Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2007

Mr. Speaker, the subject of my Special Order today is the birthday of one of America's greatest citizens, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. King's birthday will be celebrated next week with the national holiday on Monday, one of the only men or women to have a holiday named for them in this country. At one time, of course, we celebrated the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and now we celebrate Presidents Day. But we celebrate Dr. King's Day, a great American and an individual who changed this country for the better and whose life is a testament to fortitude and courage, faith, and a desire to make America better.

On April 4, 1968, 40 years ago this year, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. That was a defining moment in the history of America, indeed, in the history of the world. While Dr. King's death should not and will not ever be forgotten, I think that today on what would have been his 79th

birthday, we should remember his life because it was his life, his actions and his eloquent words, that truly challenged us as a Nation to consider where we were and where we could go.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 15, 1929, the son of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta King. As we all know, Dr. King followed in his father's footsteps and became a minister at the age of 24 in Montgomery, Alabama, where just 2 years later Rosa Parks refused to comply with the Jim Crow laws, which required her to give up her seat on the bus to a white man. The subsequent Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by Rev. King, changed America. The boycott lasted over a year but resulted in the Supreme Court decision outlawing racial discrimination on public transportation. Only in his mid-20s, Martin Luther King's passion and commitment were already affecting the laws of our Nation.

During his life, Dr. King's house was bombed and his government wiretapped his conversations. But Dr. King never wavered from his commitment to nonviolent change. Dr. King turned a mirror on America, and the reflection was not good. It was ugly. America was not the land of the free but it was a land built by the enslaved. The very Capitol Building in which I speak and in which we make our laws was built by slaves. Dr. King pulled back the quasi-fiction that has so often been touted as patriotism as if to say, ``but what about these Americans?'' And those are his words: ``But what about these Americans?'' Jim Crow laws, which had created two Americas, which had denied access and opportunity for so long were held up for examination, and they failed the examination, as they should have.

We are not there, ladies and gentlemen. I wish we were. I wish we had achieved the dream where the content of one's character is what each person is judged by, not by the color of one's skin. We are not there, but the good news, the positive message that Dr. King has etched into our national conscience is that one man can make a difference. One young man can step forward and live his life with purpose and dignity, can become the voice of all those whose voices have been stilled, whose hope has been lost. No assassin's bullet could stop what Martin Luther King had begun. Today, as we celebrate a birth which has changed us and which continues to challenge us, let us remember his dream.

Dr. King's words are what he's best remembered for. And in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, his words will be played constantly over the weekend and through Monday as we remember how he challenged us, how he inspired us in the 1950s and in the 1960s. Radio station WLOK will be, I know, having a tribute to him in Memphis, and other places all over the country will do the same. And in Memphis there will be a basketball game, a national basketball game, that will celebrate civil rights victories of this country. Particularly Bob Lanier will be there and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and others. And we look at the steps which we have taken in this country to make the country better through sports and basketball, and I commend David Stern and the NBA for having that game in Memphis on Dr. King's birthday.

At this time I would like to read some quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as will be read and as will be heard throughout this country in the coming week and the coming weekend. Many of them resonate with the issues of today.

``A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.'' And we need more leaders like that today who mold consensus.

``A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.'' Remember, Mr. Speaker, Dr. King was speaking during the time of the Vietnam War. We have another Vietnam, I think, today in Iraq, and we are spending more money not on military defense but on military offense and leaving programs of social importance behind. And I question the spirituality of where this country presently is, spending so much in Iraq and so little in America.

``A right delayed is a right denied.'' And there are so many rights which have not been granted to people and not just on the basis of race and religion and national origin but also of sexual orientation. ``A right delayed,'' Dr. King said, ``is a right denied.''

Dr. King said, ``Almost always the creative, dedicated minority has made the world better.'' And indeed they have. We are a country of minorities making for a great majority, and when we don't respect the rights of the minorities, we endanger ourselves.

Dr. King said, ``An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.'' And I would ask each of my colleagues to hold that thought in their minds when they vote and to realize it's not just the nature of their districts and their individual concerns which are important but the broader concerns of this country, as Dr. King said, ``the broader concerns of all humanity.''

Dr. King said, ``An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.''

