[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 199 (Tuesday, November 16, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H6276]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





             CALLING FOR FULL RESTORATION OF BUFFALO RIVER

  (Mr. HIGGINS of New York asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Madam Speaker, the $1.2 trillion 
infrastructure bill signed into law yesterday reveals the power of this 
moment and the importance of momentum.
  Madam Speaker, 50 years ago, the Buffalo River was declared 
biologically dead and ecologically destroyed. Through the work of the 
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper and their partners, we made a plan and made 
progress passing the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Now with new 
infrastructure funding, new life for the Buffalo River is closer than 
ever.
  Today, I am calling on the Environmental Protection Agency for a full 
restoration of the Buffalo River and for a date-certain action plan to 
delist the river as an area of concern.
  This project restores our natural environment, and it makes more 
viable other projects like The Riverline and the DL&W terminal. It also 
leverages a settlement reached this week to provide river access to the 
Kaisertown neighborhood and new public access along Buffalo's City Ship 
Canal.
  The power of this law will lead us to a logical conclusion, 
connecting our community to resources long denied and to improve our 
life quality now and into the future.

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