September 16, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 160 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session

[Page H4438]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              BEING BETTER STEWARDS OF NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

  (Mr. HIGGINS of New York asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Madam Speaker, natural disasters ripping 
through the Nation today are urgent reminders that we must be better 
stewards of the natural environment, including the Great Lakes.
  Yet, recent actions of the Trump administration's Environmental 
Protection Agency do just the opposite.
  In August, the EPA issued a rule allowing the release of toxic 
metals, like arsenic and mercury, into lakes, rivers, and streams near 
power plants that use them.
  This is the wrong strategy and is bad for America and bad for 
Americans. For decades, communities across western New York have been 
working together to bring back waterways, like the Buffalo River, that 
were once declared ecologically dead due to toxic industrial pollution.
  Successful efforts like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative 
solidified the Federal role to improve water quality in the Great 
Lakes, restore aquatic habitat, and provide new recreational 
opportunities for all.
  Madam Speaker, I strongly oppose the EPA's destructive policies, and 
I urge my colleagues to recommit themselves to prioritizing long-term 
sustainability of the natural environment.

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