[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 175 (Monday, November 17, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10555-S10556]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING DOROTHY GREEN

 Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, I am honored to remember a great 
American activist, environmental leader, mentor, and woman of service--
Dorothy Green, who passed away on October 13, 2008, at the age of 79.
  Dorothy's career as a leading environmental activist for clean and 
sound water policy spanned three decades. She was well known for her 
self-taught expertise on clean oceans and responsible water management. 
She also founded several well-known organizations that continue to make 
an impact on California's environment.
  Dorothy Green was born in Detroit to Polish immigrants in 1929. She 
moved to California where she graduated from the University of 
California, Berkley, with a degree in music. She married her husband 
Jacob in 1951. For many years, Dorothy stayed home and took care of her 
children. In 1962, she began dedicating her life to volunteerism with 
her involvement in the Exceptional Children's Foundation, committed to 
helping children with developmental disabilities--like her son, 
Hershel.
  Dorothy began advocating for water quality in 1972 when she 
volunteered in a campaign to establish the California Coastal 
Commission. From there, Dorothy became president of the Los Angeles 
League of Conservation Voters, where she focused primarily on sewage 
treatment. However, Dorothy is best known for forming one of the 
largest, nonprofit environmental groups in Los Angeles in 1985, Heal 
the Bay. Heal the Bay has grown to 15,000 members and fights to protect 
coastal waters, clean up beaches, and reports on the

[[Page S10556]]

water quality conditions of over 500 California beaches through its 
annual Beach Report Card.
  Dorothy's work did not stop with Heal the Bay. She went on to found 
the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council to preserve, 
restore, and enhance the economic, social, and environmental aspects of 
the local watersheds. She also went on to help establish the Public 
Officials for Water and Environmental Reform and the California Water 
Impact Network--both dedicated to water sustainability.
  Even to the very last days of her life, when she was bedridden and 
under hospice care, Dorothy fought for positive change. She wrote an 
editorial for the Los Angeles Times, pleading for sensible water 
policy, and she even provided specific guidance on how to obtain it. 
Dorothy inspired others to take action on environmental issues through 
a life of dedicated leadership and service.
  Green is survived by three sons, Joshua, Avrom and Herschel; two 
brothers, Morris and Gerald; and three granddaughters, Jessica, 
Katherine and Tara. I send my deepest condolences to them.
  Our Nation lost an amazing environmental activist with the passing of 
Dorothy Green, but her legacy to the State of California and promotion 
of clean ocean water will live on.

                          ____________________