[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 18, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E35-E36]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  OHIO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) REMARKS: JANUARY 9, 2012

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 18, 2012

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following. My name is Dennis 
Kucinich, K-u-c-i-n-i-c-h. Oh, and also, one other, n-o. I'm here as 
the Congressional Representative of the people of this area. I'm also 
here as the ranking Democrat in the United States Congress and the 
subcommittee that has jurisdiction over the EPA. I want to state for 
the record that regarding some of the questions that have been asked 
here, (I'm) totally dissatisfied with the way that this process has 
been conducted. The community has not been involved but it will be 
involved, I can promise you.

[[Page E36]]

  I want to announce here tonight, that I am going to work to bring 
representatives of our Domestic Policy Subcommittee in the Congress 
here for a full Congressional hearing where preliminary to that we will 
gain access to the EPA's documents on this. I can promise you that, 
that we'll gain access to information that has not been brought forward 
in a full way with respect to the toxic emissions, with respect to 
public health impacts, with respect to the way that this thing has been 
set up, that the public has a right to have their health protected. And 
that as the person who has responsibility and jurisdiction over the 
EPA, I've already sent a letter to EPA Administrator Jackson to let her 
know that there are environmental health issues here, public policy 
issues, and also environmental justice issues.
  We look very closely at the census track that this particular 
facility would be recycling. And there are compelling reasons under 
environmental justice principles why this should not be built. We need 
to involve the larger community here. It's good that you're all here 
tonight. We need to make sure that all of these questions that you have 
are on the record, are brought forward in the record and we'll put them 
in the Congressional Record.
  And I can make one other prediction. There was a few years ago when 
people were rushing to try and get rid of what was then called Muni 
Light, now it's Cleveland Public Power, and there was someone who stood 
in front of the community and said, you know what? You may say that 
you're going to sell that system, but it's never going to happen. The 
people in this community made sure of that. The people in this 
community were the ones that helped protect what is now Cleveland 
Public Power.
  I'm going to give the EPA a little bit of advice. If I know the 
people in this community, you're not going to shove this down their 
throats. Your bureaucratic process might be okay to satisfy some legal 
minutia, but it's not going to the satisfy a community that is intent 
on protecting the quality of the air, the quality of the water, their 
children, their schools, their neighborhoods, the quality of health. 
Welcome to Cleveland.

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