[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 129 (Tuesday, July 31, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S5514]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                        TRIBUTE TO FRED GRIMSEY

  Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize Fred 
Grimsey, in whose honor a beach in Waterford, CT, will be named Grimsey 
Beach on August 11, 2018. I have had the honor of seeing firsthand the 
many amazing accomplishments of Fred Grimsey over the past decade.
  Mr. Grimsey is the founder and president of Save the River-Save the 
Hills, Inc., a nonprofit, grassroots environmental organization focused 
on preserving the health of the Niantic River Estuary, its watershed, 
and the natural beauty of the Oswegatchie Hills.
  In 2003, Mr. Grimsey built a system to use his boat as a pump-out 
vessel. Relying on his personal funds for 2 years to keep what became 
the Pump-Out Program going, Mr. Grimsey has since secured grants from 
the DEEP and the towns of Waterford and East Lyme, CT, to maintain it. 
Just this year, over 16,000 gallons of sewerage were pumped from boats 
on the Niantic River, preventing a significant amount of pollution from 
being dumped in the river.
  As director of the Pump-Out Program and president of Save the River-
Save the Hills, Mr. Grimsey has worked long hours to improve the 
diversity and amount of aquatic life in the estuary, encourage safe 
recreation, and enhance economic growth of the Niantic River area. His 
determined dedication has helped lead to the designation of the river 
and the Long Island Sound as a Federal No Discharge Zone.
  Mr. Grimsey's significant environmental efforts has extended 
Statewide, including serving on numerous committees centered on 
improving waterways in and around Connecticut.
  Currently, Mr. Grimsey and Save the River-Save the Hills are working 
on a Unified Water Study with the Connecticut Fund for the Environment. 
The goal of the study is to encourage collaboration between multiple 
monitoring groups in order to measure the ecological health of a local 
bay, cove, or harbor.
  Mr. Grimsey's positive impact upon the Niantic River has greatly 
benefitted our State. In 2008, he received the President's Volunteer 
Service Award for the State of Connecticut, and in 2017, I was proud to 
recognize his environmental achievements by presenting Mr. Grimsey with 
the Aquarion Environmental Champion Award in the adult category.
  I applaud his tireless efforts to improve and protect the Niantic 
River, and I hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating Mr. 
Grimsey on his well-earned honor.

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