Extensions of Remarks E473 HON. DONALD M. PAYNE
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
March 6, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E473 Her dedication to education and commitment people, and 56 billion gallons of water per day necessary funding levels for these programs, to her fellow citizens was commendable. are used for municipal, agricultural, and indus- the less costly the solutions will be in the long f trial use. The Great Lakes contain 5,500 cubic run. I urge my colleagues to support this crit- miles of freshwater—that’s 6 quadrillion gal- ical legislation. SALUTE TO SERGEANT TOMMASO lons of water, equal to 90 percent of U.S. sup- f POPOLIZIO—FALLEN HERO ply and 20 percent of world supply. In fact, if you emptied the Great Lakes onto the conti- AN IMPORTANT HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE FOR BERGEN HON. DONALD M. PAYNE nental U.S., everything would be under 91⁄2 OF NEW JERSEY feet of water. The Great Lakes shoreline COUNTY WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES stretches for 10,210 miles. That’s a lot of sand Tuesday, March 6, 2007 for summer Saturdays at the beach. The HON. SCOTT GARRETT Great Lakes contain over 250 species of fish, OF NEW JERSEY Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to and they sustain a $4 billion sports fishery in- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES honor the life and achievements of a fallen dustry and millions more in commercial fish- Tuesday, March 6, 2007 Newark police officer whose tragic loss in the ing. line of duty is mourned by his family, friends, Is it any wonder that we call them great? Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Madam fellow law enforcement officers, and our entire The lakes are the foundation of our region’s Speaker, I rise today to bring to this body’s at- community. Sergeant Tommaso Popolizio died quality of life, and they are a national treasure. tention a serious health issue affecting women in the early morning hours of Saturday, March The Great Lakes are so vast, so majestic, and unborn children in Bergen County, New 3, 2007, at the age of 33, while working to and so plentiful that we might think they can Jersey. keep our streets safe. He leaves behind his withstand any contamination. We take them The Bergen Record reported last Wednes- day, February 28 that the Metropolitan Medical wife, four children, father and five siblings. for granted. But the Great Lakes have suffered Associates Clinic in Englewood, New Jersey Sergeant Popolizio, born and raised in New- from years of industrial pollution, stormwater had been closed down following a complaint ark, dedicated his life to the city where he and and agricultural runoff, the introduction of filed by Newark Beth Israel Medical Center his family put down roots. His parents, Nicola invasive species, and wetlands and coastal when it treated a woman for complications and Sarah, immigrated to the United States in habitat loss. The size and shape of the Lakes from an abortion performed at the Metropolitan the late 1960s from Italy and settled in the only contribute to the problem. The retention Clinic. The Clinic, which performs more than North Ward of Newark, New Jersey, my home rate for Lake Superior is 191 years. Lake 10,000 abortions a year, including about 1500 city. The youngest of seven children, Sergeant Michigan is 99 years. It takes the Lakes that partial birth abortions, was closed for posing Popolizio attended my alma mater, Barringer period of time to cycle through water and get ‘‘immediate and serious risk of harm to pa- High School and went on to study at Rutgers rid of pollutants. The Lakes are nearing a tip- tients.’’ This very same clinic was barred from University, Newark. He joined the Newark po- ping point of environmental pollution from performing abortions in 1993 for its failure to lice force in 1995, the first of three brothers to which they might not be able to recover. protect the health and safety of its patients. do so. Closed beaches, fish consumption restrictions, As the Record reported, ‘‘An order to halt Sergeant Popolizio once said, ‘‘I try to do as loss of wildlife habitat, and depleted fish medical services is extremely rare. This is only much as I can every day that I go out there.’’ stocks are harbingers of problems that will the second time in the last five years the [De- Committed to bettering our city, Sergeant only worsen over time. partment of Health and Senior Services] has Popolizio, the consummate police officer, al- Thankfully, we largely know what needs to closed one of the State’s 619 ambulatory-care ways rose to the occasion whether on or off be done to clean up and protect the Lakes. In facilities for ‘deficient care.’’’ Ironically, the duty. Noted for his bravery and dedication, December 2005, the Great Lakes Regional Clinic is redirecting its patients to another local Sergeant Popolizio protected our city streets Collaboration, initiated through an executive clinic owned by the same company that offers and saved a number of lives. Upon first joining order by President Bush, produced a strategic sub-par services at the Metropolitan Clinic. the police force, he was fired upon during a action plan for protecting and restoring the Perhaps, more ironic, however, is that the chase to apprehend dangerous suspects. In Great Lakes. The Regional Collaboration—a State has stepped in to protect the women 1999, Sergeant Popolizio and another officer partnership of Federal program managers, seeking abortions from the physical hazards rushed into a burning building and rescued State governors, mayors, scientists, industry posed by the Clinic’s substandard care. It has three children. Chalking up such instances of leaders, anglers, hunters, environmentalists, not sought to address the emotional damage bravery to ‘‘all in a day’s work,’’ Popolizio and other interested private stakeholders—fo- that these women may suffer from the trauma never sought recognition, never shrank from cused their attention on addressing the most of an abortion. And, it certainly has not sought duty, and always gave one-hundred percent to critical threats to the Lakes. The diverse group to address the fatal tragedy that befalls the his job. It is therefore no surprise that some- of 1,500 participants developed recommenda- more than 10,000 children whose mothers one with such heart and tenacity as Sergeant tions for addressing aquatic invasive species, come to the Clinic each year. Popolizio was bestowed with honors and rose habitat protection, coastal health, Areas of f up the ranks of the Newark Police Depart- Concern and contaminated sediment, non- PERSONAL EXPLANATION ment. As an East District supervisor, Sergeant point source pollution, toxic pollutants, sci- Popolizio was known for his positive influence entific research and monitoring, and sustain- in leading by example. able development. HON. WILLIAM J. JEFFERSON Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues here Today I am introducing comprehensive leg- OF LOUISIANA in the U.S. House of Representatives to join islation to address these threats. As its name IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES me in honoring Sergeant Tommaso Popolizio, implies, my bill—the Great Lakes Collabora- Tuesday, March 6, 2007 tion Implementation Act—makes many of the who died as he lived his life—selflessly and Mr. JEFFERSON. Madam Speaker, due to with integrity. I am honored to have had him necessary legislative changes to implement many of the policy recommendations con- a prior commitment being held in my district represent my home city and I know my col- on Thursday, March 1, 2007, I missed the tained in the Strategy. This bill prevents fur- leagues join me in extending our deepest H.R. 800 ‘‘Employee Free Choice Act’’ vote. If ther biological contamination from aquatic sympathy to the family of one of Newark’s fall- l had been here, I would have voted ‘‘yes’’ on invasive species introductions. It also helps en heroes. this bill. clean up contaminated sediments in rivers and f harbors and restores beneficial uses of those f INTRODUCTION OF THE GREAT waters. Provisions in the legislation will restore TRIBUTE TO KAREN FANT: CON- LAKES COLLABORATION IMPLE- wetlands and other fish and wildlife habitat, SERVATIONIST AND DEFENDER MENTATION ACT and help communities improve their waste- OF OUR WILD LANDS water infrastructure and prevent sewer over- HON. VERNON J. EHLERS flows. Finally, the bill strengthens scientific re- HON. JAY INSLEE OF MICHIGAN search and monitoring activities in the Lakes, OF WASHINGTON IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES so that we can monitor our progress and IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES make good decisions on what steps to take Tuesday, March 6, 2007 next in clean up and restoration efforts. Tuesday, March 6, 2007 Mr. EHLERS. Madam Speaker, the Great The solutions are practical and manageable. Mr. INSLEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today Lakes provide drinking water for 40 million The sooner we pass this bill and provide the to pay tribute to Ms. Karen Fant, who devoted VerDate Aug 31 2005 05:03 Mar 07, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A06MR8.033 E06MRPT1 hmoore on PROD1PC68 with HMREMARKS E474 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks March 6, 2007 her life to preserving wilderness and wildlife in servation legacy than for my colleagues to join Convention Against Torture, ratified by the Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. We mourn me in supporting H.R. 866, the Wild Sky Wil- Senate in 1986, provides that the United the loss of such a treasured conservationist derness Act of 2007, which will be marked up States may not ‘‘expel, return, or extradite a and pioneer in the Washington state environ- in the Natural Resources Committee this person to another State where there are sub- mental movement.