News : CONGRESSMAN LINDER HOSTS SECOND IN SERIES OF WATER BRIEFINGS  [7/10/2008]
Washington, D.C.-Today, Representative John Linder (R-GA) joined three of his colleagues and Water Caucus Co-Chairs, Representatives Jim Costa (D-CA), George Radanovich (R-CA), and Bart Stupak (D-MI), in hosting the second in a series of educational briefings on one of the most important issues facing our nation: ensuring an adequate and dependable fresh water supply for all Americans for years to come.    “As a Co-Chair of the Water Caucus, I am very pleased to again join with my colleagues to provide a forum for experts in the water industry to share their efforts with Congress in studying, managing, and providing solutions to our nation’s growing water problems.  Fresh drinking water is fast becoming a highly sought-after commodity.  In fact, some are now calling it the new ‘blue gold.’”    Today’s briefing was led by the Ground Water Protection Council and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and it focused on the challenges facing our nation's ground water use and availability.  Protecting ground water supply must be a high priority for Americans since ground water provides nearly half of the U.S. population with drinking water.  According to the Ground Water Protection Council, “the severe strain on already overtaxed water supplies needs to be factored into energy policy decisions as the nation seeks to reduce its reliance on oil.  Coal power, which currently accounts for about 52% of our nation’s electricity, requires 25 gallons of water to generate each kilowatt.  Ethanol production from corn also draws down heavily our water resources.  It takes about 1,000 gallons of water to grow nineteen pounds of corn, and another 400-500 gallons of water to process that grain into ethanol.”   “My colleagues on the Water Caucus know all too well the problems that we are facing as a result of depleting water resources.  We are experiencing record droughts, flooding, and failing infrastructure.  Moreover, there is not a single coordinated national effort to accurately measure and solve the threat we are facing.  As U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator for Water, Ben Grumbles, said in today’s briefing, ‘While we need to think globally; we need to drink locally.’  I cannot agree more.  We must act now to protect this precious resource within each of our communities so that Americans will never face a time where they turn on their faucets and are left high and dry.”      Today’s briefing marks the second in a series of Congressional lectures that are being hosted by the Water Caucus throughout this summer.  The next briefing has been scheduled for July 30, 2008, and will feature speakers from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.  
 
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