Frank Lautenberg: “I rise in support of S. 2019, the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1994. S. 2019 reaffirms Congress' intent to…”

“I rise in support of S. 2019, the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1994. S. 2019 reaffirms Congress' intent to ensure that the water people drink will be safe. I want to commend Senator Baucus for taking the lead role in bringing this bill to the Senate floor. Protection of public health must remain our top priority as we consider revisions to the Safe Drinking Water Act. EPA's Science Advisory Board has ranked drinking water contamination as one of the highest risks to human health. According to the Centers for Disease Control, between 1986 and 1992 35 States reported 102 drinking water disease outbreaks linked to microscopic bacteria, viruses, and parasites, affecting over 34,000 people. CDC also estimates that nearly 1 million people get sick and 900 may die each year in the United States from drinking contaminated water. Indeed, according to a survey by the National Resources Defense Council, in 1991-92, over 28 million Americans drank water that was more contaminated than EPA health protection standards allow. We do not often realize how much we depend on safe drinking water until it is not there. When the water supply was threatened last year in Washington, DC, people who had to bathe in and drink bottled or boiled water were miserable. But safe water is not just a matter of convenience. It is a matter of public health. Last spring, contaminated water in Milwaukee sickened 400,000 residents and killed 50 people.”