Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2018

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. Chairman, this amendment, which I introduced with my colleague Congressman John Larson also of Connecticut, will address a serious escalating problem in north central and eastern Connecticut.

Thousands of homes there are currently at risk of collapse due to crumbling concrete foundations. A mineral identified as pyrrhotite was present in stone aggregate mined in a quarry in Willington, Connecticut, and used in concrete to pour home foundations in at least 36 towns in the region from the 1980s through the early 2000s.

Exposure to moisture causes the pyrrhotite to rust in the foundation over time, causing the foundation walls to bow and crack, eventually deteriorating to the point where homeowners can literally see through the cracks and even remove chunks of the foundation by hand.

This is a complex issue, and our amendment is a critical step to bring assistance to the region. It directs HUD to develop applications of Community Development Block Grants to pyrrhotite-related residential damage under its antiblight programs and procedures.

It is our belief that HUD, State, local, and private sector stakeholders can develop a collaborative basket of solutions to ease the burden of homeowners and prevent damage to the broader real estate market and economy of the region.

Mr. Chair, I urge passage of this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source