Disproportionate Share Hospital Assistance Act of 2005

First of all, Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) for his support and his eloquent presentation of the legislation before us and as well the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano) in support of this legislation that impacts the State of California, especially Southern California, as it pertains to perchlorate.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 18, the Southern California Groundwater Remediation Act. This legislation passed the House in September 2004, and it was H.R. 4606. Today, I fight to protect Southern Californians from the growing crisis of perchlorate groundwater contamination. I reintroduced this legislation as a long- term solution to help cities in Southern California remove perchlorate from their drinking water and create safe drinking water.

This bill will authorize $50 million for groundwater remediation, including perchlorate cleanup, for most of San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange counties in Southern California. The funds will be managed by the Department of the Interior through the Bureau of Reclamation. Perchlorate is a main ingredient in rocket fuel that has been found in drinking water supplies, lettuce, and even in the milk we drink.

Perchlorate in water supplies is left over from former military sites, defense contractors, and other industries. It has been found in 43 States, including California. Perchlorate has been linked to thyroid damage and may be harmful to infants, developing fetuses, and the elderly. There are 1.2 million women of childbearing age in San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange counties who could be at risk from perchlorate, and we do not want them to be at risk. We want to make sure that there is good-quality drinking water. Perchlorate has been detected in 186 sources in the counties served by the Santa Ana River watershed and has jeopardized the water supplies of over 500,000 residents.

As indicated before, there are 30 wells that have been contaminated in the area. There is a perchlorate plume in the Inland Empire in California that is 10 miles long and is growing every day, and that includes my hometown, which I am a resident of, in Rialto. Perchlorate has impacted the daily lives of all of us, and we want to make sure that there is safe drinking water in the area. We have a legal and moral obligation to provide safe and healthy water to the families and children who drink this water every day.

But perchlorate contamination is more than just a health concern. The economic cost in providing safe drinking water is becoming more and more of a burden on our communities. Ninety percent of perchlorate in water comes from a Federal source. This includes DOD, NASA, and other Federal agencies. Innocent, hardworking families should not have to pay for federally created problems or problems for which no one will take the responsibility.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 18, which is a small price to pay for the crisis that has been forced on Southern Californians. I would like to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo) for his leadership and carrying legislation in the northern portion of California to deal with the problems that we have. I would like to thank the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano), the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), the gentleman from California (Mr. Gary G. Miller), and the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) for their support of this critical bill for the health of Southern California.

Mr. Speaker, today, I will be reintroducing the Southern California Groundwater Remediation Act. This legislation is a long-term solution to help cities in Southern California remove perchlorate from their drinking water.

Formerly H.R. 4606, this legislation passed the House of Representatives in September of 2004. Today, I pick up the fight to clean up perchlorate groundwater contamination and protect the health of Southern Californians. Perchlorate groundwater contamination remains a crisis in Southern California. This includes my hometown of Rialto, California.

Perchlorate is a main ingredient in rocket fuel. It has been found in drinking water supplies in 40 states, including California. It has been linked to thyroid damage, and may be especially harmful to infants and developing fetuses, and the 1.2 million women of childbearing age in San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange Counties. It could also be harmful to those with weak immune systems, such as seniors and AIDS patients.

There is a legal and moral obligation to provide safe and healthy water. Today, these obligations are in jeopardy. The hardworking families in these areas are not at fault and should not have to pay for this problem. We must protect these consumers.

Southern California, and particularly the Inland Empire, has been greatly impacted by perchlorate. Perchlorate has been detected in 184 sources in the counties served by the Santa Ana River watershed. There is a perchlorate plume in the Inland Empire in California that is seven miles long and growing every day. It has affected 82 wells in San Bernardino County, and jeopardized the water supplies of 500,000 residents who rely on the Colorado River.

The economic burden on these communities is almost as much of a concern as the potential health effects. The bill authorizes $50 million in much-needed assistance. It is modeled after a successful program in the San Gabriel Basin in Southern California that has also suffered from perchlorate-polluted water. And it is similar to H.R. 4459, a bill introduced by Richard Pombo in the 108th Congress that deals with perchlorate in Northern California, and passed the House last September.

I urge my colleagues to support this urgent bill for Southern California, so we can tell these communities that help is on the way. I would like to thank Congresswoman Grace Napolitano, Congressman Ken Calvert and Congressman Gary Miller for their support of this crucial bill to the health of Southern Californians.

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

(Mrs. NAPOLITANO asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Madam Speaker, we strongly support passage of H.R. 18 which will provide financial assistance for cleaning up contaminated drinking water supplies in the Santa Ana River watershed in Southern California. There have been many problems in Southern California as well as in other parts of the Nation that deal with perchlorate, and this is just but one of

them. We hope that we will be able to shed some light on how we can do a better job of assisting our communities in being able to put that water back to good use, and that is by working with the municipalities.

I commend the principal sponsor of H.R. 18, the gentleman from California (Mr. Baca), for his determination and hard work to get this legislation enacted. I also greatly appreciate the support and leadership demonstrated by the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo) on this very critical and important matter.

Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to my friend and colleague from Southern California (Mr. Baca) who has been very, very adamant about getting this addressed.

(Mr. BACA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

We have heard my colleague indicate how important the cleanup of water is, and I would urge my colleague from Georgia (Mr. Linder), sponsor of H.R. 135, the Twenty-First Century Water Commission Act of 2005, to consider that as an issue because that is something that affects, like the gentleman stated, 40-some odd States that are beginning to understand the harshness of reality and that is that we have contaminated aquifers and water resources.

So, with that, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Baca) for bringing that to our attention. I do support the bill and hope my colleagues will do likewise.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 18) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation and in coordination with other Federal, State, and local government agencies, to participate in the funding and implementation of a balanced, long-term groundwater remediation program in California, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 18, authored by the gentleman from California (Mr. Baca), authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the funding and implementation of a balanced, long-term groundwater remediation program. This bill establishes a limited Federal fund to resolve groundwater problems in the Santa Ana, California, watershed. This area has approximately 30 major water wells that are currently shut down or are out of production due to groundwater contamination from man-made and naturally-occurring chemicals. For example, a local perchlorate plume has impacted 250,000 residents in Rialto, California.

This bill is just one small, but very important, part of a comprehensive solution to resolve a water emergency. The House passed identical legislation in the 108th Congress. I urge my colleagues to once again adopt this measure.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I urge passage of this bill.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.