Dr. King and many civil rights workers violated the law, the law of the country, mostly in the South, Jim Crow laws, that said people were separate and inherently unequal. He did that with Rosa Parks when they challenged the laws that said African Americans were to ride on the back of the bus. And he challenged, along with President Johnson and this Nation in the 1960s, the law that said there could be separate establishments and would be by law for people based on race for entertainment, different public facilities, eating establishments, hotels and motels, colleges and schools. Those were wrong laws. They needed to be challenged, and they were challenged by Dr. King and many civil rights leaders, and the world changed in the 1960s.

Dr. King said, ``At the center of nonviolence stands the principle of love.'' He also said, ``Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies or else? The chain reaction of evil, hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars, must be broken or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.'' And, Mr. Speaker, I reflect on this when I think about what we are doing in the Middle East. Hate begets hate. Wars produce more wars. And we are in an abyss.

Dr. King said, ``He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.'' One must actively oppose evil. And oftentimes in the debates in Congress, you have to remember Dante, and Dr. King has a quote similar to Dante, that the warmest spots in hell are reserved for people who in times of controversy stand on the sidelines. Certainly something Dr. King did not do.

In Dr. King's great speech just outside the Capitol on the mall, which I recall watching on television and which I am thrilled to be a Member of this House of Representatives so near to the mall where Dr. King gave his ``I have a dream'' speech, he said, ``I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a Nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

``I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

``I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.''

As I said earlier, Dr. King's dream has not totally been achieved, but we are getting closer to it. We are engaged in a Presidential debate where his words and actions are subject of much debate. But I have no doubt that Dr. King would be proud of all the candidates in the Democratic column who are running for this office and know that they are children of Dr. King's dream. To see an African American gentleman have a legitimate chance to be President of the United States and to see a woman have that same opportunity is what Dr. King talked about.

And they should be judged not by the color of their skin or by their gender but by the content of their character.

``Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,'' Dr. King said. And that's something to be remembered when we see nooses hung in small towns or people being shot, tied behind cars because of aspects of their personage of which they had no choice.

``It may be true,'' Dr. King said, ``that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important.'' And that is important. We have a Senate and a House that passed a condemnation of the lynching that took place in this country in the 20th century. And this House, hopefully, will pass another proposition that says that we apologize for having been part of a Nation that allowed for slavery to occur and had laws that permitted it and for Jim Crow laws that saddled this country with unjustice for 100 years thereafter.

Dr. King said, ``Life's most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others?'' And that's a question that my friend Irbin Salky has often said to me, that the purpose of why we are here on Earth is to help others. And it's part of the Judeo-Christian religion and creed to care for others, and that's why we are here.

Again, Iraq and Vietnam, they are parallels, and Dr. King's words ring true today. He said, ``One of the greatest casualties of the war in Vietnam is the Great Society shot down on the battlefield of Vietnam.''

Indeed, many of the hopes of people in our inner cities, people that are left behind by what has been considered a great economic opportunity for many Americans, mostly the richest, have been left behind because of the moneys we have spent in Iraq rather than spending them on the people in this country.

There are many parallels, and I think I know where Dr. King would be on the issue of war and peace, on the issue of choosing Iraq rather than choosing America, the cities that have been neglected, the inner cities, Appalachia, Katrina victims, and others. Dr. King said: ``The moral arc of the universe bends at the elbow of justice.'' He always felt that the arc was bending in the right direction, although slowly. And justice and change do move slowly but they do move. We have change. Change is not revolutionary; it's evolutionary. It happens, but it happens in increments. But Dr. King and people like him made it move at a stronger pace, and it's necessary to have agents of change. Agents of change have moved the society forward.

One of the most prophetic quotes that I think I saw, and there are so many to review in thinking about Dr. King, he said: ``The Negro needs the white man to free him from his fears. The white man needs the Negro to free him from his guilt.'' I know from my sponsorship of an apology for slavery and Jim Crow and some of the comments I have read, there's a lot of guilt in this country and it's making it difficult for people to engage in a dialog and understand and honestly see what slavery did for many people's lives. Not only did it cause the African Americans and have them be enslaved, but it caused a lot of people to make a lot of money and have a lot of great economic fortune at the expense of the enslaved, and then of the Jim Crow citizen that served their needs for 100 years.

