III 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 290 

Celebrating 50 years of environmental progress in the Cuyahoga River Valley 

and Lake Erie. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 29, 2019 

Mr. BROWN (for himself and Mr. PORTMAN) submitted the following 

resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Celebrating 50 years of environmental progress in the 

Cuyahoga River Valley and Lake Erie. 

Whereas the Cuyahoga River is a 100-mile-long river in the 

State of Ohio that flows into Lake Erie; 

Whereas the word ‘‘Cuyahoga’’ is a combination of the names 

given to the river by native peoples in the region and is 

translated to mean ‘‘Crooked River’’; 

Whereas, after generations of neglect, a lack of clean-water 

protections, and decades of industrial pollution in the 

Cuyahoga River Valley, a 1968 report by the former Federal Water Pollution Control Administration found that 

the lower portion of the Cuyahoga River had no visible 

life; 


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•SRES 290 ATS 

Whereas oil-laden debris and pollution on the Cuyahoga River 

caught fire 13 times between 1868 and 1969, inspiring 

the ignominious nickname ‘‘the burning river’’; 

Whereas on June 22, 1969, sparks from a railroad car passing over the Cuyahoga River on a bridge ignited debris 

below, starting what would be the last fire on the river; 

Whereas a Time Magazine article on the 1969 fire alerted the 

public to the extent of industrial pollution in the Cuyahoga River Valley; 

Whereas Carl B. Stokes, then mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, testified before Congress and called for Federal legislation 

to address pollution; 

Whereas, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, 

the 1969 fire mobilized public concern across the United 

States, resulting in— 

(1) the enactment of the Federal Water Pollution 

Control Act (commonly known as the ‘‘Clean Water 

Act’’) (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.); 

(2) the Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality, 

signed at Ottawa April 15, 1972 (23 UST 301; TIAS 

7312), between the United States and Canada; 

(3) the Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality, 

1978, signed at Ottawa November 22, 1978 (30 UST 

1383; TIAS 9257), between the United States and Canada (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Great Lakes Water 

Quality Agreement’’); 

(4) the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency; and 

(5) the establishment of the Ohio Environmental 

Protection Agency; 


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•SRES 290 ATS 

Whereas, according to the National Park Service, the 1969 

fire on the Cuyahoga River helped inspire the first Earth 

Day in 1970; 

Whereas passage of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 

(33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) spurred the city of Cleveland, 

the State of Ohio, and a multitude of public and private 

partners to improve the water quality in the Cuyahoga 

River Valley; 

Whereas public concern about pollution in the Cuyahoga 

River Valley and the resulting fires supported efforts led 

by Representatives Ralph S. Regula and John F. Seiberling to create the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation 

Area in 1974, which later became the Cuyahoga Valley 

National Park; 

Whereas the Cuyahoga River is now home to more than 60 

species of fish; 

Whereas the industrial river valley in downtown Cleveland, 

Ohio, known as ‘‘the Flats’’, has been transformed into 

a center for recreation and entertainment; 

Whereas the Cuyahoga River transports millions of tons of 

material to and from local industries, supporting 15,000 

direct, indirect, and induced jobs and producing 

$1,700,000,000 in economic activity; 

Whereas recreational opportunities are available in— 

(1) the Cuyahoga Valley National Park; 

(2) State and county parks; and 

(3) the Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage 

Canalway; 

Whereas the National Park Service and the community partners of the National Park Service created the Cuyahoga 

River Water Trail along the entire length of the CuyaVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:55 Jul 29, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR290.ATS SR290

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•SRES 290 ATS 

hoga River to increase public access, tourism, and economic development; and 

Whereas the rebirth of the Cuyahoga River is a symbol of the 

importance of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 

(33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) and other landmark environmental laws that ensure clean water and protect the natural resources of the United States: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) celebrates 50 years of environmental 

3 progress in the Cuyahoga River Valley and Lake 

4 Erie; 

5 (2) offers continued support for the Federal 

6 Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et 

7 seq.) and the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et 

8 seq.); 

9 (3) recognizes the transformation of the Cuya10 hoga River and the Great Lakes Basin as a model 

11 for environmental restoration; 

12 (4) recognizes the economic benefit of the Cuya13 hoga River for recreation, tourism, commercial ship14 ping, and job growth; and 

15 (5) commits to continued progress in improving 

16 ecosystem health, drinking water quality, and waste17 water infrastructure in the Great Lakes Basin. 

Æ 


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