[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 146 (Tuesday, September 27, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S6135]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO CURT SPALDING

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize a notable 
Rhode Islander. Curt Spalding, the outgoing Administrator for the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency's region 1, is retiring this year. 
Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a deep commitment to 
protecting our environment.
  The iconic waters of New England are part of what make this region a 
very special place to live. Since taking the helm of EPA region 1 in 
2009, Administrator Spalding has worked to bolster coastal resilience, 
clean our lakes and rivers, and improve New England communities through 
innovation and science. Among his priorities was renewing the region's 
focus on bettering stormwater pollution control, a particular concern 
for Rhode Island's coastal communities as they prepare for sea level 
rise and increased rainfall. His focus on stakeholder engagement led to 
EPA's first-ever, real-time water quality reporting tool, which relies 
on New England citizen scientists, professional researchers, and a 
myriad of other groups for data and outreach.
  Administrator Spalding has routinely been a leader identifying 
innovative and cooperative solutions to difficult problems. He worked 
with Senator Reed and me to establish the Southeastern New England 
Coastal Watershed Restoration Program, SNEP. SNEP, a collaboration 
between government agencies, researchers, and non-governmental 
organizations, works to protect and restore coastal watersheds by 
addressing the excess nutrients and other pollutants that undermine 
water quality in the region. So far SNEP has made available over $12 
million to improve coastal water quality, restore coastal ecosystems, 
and address nutrient pollution.
  Administrator Spalding has also championed programs to clean the 
waters of Cape Cod and restore Lake Champlain, and his work in Boston 
Harbor is another national success story, turning one of the most toxic 
harbors in the country in the 1980s into one of the cleanest urban 
beaches in the Nation today.
  Prior to serving with region 1, Administrator Spalding was the 
executive director of Rhode Island's Save the Bay for nearly two 
decades. While executive director, he oversaw construction of the Save 
the Bay Center at Fields Point in Providence, RI. The center, which won 
the Phoenix Award for brownfields redevelopment, transformed a former 
landfill into a landmark facility that provides classroom spaces for 
Save the Bay's educational programs and serves as a living example of 
the organization's approach to environmentally friendly shoreline 
development. Under his leadership, Save the Bay grew into a nationally 
recognized, 20,000-member environmental advocacy and education 
organization.
  Administrator Spalding's passion for his work and the environment is 
obvious. His vision for a vibrant, resilient New England had shaped the 
great work of our region's environmental and coastal communities for 
the last three decades. I hope during his retirement Administrator 
Spalding finds the time to enjoy some of the very areas he has spent a 
career protecting.
  Curt, my friend, may the wind always be at your back.

                          ____________________