Debbie Dingell: “I rise to thank the chairman, ranking member, and other members of the Subcommittee on VA-HUD-Independent Agencies for…”

“I rise to thank the chairman, ranking member, and other members of the Subcommittee on VA-HUD-Independent Agencies for their recognition of the continuing importance of the Rouge River National Wet Weather Demonstration Project. In particular, my colleague from Michigan, Mr. Knollenberg, deserves credit for proposing and steering an important provision of this legislation which will provide $20 million in fiscal year 1997 for the Rouge Project. This project was begun in 1990 following the completion of the Rouge River Remedial Action Plan [RAP] in 1989 which found that the most densely populated and urbanized river in Michigan was contributing significantly to the quality of the fresh surface water of the Great Lakes--which contains 20 percent of the world's fresh surface water. A report of the General Accounting Office [GAO] 2 years prior to completion of the RAP found that the cost of restoring the Rouge watershed would be massive. In fact, the most recent cost estimates show that the clean up will cost nearly $1.4 billion by 2002.”