they are an important part.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand in support of this resolution and give recognition to the 100th anniversary of the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association. I strongly urge you to vote aye on H. Con. Res. 280.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 394, ``Recognizing the American Concrete Institute for 100 years of service.'' I was pleased to author this resolution because over the past 100 years the American Concrete Institute (ACI) has made valuable and lasting contributions to our nation's infrastructure and economy, and improved the quality of life for all of our citizens.

As a former developer and a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I know first-hand the vital role concrete plays in the construction of our country. Everything from the roads we drive on to the very foundation of the homes we live in are dependent on this industry.

Concrete is an integral building material used in a variety of construction projects from roads, bridges, parking lots, and sidewalks to homes and skyscrapers. It is one of the oldest and most versatile building materials on earth and its numerous benefits include high energy efficiency and durability against natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, and extreme winds. The entire family of concrete products, such as ready mixed concrete, concrete block and cast-in- place, are used in all of our nation's communities. Major concrete operations continually function in every congressional district, creating well-paying jobs and boosting local economies. Overall, the concrete industry has an impact on the Gross Domestic Product of more than $200 million annually--a significant contribution by all accounts.

Concrete could not have become the nation's construction material of choice without the significant contributions of ACI. ACI, a premiere technical society of the concrete industry, is depended upon by many organizations, including agencies of the federal government, for crucial work in standards development for concrete design, construction, and repair. ACI's resources include an 18,000-member network of public and private sector volunteers committed to advancing the technology of concrete for educational and scientific purposes, increasing the knowledge and understanding of concrete materials, and supporting programs that improve concrete design and construction. Without all ACI has achieved over the past century, our nation would surely be significantly disadvantaged structurally and economically.

I appreciate the commitment and service ACI has contributed to our nation over the past 100 years and look forward to working with them further as we seek to build a better America in the 21st century.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of two resolutions under consideration in the House today: H. Con. Res. 280, which honors the 100th Anniversary of the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association, and H. Res. 394, which recognizes the 100th Anniversary of the American Concrete Institute.

These resolutions come before us at a particularly appropriate time, as we continue working to reauthorize our Nation's primary transportation law. We all know that transportation investment yields tremendous economic dividends. For each $1 billion invested in our infrastructure, we create 47,500 jobs and generate $6.2 billion in economic activity. Of course, we could not accomplish any of this growth without the materials needed to pave new roads, build news mass transit systems, repair sidewalks and rehabilitate aging bridges.

Since coming to Congress and joining the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I have had the privilege of learning more about the valuable contribution that these industries make in our communities and in the course of daily lives. If it weren't for the producers we are honoring today none of us could have flown to our Nation's capital, driven to this building or walked in this great building.

For 100 years, the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association has represented producers of construction aggregates in this country and around the world. Their products have been the crucial building blocks in countless projects, from constructing the interstate highway system to building local hospitals for veterans. As this resolution notes, the Association has worked tirelessly to improve its products to save taxpayers money, and to further the professional development of industry employees to improve employee safety and health at workplaces.

The concrete industry has also contributed immensely to the development of our Nation. Production of concrete exceeded 3,500,000,000 cubic yards worldwide in 2002, with 500,000,000 cubic yards produced in our Nation alone. H. Res. 394 honors the American Concrete Industry's 100 years of service to the people of the United States as the technical society for the concrete industry and as an engine behind the extraordinary economic progress and prosperity that we have enjoyed as a Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support both of these resolutions, which honor great service to the American people and to the transportation community in particular. I urge my colleagues to do the same.

I rise in strong support of two resolutions under consideration in the House today: H. Con. Res. 280, which honors the 100th Anniversary of the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association, and H. Res. 394, which recognizes the 100th Anniversary of the American Concrete Institute.

These resolutions come before us at a particularly appropriate time, as we continue working to reauthorize our nation's primary transportation law. We all know that transportation investment yields tremendous economic dividends. For each $1 billion invested in our infrastructure, we create 47,500 jobs and generate $6.2 billion in economic activity. Of course, we could not accomplish any of this growth without the materials needed to pave new roads, build new mass transit systems, repair sidewalks and rehabilitate aging bridges.

Since coming to Congress and joining the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I have had the privilege of learning more about the valuable contribution that these industries make in our communities and in the course of daily lives. If it weren't for the producers we are honoring today none of us could have flown to our nation's capital, driven to this building or walked in this great building.

For 100 years, the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association has represented producers of construction aggregates in this country and around the world. Their products have been the crucial building blocks in countless projects, from constructing the interstate highway system to building local hospitals for veterans. As this resolution notes, the Association has worked tirelessly to improve its products to save taxpayers money, and to further the professional development of industry employees to improve employee safety and health at workplaces.

The Concrete industry has also contributed immensely to the development of our nation. Production of concrete exceeded 3,500,000,000 cubic yards worldwide in 2002, with 500,000,000 cubic yards produced in our nation alone. H. Res. 394 honors the American Concrete Industry's 100 years of service to the people of the United States as the technical society for the concrete industry and as an engine behind the extraordinary economic progress and prosperity that we have enjoyed as a nation.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support both of these resolutions, which honor great service to the American people and to the transportation community in particular. I urge my colleagues to do the same.