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Repealing Prohibition On Use Of Certain Funds With Respect To Los Angeles To San Fernando Valley Metro Rail Project, California

Floor Speech

Date: Feb. 7, 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Transportation Health and Health Care Environment


REPEALING PROHIBITION ON USE OF CERTAIN FUNDS WITH RESPECT TO LOS ANGELES TO SAN FERNANDO VALLEY METRO RAIL PROJECT, CALIFORNIA -- (House of Representatives - February 07, 2007)

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Mr. GRAVES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 238 repeals a 21-year-old prohibition on the use of Federal transit funds to tunnel in the San Fernando Valley area west of Los Angeles.

In 1985, an explosion of naturally occurring methane gas blew up a department store in the Wilshire Boulevard Corridor in Los Angeles, injuring 22 people. As the gentleman from Minnesota aptly pointed out, concerned about the safety of tunneling in the area of Los Angeles, the city council created a task force to investigate the explosion. The task force identified methane risk zones along the Wilshire Boulevard Corridor.

The fiscal year 1986 transportation appropriations bill included a legislative provision that prohibits the use of Federal transit funds associated with the Los Angeles project for tunneling in or through an identified methane risk zone. The appropriations provision was written very broadly, binding future funds provided by Congress and affecting all parts of the Metro Rail subway project, including future extensions. The prohibition prevented any transportation planners in the Los Angeles area from considering any transportation improvements that might involve tunneling in the very broadly congested Wilshire Boulevard Corridor.

For me, Mr. Speaker, the need for this bill to be passed simply highlights the dangers of legislating an appropriations bill. H.R. 238 undoes something that should never have been done in the first place. In November 2005, a panel of engineering experts reported that tunneling along the Wilshire Boulevard Corridor can be done safely if proper procedures and appropriate techniques are used.

This bill, H.R. 238, will repeal the current prohibition on tunneling in that corridor. This legislation was first introduced by Congressman Waxman in December of 2005 as H.R. 4653 and was passed by the House in September of 2006. However, the Senate failed to act on the legislation, which is the reason we are back here on the floor today.

I do support H.R. 238, and I urge its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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