STATEMENT OF SENATOR GEORGE V. VOINOVICH
COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS
30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CLEAN
WATER ACT
OCTOBER 8, 2002
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Thank
you, Mr. Chairman, for conducting this hearing to commemorate the 30th
anniversary of the Clean Water Act. In
celebration of this anniversary, I was am
proud to join the Board of Governors for the “Year of Clean Water” and to
cosponsor Senator Bond’s resolution marking the 30th anniversary of
the Act. I am also pleased that Senator
Stafford and Senator Mitchell are able to join us today, and I look forward to
their comments.
The
law, its amendments, and the early 75/25 money that was made available has been
very important to Ohio and has helped us make a real impact on improving water
quality and restoration of Ohio’s waters, particularly Lake Erie, our Great
Lake.
Over
thirty years ago, Lake Erie was dying and the Cuyahoga River, which is a major
river flowing into Lake Erie, caught on fire as a result of an oil slick. Lake Erie’s decline was heavily covered by
the media and became an international symbol of pollution and environmental
degradation. I remember the British
Broadcasting Company – the BBC – even sending a film crew to make a documentary
about it.
In
the late 1960s, the northern boundary of my district was Lake Erie. I made up my mind that I would go to the
State legislature and fight what I refer to as the second battle of Lake Erie –
to bring the lake back and reclaim it.
I worked to amend our air and water pollution legislation. I remember Bill Ruckelshaus asking me to go
out as a member of the State legislature to Cheyenne, Wyoming to talk to Rocky
Mountain legislators about the importance of clean air and clean water, and not
to sacrifice their economy on the altar of degrading air and water.
I
also worked with legislators from four States to develop Environmental
Protection Agency legislation, and I was the prime mover in getting that done
in Ohio. Michigan, Ohio, New York all wanted
to drill for oil in the bed of Lake Erie, but I worked to get the governors to
stop it.
Throughout
my career, I have continued to fight for Lake Erie – as County
Commissioner, Mayor of Cleveland, Governor of Ohio, and United States Senator.
Today,
Lake Erie has improved substantially. Because I was
concerned that we had not established baseline information to document where we
started or to track the progress we hade made, one of my last actions as
Governor in 1998 was to release the Lake
Erie Quality Index to quantify the results of our efforts over the previous
25 years to clean up the Lake.
Ten indicators were
developed: water quality, pollution sources, habitat, biological, coastal
recreation, boating, fishing, beaches, tourism, and shipping. These indicators measured environmental,
economic, and recreational conditions related to the quality of life enjoyed by
those living near or using the waters of Lake Erie. The Lake Erie Quality Index
demonstrates that we have made significant progress in all these areas. At the same time, it identifies the
challenges for the future.
Today,
Ohioans celebrate Lake Erie’s improved water quality. [We are making amends for our past mistreatment of
the great natural resource that forms Ohio’s northern border.] I know that the Lake is healthier, because I
can walk to the shore and see the improvements: clearer water; clean,
accessible beaches; a revived boating industry; and the best sport fishing
anywhere. [cite any scientific
or use facts? E.g. people can swim in
it again, rated drinkable by the authorities and it wasn’t 30 years ago, etc.]
When the next Lake Erie Quality Index is published in
2004, I am
hopeful that we will have made progress in all areas that need
improvement. Whether and when that
happens is in our hands. The
federal Clean Water Act and state water pollution control laws have contributed greatly to the progress
that has been made in this country to improve Lake Erie and otherthe
quality of the nation’s waterways throughout the United States..
Due to the cooperative efforts between
the federal government and the states during Because ofin the last three decades, our
waterways are once again safe for fishing and swimming.
Unfortunately,
Members of this Committee know that we have not provided enough money to get
the job done. It is interesting that
President Nixon and President Reagan both vetoed clean water legislation over
money.
Mr.
Chairman, as you know, we tried to deal with that problem this year, and a lot
of folks were optimistic that we would increase the money for the State
Revolving Loan Fund programs. It fell
apart because many people, including the folks that implement the laws, felt
that we were too prescriptive. They also
knew that a lot more money would not be forthcoming, and they would be left
with more mandates and no money. Also,
there are a
number of outstanding issues we ought to be compromising on, such as
Davis-Bacon.
I
am very interested in hearing from Senator Mitchell and Senator Stafford on how
they got together and worked things out.
We have spent a lot of time in the last year and a half on legislation
that would clean up our water and the environment, but we have gotten very
little done. It seems that the reason
for this inaction is because we have not been able to sit down, compromise, and
work together to make progress.
Mr.
Chairman, I appreciate all of the time you have spent this year in trying to
improve the environment. I am hopeful
that regardless of who is in leadership in the Senate next year, all of us on
this Committee will sit down at the table with all interested parties to figure
out how we can compromise and move forward on some of these areas that are so
important to the future of our country.
Thank
you, Mr. Chairman.
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