[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 128 (Monday, July 29, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S5149]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 290--CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS 
               IN THE CUYAHOGA RIVER VALLEY AND LAKE ERIE

  Mr. BROWN (for himself and Mr. Portman) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 290

       Whereas the Cuyahoga River is a 100-mile-long river in the 
     State of Ohio that flows into Lake Erie;
       Whereas the word ``Cuyahoga'' is a combination of the names 
     given to the river by native peoples in the region and is 
     translated to mean ``Crooked River'';
       Whereas, after generations of neglect, a lack of clean-
     water protections, and decades of industrial pollution in the 
     Cuyahoga River Valley, a 1968 report by the former Federal 
     Water Pollution Control Administration found that the lower 
     portion of the Cuyahoga River had no visible life;
       Whereas oil-laden debris and pollution on the Cuyahoga 
     River caught fire 13 times between 1868 and 1969, inspiring 
     the ignominious nickname ``the burning river'';
       Whereas on June 22, 1969, sparks from a railroad car 
     passing over the Cuyahoga River on a bridge ignited debris 
     below, starting what would be the last fire on the river;
       Whereas a Time Magazine article on the 1969 fire alerted 
     the public to the extent of industrial pollution in the 
     Cuyahoga River Valley;
       Whereas Carl B. Stokes, then mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, 
     testified before Congress and called for Federal legislation 
     to address pollution;
       Whereas, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, 
     the 1969 fire mobilized public concern across the United 
     States, resulting in--
       (1) the enactment of the Federal Water Pollution Control 
     Act (commonly known as the ``Clean Water Act'') (33 U.S.C. 
     1251 et seq.);
       (2) the Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality, signed at 
     Ottawa April 15, 1972 (23 UST 301; TIAS 7312), between the 
     United States and Canada;
       (3) the Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality, 1978, 
     signed at Ottawa November 22, 1978 (30 UST 1383; TIAS 9257), 
     between the United States and Canada (commonly referred to as 
     the ``Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement'');
       (4) the establishment of the Environmental Protection 
     Agency; and
       (5) the establishment of the Ohio Environmental Protection 
     Agency;

       Whereas, according to the National Park Service, the 1969 
     fire on the Cuyahoga River helped inspire the first Earth Day 
     in 1970;
       Whereas passage of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 
     (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) spurred the city of Cleveland, the 
     State of Ohio, and a multitude of public and private partners 
     to improve the water quality in the Cuyahoga River Valley;
       Whereas public concern about pollution in the Cuyahoga 
     River Valley and the resulting fires supported efforts led by 
     Representatives Ralph S. Regula and John F. Seiberling to 
     create the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area in 1974, 
     which later became the Cuyahoga Valley National Park;
       Whereas the Cuyahoga River is now home to more than 60 
     species of fish;
       Whereas the industrial river valley in downtown Cleveland, 
     Ohio, known as ``the Flats'', has been transformed into a 
     center for recreation and entertainment;
       Whereas the Cuyahoga River transports millions of tons of 
     material to and from local industries, supporting 15,000 
     direct, indirect, and induced jobs and producing 
     $1,700,000,000 in economic activity;
       Whereas recreational opportunities are available in--
       (1) the Cuyahoga Valley National Park;
       (2) State and county parks; and
       (3) the Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Canalway;

       Whereas the National Park Service and the community 
     partners of the National Park Service created the Cuyahoga 
     River Water Trail along the entire length of the Cuyahoga 
     River to increase public access, tourism, and economic 
     development; and
       Whereas the rebirth of the Cuyahoga River is a symbol of 
     the importance of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
     U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) and other landmark environmental laws 
     that ensure clean water and protect the natural resources of 
     the United States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) celebrates 50 years of environmental progress in the 
     Cuyahoga River Valley and Lake Erie;
       (2) offers continued support for the Federal Water 
     Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) and the Clean 
     Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.);
       (3) recognizes the transformation of the Cuyahoga River and 
     the Great Lakes Basin as a model for environmental 
     restoration;
       (4) recognizes the economic benefit of the Cuyahoga River 
     for recreation, tourism, commercial shipping, and job growth; 
     and
       (5) commits to continued progress in improving ecosystem 
     health, drinking water quality, and wastewater infrastructure 
     in the Great Lakes Basin.

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