Honoring those who have volunteered to assist in the cleanup of the November 7, 2007, oil spill in San Francisco Bay.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 853) honoring those who have volunteered to assist in the cleanup of the November 7, 2007, oil spill in San Francisco Bay.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 853, introduced by my good friend and distinguished Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.

This resolution honors thousands of volunteers who helped clean up the Bay Area's beaches and wildlife after the harmful oil spill of November 7 of this year. The public's response to 58,000 gallons of fuel polluting the bay typified how the San Francisco Bay community comes together during a crisis. Our Bay Area constituents were eager to volunteer their time and help minimize the negative effects to the Bay Area's fragile ecosystem. For days and days after the spill, they cleaned birds and combed the shoreline for oil residue, and in some cases put their own health at risk in order to protect our bay.

In order to coordinate the volunteer efforts, numerous organizations mobilized their members in support of the cleanup, including Save the Bay, the Fishermen's Association and the Crab Boat Owners. I am so proud of our Bay Area constituents, how much energy they showed, how much passion they showed, and such dedication that they showed to the bay during this environmental disaster. These volunteers deserve recognition from the House of Representatives.

I strongly support House Resolution 853.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 853.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to speak personally from my position as someone who lives in the Bay Area. I live on the east bay in Alamo, California, far from where the spill was. But I have to tell you that of the 8 or 9 million people that live in the Bay Area, not one single one was completely unaffected by what happened on this terrible day of November 7. Many of us are deeply concerned that this was an accident that shouldn't have happened, that this was something that may have been prevented. And I have to commend the Speaker and the delegation from the Bay Area for moving very quickly on a bipartisan basis to begin hearings to be sure that we actually know what exactly happened so that it can be prevented in the future. But today we're really here to celebrate the thousands of Bay Area members that came forward so quickly to volunteer to assist in the cleanup of the bay at a time when it was in great jeopardy, at a time when they put their own health at risk when, for many of them, it was as simple as just going down the road to the beach near their house and attempting to do whatever kind of cleanup they could have.

The environmental impact of the spill is still being felt, and certainly for the wildlife of the Bay Area, it is still a question of how many will survive in the long term. When you have this kind of bunker oil, which is pretty toxic stuff, come into the bay and flow on to these wild fowl and other animals, it puts them in great jeopardy.

We believe that in San Francisco the bay is a national treasure. We believe it is not only a source of environmental pride, but it is also a place where many thousands of San Franciscans and Bay Area people work. We have obviously a very big crab industry, a big fishing industry; and tourism, of course, is a big part of what we do in the Bay Area. So we are deeply concerned about what happened on November 7.

But I think that this is a good time to celebrate the activism and the volunteerism of people of the Bay Area and the San Francisco area.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

The Speaker became as concerned as we all were immediately upon hearing about this, and brought the California Bay Area delegation together to understand what we can do in our Federal capacity to move this issue. And it was the Speaker's intention today to speak about the volunteerism of the Bay Area people. Her speech will be in the Record.

At this time I ask all of my colleagues to support H. Res. 853.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 853 and to honor those selfless individuals who volunteered to help cleanup the recent San Francisco Bay oil spill.

On November 7, a cargo vessel inexplicably collided with the San Francisco Bay Bridge, spilling more than 58,000 gallons of toxic bunker fuel and causing one of the worst environmental disasters the region has ever seen. The impact on wildlife and surrounding beaches has been extremely detrimental, with over 28 beaches closing and severely impacting wildlife all around the bay.

However, in a strong testament to the American spirit, through this disaster we saw resolve and self-sacrifice. I am extremely proud of the thousands of individuals from around the area who immediately volunteered to assist with the cleanup. Bay Area non-profit community organizations like San Francisco Connect have supported the response and recovery of volunteers, while Bay Area environmental organizations like Baykeeper, Save the Bay, and the Bay Institute have provided invaluable leadership in assessing the damage and remediating this beautiful ecosystem.

Specifically, I want to recognize two of my constituents, Lynn Adams and Deborah Nagle-Burks who, with the Pacifica Beach Coalition, solicited volunteers while working through red tape to make sure anyone who wanted to participate in the clean-up was able to. They remain involved, and have advocated for a proactive approach to training volunteers before a spill occurs so that the response of local citizens can be faster and the damage limited.

In addition, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, members of the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association, commercial crabbers, and other Bay Area fishermen have all joined the cleanup efforts, making an indelible contribution.

The collaborative effort of state and local agencies deserves our thanks as well. The City of San Francisco, particularly through its Department of Emergency Management, has significantly contributed to the overall response.

Mr. Speaker, we owe a deep debt of gratitude to all the volunteers who have given their time, the fishermen who have given their boats, and the first responders who have given their expertise to this clean up. Without the extraordinary efforts of these men and women it is certain the scope of damage to the fragile Bay ecosystem would be even greater than what we face today.

