[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 290 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 290

 Celebrating 50 years of environmental progress in the Cuyahoga River 
                         Valley and Lake Erie.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 29, 2019

    Mr. Brown (for himself and Mr. Portman) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Celebrating 50 years of environmental progress in the Cuyahoga River 
                         Valley and Lake Erie.

Whereas the Cuyahoga River is a 100-mile-long river in the State of Ohio that 
        flows into Lake Erie;
Whereas the word ``Cuyahoga'' is a combination of the names given to the river 
        by native peoples in the region and is translated to mean ``Crooked 
        River'';
Whereas, after generations of neglect, a lack of clean-water protections, and 
        decades of industrial pollution in the Cuyahoga River Valley, a 1968 
        report by the former Federal Water Pollution Control Administration 
        found that the lower portion of the Cuyahoga River had no visible life;
Whereas oil-laden debris and pollution on the Cuyahoga River caught fire 13 
        times between 1868 and 1969, inspiring the ignominious nickname ``the 
        burning river'';
Whereas on June 22, 1969, sparks from a railroad car passing over the Cuyahoga 
        River on a bridge ignited debris below, starting what would be the last 
        fire on the river;
Whereas a Time Magazine article on the 1969 fire alerted the public to the 
        extent of industrial pollution in the Cuyahoga River Valley;
Whereas Carl B. Stokes, then mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, testified before Congress 
        and called for Federal legislation to address pollution;
Whereas, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, the 1969 fire 
        mobilized public concern across the United States, resulting in--

    (1) the enactment of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly 
known as the ``Clean Water Act'') (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.);

    (2) the Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality, signed at Ottawa April 
15, 1972 (23 UST 301; TIAS 7312), between the United States and Canada;

    (3) the Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality, 1978, signed at Ottawa 
November 22, 1978 (30 UST 1383; TIAS 9257), between the United States and 
Canada (commonly referred to as the ``Great Lakes Water Quality 
Agreement'');

    (4) the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency; and

    (5) the establishment of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency;

Whereas, according to the National Park Service, the 1969 fire on the Cuyahoga 
        River helped inspire the first Earth Day in 1970;
Whereas passage of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et 
        seq.) spurred the city of Cleveland, the State of Ohio, and a multitude 
        of public and private partners to improve the water quality in the 
        Cuyahoga River Valley;
Whereas public concern about pollution in the Cuyahoga River Valley and the 
        resulting fires supported efforts led by Representatives Ralph S. Regula 
        and John F. Seiberling to create the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation 
        Area in 1974, which later became the Cuyahoga Valley National Park;
Whereas the Cuyahoga River is now home to more than 60 species of fish;
Whereas the industrial river valley in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, known as ``the 
        Flats'', has been transformed into a center for recreation and 
        entertainment;
Whereas the Cuyahoga River transports millions of tons of material to and from 
        local industries, supporting 15,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs 
        and producing $1,700,000,000 in economic activity;
Whereas recreational opportunities are available in--

    (1) the Cuyahoga Valley National Park;

    (2) State and county parks; and

    (3) the Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Canalway;

Whereas the National Park Service and the community partners of the National 
        Park Service created the Cuyahoga River Water Trail along the entire 
        length of the Cuyahoga River to increase public access, tourism, and 
        economic development; and
Whereas the rebirth of the Cuyahoga River is a symbol of the importance of the 
        Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) and other 
        landmark environmental laws that ensure clean water and protect the 
        natural resources of the United States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) celebrates 50 years of environmental progress in the 
        Cuyahoga River Valley and Lake Erie;
            (2) offers continued support for the Federal Water 
        Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) and the Clean 
        Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.);
            (3) recognizes the transformation of the Cuyahoga River and 
        the Great Lakes Basin as a model for environmental restoration;
            (4) recognizes the economic benefit of the Cuyahoga River 
        for recreation, tourism, commercial shipping, and job growth; 
        and
            (5) commits to continued progress in improving ecosystem 
        health, drinking water quality, and wastewater infrastructure 
        in the Great Lakes Basin.
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