The quality, not the longevity, of one's life is what is important. I think about Martin Luther King, who died at the age of 39; I think of John Kennedy, who served in this House and lived to the age of 46; I think of his brother, Robert Kennedy, who died at age 42, but affected so many of us. All of these three men affected me in a great way. Their assassinations in 1963 and 1968 affected this world, but it affected me in a great way. It was the quality, not the longevity, of their lives that was important. And they didn't wait for tomorrow. They had the fierce urgency of now that Dr. King talked about to make a change, to make a change and a difference while they were on this Earth and to affect their fellow man and fellow woman.

``The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.'' Once again, Dr. King implores us to have moral character and fiber and to stand up for what is important for America. And he said: ``We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.''

Dr. Martin Luther King was a special man. He took his talents and he used them for his fellow man. He inspired us all. This country and this world is much the greater for his life. It is indeed a testament to him that this Congress under the unyielding leadership of Representative John Conyers passed a bill to make his birthday a national holiday. It's a national holiday that should be held in high esteem by all men and women in this country, because Dr. King was special and unique and stood up for all people and stood for the height of American ideals.

I hope that everybody will take a moment over the weekend and on Monday on the celebration of his birthday to think about some of the things that Dr. King stood for: challenging the system to make it better; for peace; for people who have been left behind in our society; doing for the least of these and trying to make the world a better place.

My city bears great scars for his death having taken place there. There was nothing unique to my city. It was something wrong with this country that somebody out there put a reward up for Dr. King's death and that somebody wanted to claim that reward and didn't have a regard for the humanity of Dr. King. In Memphis now there's a National Civil Rights Museum dedicated to the civil rights movement and to Dr. King's life and ideals, and I invite and encourage everyone to come to Memphis to visit the civil rights museum, which is at the spot where Dr. King was killed at the Lorraine Motel, which has been preserved, and to celebrate his life and to celebrate his values, not only on his birthday but on every day, for Dr. King was a great American. I am just lucky, as we all are, that he came my way.

Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the time, and I know that you, like me, will reflect on Dr. King's works and will keep him in our hearts as we try to do what's right for America in this 110th Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 365, recognizing the 150th anniversary of my alma mater, San Jose State University in California.

I'd like to thank Representatives Lofgren, Eshoo, Farr, Chairman Miller, and Ranking Member McKeon of the Education and Labor Committee, and additional cosponsors of H.R. 365, for the support of this legislation.

For a century and a half, San Jose State has provided affordable access to quality education. Founded in 1857, it is the oldest public institution of higher education on the west coast. From its beginnings as a normal school to train teachers for the developing frontier, the campus has matured into a comprehensive university, offering bachelor's and master's degrees in 134 programs, including 69 bachelor's degrees with 81 concentrations, and 65 master's degrees with 29 concentrations.

In the western region, San Jose State is ranked among the top 10 colleges and universities offering bachelors and masters degrees. San Jose State is part of the California State University System, the Nation's largest public university system.

Noteworthy in this sesquicentennial year of celebration is the fact San Jose State is the largest public 4-year university in Silicon Valley with over 32,000 students and 4,000 faculty and staff members. The university awards more than 4,200 bachelors degrees and 2,400 masters degrees each academic year. Since its founding, the university has sent nearly 300,000 graduates into the workforce. These graduates continue to make significant contributions to the region's rich economy and culture.

The history of San Jose State is very unique. The university traces its origins to Minns Evening Normal School, established in San Francisco in 1857 by George W. Minns and other dedicated educational leaders to address the shortage of qualified teachers for the new State of California. In 1862, the school became California State Normal School by action of the State legislature. Although initial enrollments were low, demand for teacher training shot up when California instituted free public education for every child, paid for with property taxes.

The years of growth and expansion at the new location in San Jose State downtown, the first alumni association was formed in 1873. The determination of California leaders to support teacher training was evident when a fire destroyed the normal school building in 1880. In 1921, the control of the school passed from its board of trustees to the State Department of Education.

As the 20th century came to a close, San Jose State University has developed into a thriving comprehensive university known for ``powering Silicon Valley.''

Mr. Speaker, I just want to close by recognizing the current president, Don W. Kassing, for all the work he is doing to make San Jose State University one of the great, great higher education institutions in the United States, melding itself with the National Hispanic University and also providing students and intellectual power to NASA Ames and the other Silicon Valley enterprises in Silicon Valley.

