On the recordOctober 4, 2011
I rise this morning to honor and pay tribute to the outstanding service and dedication of the Honorable Judge Oliver W. Wanger on the occasion of his retirement last week from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. For the past 20 years, Judge Wanger has served the people of California admirably and courageously, maintaining a commitment to the justice and fairness of the law. Moreover, he is extremely knowledgeable and always attempted to balance the scales of justice when hearing cases in general, and specifically cases dealing with California's water and environmental issues. During his tenure, District Court Judge Wanger has developed a mastery of complex Federal and State water and endangered species laws, putting forth many substantial rulings of several hundreds of pages in length that required painstaking attention to detail. Some of the most noteworthy in recent years were his findings with respect to operations of the Central Valley project and the State water project that convey water supplies throughout California, including the San Joaquin Valley and southern California for urban use and for agricultural use.…
