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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E160-E161]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IN RECOGNITION OF MARK REITER
______
HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.
of new jersey
in the house of representatives
Monday, February 10, 2020
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a friend and a
giant in the recycling industry--Mark Reiter.
Mark was born and grew up in the Bronx--the South Bronx as he would
say. Mark was an avid Brooklyn Dodgers fan. He later became a Nationals
fan as a result of spending most of his life in Washington, D.C.; but
make no mistake about it, Mark was a New Yorker through and through and
never let you forget it.
Mark originally came to Washington to work for the late Bella Abzug.
Mark would often entertain people with stories about those years
working in her office. Representative Abzug was proud of Mark and his
tireless devotion to environmental issues, as well as his commitment to
others, especially those who were less fortunate. Later, Mark worked
for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, helping shape
our nation's environmental policy at its earliest stages. While he was
a reliable Democrat, many of his friends were very reliable
Republicans. He knew how to get things done by working with others,
understanding others, and of course, caring for others.
One of Mark's great accomplishments was the enactment of the
Superfund Recycling Equity Act (SREA), which provided environmental
clarity for recyclers facing potential liability under Superfund.
Because of SREA, recyclers today conduct due diligence to ensure their
materials are used again in an environmentally responsible manner. SREA
was a monumental achievement for responsible recycling and Mark was
instrumental in its enactment.
Mark was fiercely loyal and devoted to his family--his brother,
nephews, nieces, and their children. Mark would visit them often
wherever they lived and generously help whenever needed. He was very
proud of them all. He often spoke of his admiration of his parents and
how their hard work enabled him to succeed in ways they could never
have imagined, especially as they were recent immigrants to this great
country. Mark never forgot where he came from and the sacrifices his
parents made for him and his older brother Eli.
Mark helped so many colleagues from his beginnings on Capitol Hill
through his long successful career at the Institute of Scrap Recycling
Industries. Many of his colleagues have gone on to great careers of
their own as a result of Mark's tutelage and deep caring for them. I
know because I am one of those colleagues who learned so much and was
helped by Mark over the years.
Mark was also a man of faith. His Jewish faith helped him become a
caring man to so many, whether they be family, friends, colleagues or
strangers. People were simply people in Mark's eyes. Mark cared about
how others were treated in our society and would speak up for them
without reservation. He felt he had walked in their shoes before them
and wanted life to be better for them.
Madam Speaker, we lost a giant in the recycling industry, the
environmental community, and the Jewish community. Mark was a great
colleague, a mentor, and a friend to many. His family and friends are
so proud of who Mark became and what he left behind--a world he helped
make better through his devotion to others, his work and his actions.
Mark will be missed by so many.
[[Page E161]]
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