Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I seek recognition to introduce the Safe Highway Markings Act of 2010, a bill that would establish minimum standards limiting the amounts of arsenic and lead contained in glass beads for reflective pavement markings. This bill will help protect surface and ground water from contamination and protect the health and safety of highway workers. Each year, approximately 500 million pounds of glass beads are applied to create reflective markings on roads in the United States. The source materials for the manufacturing of these glass beads can vary widely. While most engineered glass beads use environmentally- friendly materials such as recycled flat glass, some of the glass beads contain arsenic, lead and other heavy metals. As the glass degrades from the pounding of traffic, snow plows, trucks and weather, toxic materials can leach out of the glass and mix into the ground and surface water. In addition, workers who apply the glass beads with high concentrations of heavy metals are at risk for exposure. In response to environmental and health issues, several states have adopted regulations that require the use of environmentally-friendly, non-toxic glass materials. In particular, California, Iowa, Maine, New Jersey, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming have established procurement standards for the quality of glass beads used in highways markings in their States. Several other States are currently reviewing proposals.…”