WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today Congressman David Wu successfully included five Oregon-focused amendments in legislation that passed the U.S. House of Representatives to help states modernize, renovate, or repair public school facilities.

The 21st Century Green High-Performing Public Schools Facilities Act, H.R. 2187, provides grant funding to help school districts make a variety of upgrades such as replacing roofs and lead pipes, removing mold and asbestos, improving energy use, and upgrading classroom technology.

“Our students deserve to learn in a safe, healthy environment,” said Congressman Wu.  “By investing in green upgrades for our public schools, we are also creating clean energy jobs, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and lowering energy costs for taxpayers.  Sue Buel Elementary School in McMinnville is already a leader in this arena, and I was proud to share their story on the House floor during yesterday’s debate.”

Congressman Wu’s floor statement regarding Buel Elementary and the green school legislation follows.  

Funds will be distributed to states and school districts according to a previously established formula.  Oregon’s estimated allocation under this legislation is $58,047,000.  The estimated funds that each school district would receive are available here.

“This legislation will make a big difference to our local school districts, many of which are struggling to provide a healthy, safe, technologically up-to-date learning environment for their students due to lack of resources,” said Congressman Wu.  “This was already a good bill, and I seized the opportunity to make it even better by adding amendments geared to our specific needs here in Oregon.”

Congressman Wu’s amendments expanded the items that grant funds can be spent on to include:

1)    Storm water runoff systems, which provide an environmentally friendly way of managing Oregon’s plentiful rainfall,
2)    Seismic upgrades, which are necessary to ensure that students will be safe in the event of an earthquake in Oregon or along the West Coast,
3)    Energy generation from woody biomass, a renewable energy source that is abundant in Oregon,
4)    Energy generation from waste-to-energy, a green energy source currently being researched by scientists at Oregon State University, and
5)    Energy generation from solar-thermal systems, which will allow Oregonians to generate heat by harnessing solar rays.

H.R. 2187 passed the House by a vote of 275-155 and will now go to the Senate for consideration.

Madam Speaker,

I rise in support of H.R. 2187, and I thank Representatives Chandler and Loebsack for introducing the bill.  I especially appreciate Chairman Miller working with me to add seismic retrofitting, storm water runoff systems, and additional clean energy sources to the allowable uses of funds in the bill.

So many of our nation's schools are in urgent need of upgrading.  Recent estimates show that America's schools need hundreds of billions of dollars in retrofitting and upgrades just to be safe and healthy learning environments for our children.  The funds in this bill will do more than help create safe schools.  They will help our schools actually return money to local communities by saving energy and creating jobs.

I have first-hand knowledge of how creating safe and green schools can improve learning environments and student outcomes while saving money for taxpayers.  In McMinnville, Oregon, in my district, is the newly built Sue Buel Elementary School, which I had the pleasure of touring in February.  The school replaces a building that was built in 1929, and the new school is the first school in Oregon built to earn LEED’s gold certification.  The school was built with low-chemical-emitting materials, an energy-efficient heating and ventilation system, and ninety-six rooftop solar panels that return over 19,000 watts of power to the electric grid.

Perhaps the most exciting thing about visiting Buel Elementary was seeing how engaged the students are in their school and in learning about their environment.  The school itself creates a sense of pride in the students and keeps them excited about learning.   

H.R. 2187 will help ensure that our children have a safe and healthy learning environment, with the added benefit by creating jobs during these difficult economic times.

Thank you.