Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 587, introduced by Congressman Peters from California and others from his home State, is a bipartisan bill that aims to make permanent a regulatory exemption under the Clean Water Act. This exemption allows certain wastewater treatment facilities seeking to discharge to the ocean to apply for permit modifications that offer alternatives to the Clean Water Act's secondary treatment standards. These alternative standards must be met every 5 years during the normal permit renewal period. This permit renewal process is lengthy, complex, and costly. The city of San Diego's Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant has been operating under this regulatory exemption for well over two decades. The objectives of this bill are worthy and a win-win for the city and the environment. Madam Speaker, the bill will help ensure that San Diego has long-term certainty for its water supply and will save the city millions of dollars and protect regional ratepayers from billions in new costs by providing this regulatory certainty while preserving applicable standards. Madam Speaker, I support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.”