[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 160 (Tuesday, October 8, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    COMMEMORATING THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE BURNING OF THE ROUGE RIVER

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                           HON. RASHIDA TLAIB

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 8, 2019

  Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, I rise today to mark the anniversary of the 
burning of the Rouge River in Wayne County, Michigan.
  Fifty years ago, the Rouge River caught fire. For years and years, 
this vital waterway, which flows into the Detroit River and is an 
important link in the industrial supply chain, had been polluted. The 
rampant and unchecked contamination of the Rouge culminated in the 
build-up of a sludge so flammable that the river went up in flames as 
high as fifty feet tall. The conflagration sounded the alarm on the 
effect of unchecked pollution, irresponsible corporate actions, and 
dumping of oil and other toxins into our waterways. An immediate call 
to action ensued. Residents organized clean ups and advocated for 
policy changes that would protect our water. Through the perseverance 
of those residents and community grounds, their dogged pursuit of 
stronger regulations to clean up the Rouge eventually helped turn 
things around.
  Without the tremendous advocacy and work of organizations like 
Friends of the Rouge and countless others, the Rouge River would look 
very different today. These efforts mean that our water is cleaner, our 
waterways are preserved for recreation, and wildlife and their habitats 
are protected.
  Please join me in rising to commemorate this solemn occasion. May it 
serve as a reminder in how far we've come in protecting our natural 
resources and the work that we still need to do to protect our 
waterways.

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