San Jose State ranks among the nation's top universities for its academics and ethnic diversity. The university has ranked 10th in the nation for the total number of minority graduates (African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans and Hispanics with bachelor's degrees) across all disciplines. San Jose State University has conferred bachelor's degrees in business management and the health professions to more Asian Americans than any other college or university in the nation.

Noteworthy also is the fact that San Jose State is Silicon Valley's largest university and fourth largest public-sector employer. Its 154- acre campus is in downtown San Jose, the nation's 10th largest city and home to many leading technology companies, including Adobe, Cisco Systems, and E-Bay.

The history of San Jose State is very unique. The university traces its origins to Minns' Evening Normal School, established in San Francisco in 1857 by George W. Minns and other dedicated educational leaders, to address the shortage of qualified teachers for the new state of California. In 1862, the school became the California State Normal School by action of the state legislature. Although initial enrollments were low, demand for teacher training shot up when California instituted free public education for every child, paid for with property taxes.

An earthquake in 1868 and the challenges of San Francisco's rapid growth spurred school leaders to consider a more stable location for the new school. Several cities vied for the honor; the nod went to the town of San Jose, then a thriving community of 9,089. State Superintendent O.P. Fitzgerald characterized San Jose as meeting every requirement: ``The climate is unsurpassed, the place is large enough to furnish all needed facilities . . . the people are intelligent, hospitable and moral.'' In 1870, the trustees selected a tract of land near local transit called Washington Square from among several sites offered by the city. School leaders moved the college and its 150 students to this 27-acre campus in 1871.

Years of growth and expansion at the new location followed; the school added more students, faculty, coursework and facilities. The first alumni association was formed in 1873. The determination of California leaders to support teacher training was evident when a fire destroyed the normal school building in 1880. The legislature promptly provided $150,000 to rebuild. By 1887, the San Jose State Normal School had an enrollment of 800, highest in the nation except for New York City and Philadelphia.

In 1921, control of the school passed from its board of trustees to the State Department of Education and it became known as San Jose State Teachers College. Under the leadership of Thomas W. MacQuarrie, who was

named president in 1927, there was significant growth and expansion of the curriculum, including the first program for college-trained police officers in the nation.

In 1932, the San Jose State College Corporation was formed, the forerunner of today's San Jose State University Research Foundation, which for the past 75 years has partnered with the University to manage externally funded research and education-related activities that are so integral to the University's mission. The campus gained university status and became part of the California State University system in the 1970s. In 1990, student enrollment topped 30,000 and by 1993, the campus reached cultural pluralism, with no ethnic majority.

As the 20th century came to a close, San Jose State University had developed into a thriving comprehensive university known for ``powering Silicon Valley'' with the high numbers of graduates who went to work there. Fruitful partnerships with area firms also made possible new programs and laboratories, as well as ALL internships, summer research and scholarships. A unique partnership with the city of San Jose resulted in the construction and opening of the nation's first joint city-university library.

In 2006, President Don W. Kassing accepted the largest single private donation to the university in its history, a $10 million gift from alumni Sally and Donald Lucas to create a new graduate school of business. One year later, during this sesquicentennial year, $15 million was given by alumnus Charles W. Davidson for the SJSU's College of Engineering, which ties for the largest single private donation in California State University history. Building upon its tradition as a teacher's college, the university also received a donation of $10 million from alumna Connie L. Lurie for the College of Education.

Having receiving both my Undergraduate and Graduate degrees from San Jose State University I personally attest to the University's academic rigor and integrity. San Jose State University continues to be a driving force in educating our future leaders and in developing collaborative partnerships with educational institutions, industries, and communities to enhance the quality of education, research, development, and community service for the State of California.

I also want to recognize the current president, Don W. Kassing, for all he is doing to make San Jose State University one of the great, great higher education institutions in the United States, and we all look forward to the next 150 years.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 365) to provide for a research program for remediation of closed methamphetamine production laboratories, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 365, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 365, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act. This is the same legislation which passed the House a year ago, but was not enacted into law. Unfortunately, the need for this legislation is just as strong today as it was then.

We have a terrible problem with methamphetamine in Tennessee and the Nation as a whole. One side effect of the methamphetamine epidemic is the chemical waste dump left behind by meth cooks. H.R. 365 focuses on cleanup needs for former meth labs, a tremendous problem facing communities across the country.

