Political Quotes

“We applaud the activity of the State of North Carolina--and that is the whole benefit of H.R. 1734--because the Federal regulation proposed by EPA is a floor. And through a State certification program, if the States want to ramp that up to a higher level, they can. So what North Carolina has done is able to be done under the current legislation. But the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from North Carolina has a lot of problems, and that is why I rise in opposition. It would require each owner of a surface impoundment to provide EPA or a State certain types of data about all drinking water supply wells, to pay for and perform groundwater sampling at these wells, provide alternate sources of water, and issue regular reports on these activities. I understand the gentlewoman's concern, but I am not sure she gets there with this amendment. She talks about providing certainty. Well, there is already certainty to do this under Federal law. Under the Superfund law, which we call CERCLA, EPA already has the authority to obtain information, access property, and inspect and sample wells if there is a ``reasonable basis to believe there may be a release or a threat of release.'' So there is already certainty under that law. Not only does CERCLA already cover what the gentlewoman is proposing, but the Safe Drinking Water Act provides the same authority.…”