mr. shimkus for five minutes. >> welcome. it's great to have you here. history does tell us a lot of things. being on the committee but chairman at the time to cluster ground zero because we had the verizon switching station right across the street and what i learned walking through that process is it was only a big company that could get wall street back online after that catastrophic attack and it's true i still have pictures of it. the basement was flooded. they had wires going up to the third floor, individuals can the timing of the copper lines. so as we talk about our great country and competition and large entities, sometimes they are very important in the security of the country. and also thanks for the kind words. it's a progress to have to stay vigilant on. first we dealt with 911 and then we went to the location and then we went to voice over internet and now we are back in a location because i'm being told by some but there are too many right now and that maybe they should centralize those. >> one of the interesting things in your bill that y

mr. shimkus for five minutes. >> thank you, mr. chairman. administrator, again welcome. do you agree that -- there's 84,000 chemicals listed, approximately, in the tosca inventories. how many do you think are currently in commerce? out of the 84 listed, how many are actually used in commerce? >> i'm sorry, i don't have the exact -- >> i mean, that's part of the problem. that's why we're trying to move in a bicameral bipartisan nature on tosca to try to get a handle on this. the -- if we work with the industry on chemical data reporting, that should help us get a better eid of what that number is. do you agree? >> yes. >> so in your budget plan you have originally 83 work plan chemical risk assessments that you want done by 2018. i look at the budget report of -- we've got like, five are completed, five to ten and 15 maybe 10 and 16 which gives us 25, that i can from 83 that's still 69 that budget wise we don't seem to be able to get in a timely manner. i just raise this because -- i appreciate the effort but, again, i just want to use this opportunity as i think we can g

mr. shimkus, for five minutes. >> thank you mr. chairman. welcome to the commissioners. it's great to have you. i want to be careful because history does tell us a lot of things. fortunate to be on the committee during september 11. chairman upton took us to ground zero because we had the verizon switching station right across the street, and what i learned in walking through the process it was really only a big company that could get wall street back online after the catastrophic attack. and it's true. i've still got pictures of it. the basement was flooded. you had wires going up to the third floor. you at individuals and the time the copper lines -- you had individuals and the time the copper line. at the talk about a great country and competition a large entities, sometimes large entities are very important in the security of this country. and i want to also thanks to the kind with a 911. it was a team effort. we had -- it's a process you've got to stay vigil on as chairman wheeler, you mentioned. first we dealt with 911 over sell. then really want to location. then

mr. shimkus the chairman of the environment and economy subcommittee. >> thank you chairman whitfield fori do want to welcome administrator mccarthy. i appreciate your willingness to work with us in the past on such things as electronics submission of hazardous waste manifest. that actually can be very helpful. as i spoke to you earlier we looked forward in collaborating with you on the coal ash legislation and toxic substance control act. for me today's hearing is not just an administrative exercise where we do bean counting, while we don't write the checks the agency cashes most of the major legal authority underpins the work delegated to the agency rests within this committee. today's hearing gives us a chance to compare the agency's individual budget request with epa's underlying steps toward authority. as a legislator i have many questions where i think more information is needed to evaluate how statutory mandates are being carried out. for example i have questions about the statutory nexus with the following budget request and policies that are being implemented. like the clean powe

mr. shimkus about 15 years ago led legislation making 911 a national number. amazing it had never been that. the calls now go through, but many times it's like a tree falling in the forest. and there was a recent tragic example in georgia when a lady by the name of chanel anderson lady called and she was drowning in her car. and the signal was received by an antenna that happened to be an adjacent public -- it decided not to have maps of the area next door. and i've listened to the call. it's heartbreaking she keeps saying here's where i am, here's where i am. i can't find it on the map, i don't know where you are. and didn't know where to send somebody. there are 6500 different places in this country staffed by dedicated individuals, there needs to be some kind of set of standards, and only congress can deal with it. we've dealt with the front end now it's necessary to do something about the back end. this is not a power grab i don't care what gets done. we really need -- the second quick issue that i like to raise is, i know both you and i want a commission

mr. shimkus for five minutes. >> welcome. do you agree that there's 84000 chemicals listed approximately in the inventory. >> yes. >> how many do you think are currently in commerce? out of the 84 lists, how many are actually used in commerce? >> i'm sorry. i don't have the exact number. >> that's part of the problem. and why we're trying to move to get a handle on this. the -- if we work with industry on chemical data reporting, that should help us get a better idea of what that number is. do you agree? >> yes. >> so in your budget plan, you have originally 83 work plan chemical risk assessments that you want done by 2018. i look at the budget report. we've got like five completed, five to ten in '15. maybe ten in '16 which gives us 25. take that from 83. that's still 69 that budget-wise we don't seem to be able to get in a timely matter. i appreciate the effort. but, again, i want to use this opportunity as i think we can get there and this is a perfect example how we can work with you and my colleagues on the other side to