The Drug Enforcement Agency reported more than 12,500 domestic meth lab seizures in 2005 alone. These meth labs, most often found in residential settings, are contaminated, not only with methamphetamine but also with other toxic residue associated with the production of meth. These chemical residues pollute the inside of a residence and also threaten septic and water systems. The meth epidemic has not only devastated families, it has also left thousands of potentially toxic waste dumps spread across the country.

Right now, there are unsuspecting families living in homes that were once illegal meth labs. Dangerous and hidden toxic substances on these sites threaten the health of these families, with children being the most vulnerable to the devastating long-term effects of exposure.

H.R. 365 addresses the specific problem of determining the level of cleanup required to ensure that a former meth lab is safe for occupation.

I want to stress that H.R. 365 is not a Federal mandate. Rather, it requires the EPA to develop model, voluntary, health-based cleanup guidelines for use by States and localities if they desire.

In addition, H.R. 365 authorizes this to initiate a research program to develop meth detection equipment for field use.

This will help law enforcement agents detect active meth labs faster and assist in measuring the levels of contamination in former meth labs.

Finally, H.R. 365 requires a study by the National Academy of Sciences on

the long-term health impact of exposure to meth labs on children and first responders. It authorizes a total of $5 million for EPA and NIST to carry out these activities over 2 years, a bargain by any standard. The bill is endorsed by the National Association of Counties, the National Sheriffs' Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Narcotics Officers' Associations' Coalition, the National Association of Realtors, the National Multi-Housing Council and the National Apartment Association.

H.R. 365 is not the complete solution to the methamphetamine epidemic. Unfortunately, there will always be people who decide to harm themselves by using methamphetamines, dangerous drugs such as meth or manufacturing dangerous drugs such as meth.

H.R. 365 aims to protect innocent people whose lives are endangered by these illegal activities.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Ranking Member Hall, Representative Wu, and Representative Calvert for working with me on this legislation in the past Congress, and for sponsoring this legislation for reintroduction in the 110th Congress, as well as I want to thank Mike Quear for the good staff work that has helped bring this bill before us.

This bill is an important component in helping our local communities combat the meth problem. I would urge everyone to vote ``yes'' on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to place two letters in the Record.

Committee on Science and

Technology,

Washington, DC, February 7, 2007.

Hon. John D. Dingell,

Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of

Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Dingell: Thank you for your willingness to

allow floor consideration of H.R. 365, the Methamphetamine

Remediation Research Act of 2007, to proceed unimpeded. As

you may know, this bill addresses very important

environmental research issues and is a priority for our

caucus; approximately half of the House Democratic Caucus has

cosponsored the legislation.

I have been cognizant of the jurisdictional limits of the

Committee on Science and Technology since I began writing

this legislation. Therefore, I instructed my staff to work

with the Office of the Parliamentarian to assure a sole

referral to the Committee on Science in the 109th Congress

and to the Committee on Science and Technology in the 110th

Congress. I am pleased that they were successful in both

Congresses in keeping the bill within the Science and

Technology Committee's black letter jurisdiction over

environmental research and development and standardization of

weights and measures.

I acknowledge that your committee, if it had so chosen,

would have had the right to request a sequential referral of

this legislation, both in the 109th Congress and in the 110th

Congress. Since this did not occur, I am unable to predict

whether the Speaker would have given the Committee on Energy

and Commerce a formal referral. I would like to make it clear

that I recognize that sequential referrals sometimes do occur

at this point in the process and I further recognize that our

proceeding to the Floor of the House with this legislation

should not be construed as deciding this issue one way or the

other.

As you requested, I will insert our two letters in the

Congressional Record as part of the consideration of the bill

on the House floor. I value your advice and expertise and

welcome it any time you wish to share it on legislation that

has been referred to the Committee on Science and Technology.

Sincerely,

Bart Gordon,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, let me first compliment Mr. Diaz-Balart for a good explanation of the bill and the threats that go with this.

I now would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Carnahan), a member of our Science Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Calvert for cosponsoring this legislation last session as well as this session, and for his work as cochair of the important Methamphetamine Caucus.

I now yield 2 minutes to my friend from Texas (Mr. Al Green), an alumnus of the Science Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Boswell).

