Floor Statement of The Honorable James Oberstar
“H.R. 6460, the Great Lakes Legacy Reauthorization Act of 2008”
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6460, the Great Lakes Legacy Reauthorization Act of 2008.
This legislation is designed to address the toxic legacy of the Great Lakes’ industrial past. The toxic byproducts of an industrial era are currently putting the residents and ecosystems of the Great Lakes Basin in harms way. Residents of the region have too long waited for the remediation of these contaminated sites, and it is the responsibility of this Congress to ensure that they do not wait any longer.
Madam Speaker, you may recall that not so long ago – just over a week ago, in fact – this body voted overwhelmingly in support of the reauthorization of the Great Lakes Legacy Act. The bill authorized $150 million annually through fiscal year 2013 for this important program. With this level of investment, the House committed to a total cleanup of all Legacy Act sites within the Great Lakes’ Areas of Concern within 10 years.
Our colleagues in the other body were unfortunately not able to arrive at a similar outcome. Instead, it seems that one Senator, through the use of a hold, was able to block Senate action on the bill until funding for this critical program was cut. As a result, the Senate amendment struck the increased funding provided under H.R. 6460 and limited the authorization period to two years. The Senate amendment did not make other changes to the bill.
Madam Speaker, this is not the way policy should be made, and this is not the way to expeditiously clean up decades worth of contaminated sediments that are endangering families and communities throughout the Great Lakes Basin. One Member of Congress should not subvert the will of a clear majority. The House passed the original bill, with its higher authorization levels, by a vote of 371 to 20. Now, because of one Senator’s objections, we are forced to tell the residents of the Great Lakes basin that the clean up of the basin will take decades longer. That is not right.
In 2002, Congress first enacted the Great Lakes Legacy Act to remediate contaminated sediments in the Great Lakes’ Areas of Concern. This Act brought both attention and awareness to these poisoned areas, and also provided much needed funding for remediation sites.
This Congress was tasked with reauthorizing the Act. The House was also afforded the opportunity to address shortfalls in the original legislation. For instance, through testimony from many Members from the Great Lakes region in a hearing before the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, we learned that the pace of cleanup of these Areas of Concern was considerably underwhelming.
In our view, that delay was the result of both an incomplete knowledge of the contamination present at many sites across the Areas of Concern, as well as a lack of the necessary funding to address the 70 different hazardous waste sites throughout the region in the U.S. Areas of Concern.
Madam Speaker, for far too long, residents of the Great Lakes basin have been waiting for the cleanup of these toxics sites. This bill will move us closer to that goal.
H.R. 6460, the Great Lakes Legacy Reauthorization Act of 2008, will continue to address remediation of the Areas of Concern. Even in its modified form, it is my hope that this legislation will advance the pace of cleanup of contaminated sites in the Great Lakes and also ensure that parties responsible for the contamination are held liable.
I applaud the efforts of my Committee colleague, the gentleman from Michigan, Mr. Ehlers, for his unremitting work during the 107th Congress on the passage of the initial Great Lakes Legacy Act, as well as for his committed work on this legislation that the House considers today.
I would also like to express my appreciation to Senators Levin and Voinovich. Without their attention and consideration to this important issue, we would not be voting on this bill today. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 6460, the Great Lakes Legacy Reauthorization Act of 2008.
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