mr. shimkus about 15 years ago led to legislation making 911 and national number. amazing. the calls now go through but many times it's like a tree falling in the forest. there was a region tragic example in georgia when a lady by the name of chanel anderson called as she was drowning in her car. the signal was received by an antenna that happen to be an adjacent public safety answering point but did not have, that decided not to have maps of the area next door. and i have listened to the call and it's heartbreaking. she keeps saying, here is where i am and the spectrum keeps saying i can't find on the map i can't find it. i don't know where you are and they didn't know where to send somebody. there are 6500 different staff by incredibly dedicated individuals but there needs to be some kind of set of standards. only congress can deal with it. we have dealt with the front end but now it's necessary to do something about the backend. this is not a power grab. i don't care how it gets done or who is responsible but we owe this to the american people. a second quick issue i wou

mr. shimkus, for five minutes of questions. >> thank you. i talked to your staff prior. i appreciate your outreach trying to tall. it was a crazy day. i talked to them before you came to the table. i do have great respect for that. i also want to make sure this happy clap talk about how great health care is and the affordable health care is moderated by real concerns out there. remember the bill that passed signed into law we had nothing to do with on the house side. it was a senate health bill that came over to us that we passed. so that is the health care law that we have today. the language of the law is pretty clear. i am concerned also that supreme court will rule that the federal exchanges in states are not authorized to receive subsidies. we just need to be prepared for that here. i would hope the administration would be, too. i promised two ladies from my congressional district i'd mention their names. angie esker who is a pro-life strong family and she cannot buy a policy that does not have abortion coverage. for millions of americans, this is a really important

mr. shimkus, about 15 years ago led legislation making 911 and national number.h but many times it's like a tree falling in the forest it was a recent tragic example in georgia when a lady called as she was drowning in her car and the signal was received i an antenna that happened to be in an adjacent area, public safety answering point, that did not have that decide not to have maps of the area next door. and i've listened to the call and it's heartbreaking to she keeps saying, here's what i am here's what i am. the dispatcher keeps saying, i can't find it on the net. i don't know where you are. to know where to send somebody. there are 6500 different tensions in the country but also by incredibly dedicated individuals -- psap -- but there needs to be some kind of set of standards and only congress can do with. we'll dealt with the front and but now it's message refers to do something about the backend. this is is not a power grab i don't care how it gets done or what agency is responsible. but we owe this to the american people. the second quick issue of like t

mr. tonko who is recognized for five minutes. >> thank you again chair shimkus, for calling this hearingnd inviting a witness from the 20th district of new york. i appreciate you making the trip here today. drinking water systems in the district that i represent, and i think every district across the country, are facing significant challenges as they work to ensure that everyone, including people in small and rural communities, have access to safe water. that's why i introduced the aqua act last congress, to improve all of the tools e.p.a. currently has to assist these systems. i appreciate the work that my colleague, mr. harper from mississippi, has done on these issues. i look forward to working with him to get at least some of these changes into law. it seems that every week in my district there's another water main break, treated water and the money we've invested is being wasted. so it's dollars and water flowing out of those pipes. can you describe some of the issues you have had in your town with water main breaks and the obstacles you face in preventing these ruptures? >> we don'

mr. robert stewart, who is the executive director of the rural community assistance partnership. welcome, sir, and you're recognized for five minutes. >> thank you, chairman shimkus. ranking member and members of the committee. i think the previous witnesses and y'all have done an excellent job at sort of framing the issue. as someone that has worked 20 years with hundreds of communities in texas, both for the rural community assistance partnership and the rural water association and someone who has directed the national program for ten years i'm here to tell you that the needs of small communities are many. the resources are limited. the dedication and determination of small communities to provide their citizens with the best possible water is strong and undiminished. i'm sure everyone knows a little about the rural community assistance partnership. it's in my testimony. i won't repeat things that are in my testimony. i just want to make a few points that have been touched on but maybe i could amplify a little bit. one is the access to capital. there's a real issue in accessing the resources they need to extend lines to new customers. i believe mr. gomez talked

mr. robert stewart, who is the executive director of the rural community assistance partnership. welcome, sir, and you're recognized for five minutes. >> thank you, chairman shimkusranking member and members of the committee. i think the previous witnesses and y'all have done an excellent job at sort of framing the issue. as someone that has worked 20 years with hundreds of communities in texas, both for the rural community assistance partnership and the rural water association and someone who has directed the national program for ten years i'm here to tell you that the needs of small communities are many. the resources are limited. the dedication and determination of small communities to provide their citizens with the best possible water is strong and undiminished. i'm sure everyone knows a little about the rural community assistance partnership. it's in my testimony. i won't repeat things that are in my testimony. i just want to make a few points that have been touched on but maybe i could amplify a little bit. one is the access to capital. there's a real issue in accessing the resources they need to extend lines to new customers. i believe mr. gomez talked ab