[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 172 (Thursday, November 3, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1105]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING THE LIFE ACHIEVEMENTS OF CHRISTINE HOLOWACZ

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. NYDIA M. VELAZQUEZ

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 3, 2022

  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life achievements 
of my longtime constituent Christine Holowacz, a community activist and 
environmental champion in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York. Christine 
immigrated from Poland in 1972 and attended high school here where she 
quickly learned English. Having a voice here was something she did not 
take lightly. As an early homeowner in the neighborhood, she became 
engaged in community issues and rose to become the president of the 
Greenpoint Property Owners Association. This fits a pattern for 
Christine over the last 25 years: she becomes involved, leads the 
charge, and works to find solutions for what seem to be intractable 
problems.
  Christine Holowacz is emblazoned in my mind being at the forefront of 
the fight to cleanup one of the most environmentally impacted 
neighborhoods in New York City. Greenpoint today hosts two Superfund 
cleanup sites and the largest oil spill in the country. Christine was 
there in our effort to get the sites on the National Priorities List 
and played a key role ensuring a measure of relief from the devastation 
of the Greenpoint oil spill through the Greenpoint Community 
Environmental Fund. Many, including her children growing up, recall her 
advocacy at countless meetings: ``No power plants! Less garbage, more 
cleanups!'' She stepped up to become a founding member of Newtown Creek 
Alliance and played a pivotal role in the reconstruction of the Newtown 
Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant and its Newtown Creek Monitoring 
Committee (1999 to 2012), and the construction of the massive 
Kosciuszko Bridge Project (2013 to 2020) leveraging community amenities 
in open space. Christine has played a lead role in Greenpoint 
Waterfront Association for Parks and Planning, the North Brooklyn 
Community Boathouse, Neighbors Allied for Good Growth, the Newtown 
Creek Superfund Community Advisory Group, to name a few.
  Christine is respected by generations of neighbors and leaders. 
Indeed, Christine Holowacz is honored today at the Newtown Creek 
Alliance 20th-anniversary ``Tidal Toast'' gala with the Revitalize 
Award for her life-long dedication. I too raise a toast to Christine 
Holowacz, who has made North Brooklyn a better place to live. May 
Christine continue this work for another 25 years.

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