[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 60 (Tuesday, May 16, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S4007]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNITION OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ERUPTION OF MT. ST. HELENS

 Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I take the floor today to 
commemorate one of the most significant events in the history of my 
state--the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. On the 18th of May, 1980, Mt. 
St. Helens exploded with the force of a 24-megaton atomic bomb, 
scorching 230 square miles of picturesque Northwest landscape and 
triggered the largest known landslide in history, traveling at nearly 
200 mph to bury Spirit Lake and the Toutle River. Tragically, fifty-
seven men and women lost their lives, over 200 homes and 180 miles of 
road were destroyed and caused $3 billion in damages.
  Since that horrific day, the great people of Washington state began 
the long road to recovery. Today, I would like to recognize the 
astounding efforts of thousands of volunteers and donations from 
countless companies that have succeeded in making Mt. St. Helens a 
place where trees are growing at record speeds and animals are 
beginning to thrive in their new home.
  Mt. St. Helens is now a place where tens of thousands of visitors 
flock every year from around the globe to witness both the violent and 
healing powers of nature. Local residents devastated by the eruption 
have transformed their communities and now look to Mt. St. Helens to 
attract visitors and contribute to the local economy.
  There is still, however, an enormous amount of work to be done to 
help Mt. St. Helens and the surrounding areas continue on this path to 
recovery. The local communities' dedication to rebuilding 
infrastructure and ecosystems, the creation of a renowned research 
facility, and the construction of a world-class tourist attraction have 
demonstrated the highest degree of responsiveness and resourcefulness.
  I would also like to take this opportunity to commend the U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Forest Service for their achievements 
and commitment in bringing Mt. St. Helens back to life.
  As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Chairman of 
the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, and a member of the Mt. St. 
Helens Institute Advisory Board, I am deeply committed to helping Mt. 
St. Helens make the best possible recovery and to finding federal 
dollars to keep Mt. St. Helens accessible and enjoyable for all 
visitors and to assist the surrounding communities in finding solutions 
to their many challenges.
  I am confident that in the next twenty years the people of the 
Northwest will make even greater strides in reviving the beauty of Mt. 
St. Helens, making Washington state an even greater place to 
live.

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