I will never cease to be proud and amazed by the dedication of my constituents and of the American people. This why I rise in very strong support of H. Res. 853. It is my hope that this resolution will be swiftly passed and the selfless individuals who volunteered to clean up the oil spill will be duly recognized.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my constituents in San Francisco and my colleagues in the Bay Area delegation, I want to thank Chairmen Oberstar and Cummings, and Ranking Members Mica and LaTourette, for their cooperation in bringing this resolution to the floor.

The San Francisco Bay is one of Northern California's most precious resources. Its biodiversity and fundamental role in commerce and recreation make it essential to the vitality of the entire Bay Area.

The Bay is special to San Franciscans. We bring our kids and grandkids here to play and learn about the environment. We surf and sail. And we appreciate the precious ecosystem that exists on the beaches, in the estuaries, under the water, and in the nearby National Marine Sanctuary--the Gulf of the Farallones. So protection of this Bay--its safety and its health--has always been a high priority. Any harm to the Bay is a serious matter, and when disaster struck on November 7th our community was quick to respond.

Thousands of Bay Area residents immediately volunteered to clean beaches, rescue wildlife and undo the damage caused by this devastating spill. City officials worked with federal authorities on a volunteer management agreement to train and deploy local volunteers who were qualified to assist with difficult shoreline and wildlife recovery efforts. As a result, over 1,000 members of the Bay Area community were quickly trained and credentialed.

In addition, community non-profit organizations such as San Francisco Connect and the San Francisco Volunteer Center rallied support; environmental organizations like Baykeeper, Save the Bay and the Bay Institute offered their expertise; and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, members of the San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association, commercial crabbers and other Bay Area fishermen offered their equipment and experience.

Today's resolution honors all of the individuals, organizations and officials who volunteered their time, their skills and their energy in response to this disaster. Their commitment to both the environment and their community saved wildlife from oil residue, protected the Bay's ecosystem and made our beaches safe again for Bay Area families.

As it says in the Bible, `to minister to God's creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.'

To all of those who ministered to the Bay, I thank you as a San Franciscan, as one who is honored to represent our great city in this House, and as Speaker of the House.

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

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 853 honors the efforts of all of those that volunteered to assist the response to the recent oil spill in San Francisco Bay. Last month a cargo vessel collided with a span of the San Francisco Bay Bridge, resulting in a gash to the vessel's hull and the release of approximately 58,000 gallons of fuel oil into the bay.

Following reports of the oil spill, the Coast Guard, with its Federal, State and local government partners, initiated a response to the spill which has resulted in the deployment of 440 personnel and the recovery of more than 4,000 cubic yards of oily solids.

In addition to the critical work performed by the Coast Guard and other government officials, literally thousands of volunteers have assisted in cleanup operations at beaches throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Volunteers have assisted professional cleanup crews in removing oil from beaches and have reported sightings of oil-affected areas and impaired wildlife to oil spill response personnel.

Additionally, volunteers were required to undergo at least 4 hours of hazardous waste and emergency response training before participating in the cleanup efforts.

I want to commend the Speaker of the House, Ms. Pelosi, and join with her today in thanking these volunteers and honoring their efforts to respond to this unfortunate event.

I also want to take time to thank all of the Federal, State, and local officials for their efforts to contain and minimize the environmental and economic impacts of the spill.

I urge all members to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of our time.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I would advise my friend and colleague from California that I have no further speakers at this time and would reserve until she finds herself in a similar position.

Mr. Speaker, again I yield myself such time as I might consume just simply to thank the honorable Speaker of the House for introducing this resolution and, again, to commend the selfless acts, thousands of selfless acts of the volunteers in the San Francisco Bay Area, also my good friend on the Transportation Committee, Mrs. Tauscher, for her stewardship of this bill. I urge passage.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 853, authored by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to honor those who volunteered to help clean up the thousands of gallons of oil spilled from the COSCO BUSAN after it collided with the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on November 7, 2007.

As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, I chaired a special hearing of the Subcommittee in San Francisco to take a comprehensive look at the circumstances surrounding that terrible oil spill.

I know that San Francisco Bay is as near to the hearts of local residents as the Chesapeake Bay is to Maryland residents, and I know that it was a love for the Bay, its wildlife, and its sensitive environmental areas that motivated local residents to volunteer to join the effort to protect these resources from the 58,000 gallons of oil headed toward them.

Unfortunately, a number of the organizational difficulties that plagued the initial response to this spill appear to have also affected the deployment of volunteers in the area.

We await the results of a number of on-going investigations of this oil spill--including studies being conducted by the Coast Guard itself, the National Transportation Safety Board and, at the request of the Speaker and myself, the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security.

As results become available, we are committed to making whatever changes are needed to ensure that the lessons learned from this tragedy inform preparations for the next oil spill--which we know will come.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of H. Res. 853 and I again commend Speaker Pelosi, Congresswoman Tauscher, and the entire Bay Area Delegation for their leadership on this issue.

I also commend the many organizations and individuals throughout the San Francisco Bay region who volunteered to respond to this spill.