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the former youngest attorney general in the Nation, who saw firsthand the problem with methamphetamine in Kentucky (Mr. Chandler).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to a former DA from New York State who, once again, has seen this epidemic firsthand and has dealt with it there, and now, as a new Member of Congress, he is dealing with it on a national basis, Mr. Arcuri.

Mr. Speaker, Oregon has long had a terrible problem with methamphetamines, and a real fighter there has been Ms. Hooley, and I yield 2 minutes to her.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hill).

Mr. Speaker, no Member of this Congress has done more to fight this epidemic of methamphetamine than the cochairman of the Methamphetamine Caucus, Mr. Larsen. I thank him for his good work and yield him 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, our final speaker is the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett) and I yield him 1\1/2\ minutes.

Mr. Speaker, it certainly is nice to see a good bipartisan piece of legislation pass through this House. It is a good way to start. I appreciate the cooperation of everybody involved.

In closing, I want to say that this targeted bill can help every community where a meth lab has been discovered. I would urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 365.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, as Congress debates measures to clean up meth labs, I believe it is important to offer a physician's perspective to help some people understand why this drug is so dangerous. Also called crank, blue acid, speed, and ice, meth is a popular drug because it is cheap, easy to manufacture, and acts as a powerful stimulant. An investment of just a few hundred dollars in over-the-counter medications and chemicals can produce thousands of dollars worth of methamphetamine, which can be cooked in something as small as a suitcase.

The average meth ``cook'' annually teaches an average of ten people how to make the drug. Typical ingredients include over-the-counter cold and asthma medications containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine, in addition to red phosphorous, hydrochloric acid, drain cleaner, battery acid, lye, lantern fuel, and antifreeze.

In fact, users of this drug are often not aware that they are potentially ingesting toxic chemicals. The toxic fumes emitted during manufacturing are highly flammable, even explosive, and can suffocate plants, animals, and even people. For my colleagues concerned about the environment, each pound of meth produced leaves behind five or six pounds of toxic waste. Meth ``cooks'' often pour leftover chemicals and byproduct sludge down drains in nearby plumbing, storm drains, or directly onto the ground, creating long-term hazards: the chemical waste can remain in our soil and groundwater for years. The average cost to clean up a methamphetamine laboratory ranges between $2,000 and $3,000. However, this does not include the ancillary costs of cleaning up a former laboratory.

In February 2005, the Atlanta Police, U.S. Drug Enforcement, the MCS drug taskforce, and other law enforcement agencies discovered Georgia's first ``super lab'' at a house in Smyrna, Georgia, which is in the Congressional District I represent. With 39 pounds of meth-crystal and 250 gallons of the drug in liquid form, one mistake could have destroyed an entire neighborhood due to the explosive volatility of the materials.

No longer just the addictive scourge of 1970's biker gangs, meth is a very real problem that affects our children and neighbors in very real ways. The drug works directly on the brain and spinal cord by interacting with neurotransmitters--chemical substances produced in nerve cells--which communicate throughout the body. The foremost neurotransmitter affected by methamphetamine is dopamine, which is involved with our natural reward system. This is known as the automatic nervous system. For example, a pat on the back for a job well done, getting enjoyment from family and social interactions, and the feeling that our lives are meaningful, all rely on dopamine transmission.

With properties that target the nervous system, it should be no surprise that side affects of meth include extreme paranoia, violent behavior, rapid weight loss, tooth loss, hallucinations, unexplained voices, pale complexion, speech impediments, Parkinson's disease-like symptoms, depression, insomnia, suicide contemplation, and schizophrenia. It is important to mention these various symptoms and health problems because without proper clean-up unseen chemicals can spread from one home through entire neighborhoods, creating an unknown danger to current and future owners.

Considering the numerous dangers caused by methamphetamines, I believe it is more important than ever to make sure our law enforcement community has the laws, equipment, and training necessary to protect our communities from this drug. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the House of Representatives for the passage of today's Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2007, which includes substantive legislation that will establish voluntary guidelines to assist state and local governments in the development and implementation of policies for the clean-up of former methamphetamine laboratories.

Mr. Costello. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 365, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act to initiate standards for methamphetamine (meth) cleanup in our neighborhoods. As a cosponsor of H.R. 365, I believe this legislation is necessary in order to protect unsuspecting families from the dangers of illegal meth labs and provide the necessary tools for law enforcement to detect labs throughout our communities.

