Ellen Tauscher: “I raise in support of H.R. 2452, the Raw Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know Act. Sewer overflows present serious…”

“I raise in support of H.R. 2452, the Raw Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know Act. Sewer overflows present serious threats to the environment and to human health. Our crumbling wastewater infrastructure has resulted in an increasing number of sewage spills, most commonly through combined sewer overflows and sanitary sewer overflows. As this Congress works to reauthorize the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and improve our wastewater infrastructure, it is essential that our constituents receive prompt notification when a spill occurs. H.R. 2452 provides a national Standard for such notification and permits the use of Clean Water State Revolving funds for publically-owned treatment works to monitor their infrastructure for spills. In California, we have an existing notification process that is the most aggressive in the Nation. I applaud Chairman Oberstar and his staff for recognizing the existence of State notification programs and ensuring that duplication of State and Federal standards does not overburden local sanitation officials. In this bill, States like California may operate their own notification program if the EPA certifies that it is substantially equivalent to the Federal program.”