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WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano (D-Norwalk) today praised passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of H.R. 123, a bill by Congressman David Dreier to address groundwater contamination in the San Gabriel Basin. Napolitano worked closely with Mr. Dreier to amend H.R. 123 and authorize an additional $11.2 million in funds for groundwater cleanup in Central Basin as well.
Napolitano’s amendment, approved unanimously by the Committee on Natural Resources, provides for the continued cleanup of dangerous contaminants such as volatile organic compounds and perchlorates that threaten the drinking water supplies of Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, and Whittier. H.R. 123 passed the House unanimously.
“Much funding and effort have been dedicated to the cleanup in Central Basin and the San Gabriel Basin, but much of the cleanup of those contaminants is not complete,” said Napolitano. “This increase in funding for the San Gabriel Basin Restoration Fund will aid the communities of the San Gabriel Basin and the Central Basin to generate their own local clean water supply, rather than continuing to totally depend upon resources of the Colorado River and the fragile San Francisco Bay Delta. These outside sources become less and less reliable with each passing year in the face of such threats as prolonged drought cycles due to global warming and environmental degradation. H.R. 123 is a proactive step to protect our communities’ water in a sustainable, environmentally-friendly manner.”
Congress has appropriated over $70 million to aid state and local officials in cleaning up contaminated groundwater in the San Gabriel Basin and the adjacent Central Basin since the San Gabriel Basin Restoration Fund was authorized in 2001. The funding has been used to treat over 84,000 acre-feet of water, remove over four tons of contaminants, and halt the contamination from spreading further down stream. The Central Basin Municipal Water District, the entity responsible for groundwater cleanup efforts in Central Basin, announced that it would cease cleanup operations earlier this year. The funding Napolitano added to H.R. 123 will allow operations to continue and will help provide clean, safe drinking water for the cities of Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, and Whittier.
“Passing this bill with added money for Central Basin is a major triumph for our communities,” said Napolitano. “My residents in Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, and Whittier can now be confident that their homes and businesses will have clean, safe water well into the future.”
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