As a member of the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine and a former law enforcement official, I am actively working with my colleagues to decrease methamphetamine use. In my home state of Illinois, there were 1,189 methamphetamine laboratory seizures reported in 2005, many in my district in Southern Illinois. In order to combat meth, I believe we need a comprehensive plan to deal with the environmental, health, and law enforcement challenges facing our communities because of the growing use of this dangerous drug.

Mr. Speaker, the national guidelines this bill creates will help protect our communities by ensuring that dangerous meth labs are cleaned properly and efficiently. It is my continued hope that by raising national awareness about meth and providing increased federal resources to combat the drug problem, we can make significant progress to overcome methamphetamine use. This legislation is a critical step we can take toward this goal and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 365.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 365, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2007. This critically important piece of legislation helps detect and safely dispose of Methamphetamine production sites across this nation.

The issue of illegal methamphetamines is a top health concern for me and my constituents in the 12th district of California. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center's February 2005 National Drug Threats Assessment Report, the level of methamphetamine consumption in San Francisco is critically high compared with that of most other cities in the United States.

Mr. Speaker, let me start by emphasizing the extreme danger that methamphetamines pose on today's youth. Methamphetamine is a drug concocted from a variety of household items including gasoline, paint thinner, battery acid, propane, and lighter fluid among other things, cooked together to form a powder or crystal like substance that is either smoked, ingested or injected.

According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy methamphetamines are a highly addictive drug that can cause progressive social and occupational deterioration and lead to episodes of violent behavior, paranoia, anxiety, confusion, and insomnia. Habitual usage can lead to physical complications such as inflammation of the heart lining, damaged blood vessels, skin abscesses, as well as variety of cardiovascular problems that ultimately can lead to death. Doctors have equated damage to the brain caused by methamphetamine use with brain damage caused by Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and epilepsy. Psychotic symptoms can sometimes persist for months or years after drug use has ceased.

According to the 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health an estimated 10.4 million Americans aged 12 or older used methamphetamine at least once in their lifetimes. The Drug Abuse Warning Network estimates that in 2004 methamphetamine was involved in 73,400 emergency room visits.

Mr. Speaker, in addition to the horrific effects that methamphetamine has on the human body the caustic nature of the production of the drug has enormously detrimental effects on the environment. This horrendous drug is produced in what is often referred to as ``Meth Labs.'' These laboratories can exist virtually anywhere, in fact methamphetamine laboratories have been found in all 50 states. They are overwhelmingly hidden amongst residential communities and pose a detrimental risk to millions of Americans. It is estimated that methamphetamine production creates approximately six pounds of waste for every one pound of product. If not properly cleaned, this highly volatile waste product leaves a toxic residue that can threaten the health of whoever may come in contact with it.

According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) there were more then 47,000 reported Meth Lab incidents between the years 2003 and 2005. Nearly one in five of those were fires or explosions caused by the highly toxic and potentially flammable ingredients used to create the drug.

Even after these Meth Labs are discovered by authorities and shut down, and the criminals operating the labs are long incarcerated, the effects of their morally reprehensible action can continue to adversely affect the health and well-being of the innocent citizens living and working nearby.

While some states including my home State of California have taken the initiative to pass laws that outline methamphetamine laboratory cleanup procedures, there are currently no federal standards for cleaning up these potentially toxic sites. Mr. Speaker, the time is long overdue for us to take action to seek out and shut down these labs in a safe and healthy way. H.R. 365, The Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2007 will do just that by creating a road map to assure the safety of our children and first responders.

The bill authorizes $1.75 million in funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to research best practices programs for detection and proper sanitation of methamphetamine labs. It will also specifically authorize $750,000 for the National Institute of Standards and Technology in collaboration with the EPA to research and develop methamphetamine detection equipment. Thirdly, the bill will direct the EPA to work with the National Academy of Sciences to study the long term health effects of methamphetamine laboratory exposure to children and first responders.

Mr. Speaker, the war against meth is being waged on many fronts. This bill is a critical step to ensuring that law enforcement agencies and first responders are provided with the best information and ability to mitigate the numerous detrimental effects caused by methamphetamine production. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation in an effort to rid our communities of this epidemic.