E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 115 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 163 WASHINGTON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2017 No. 28—Part II Senate (Legislative day of Thursday, February 16, 2017) EXECUTIVE CALENDAR—Continued bris floating in the Cuyahoga River ac- light of the fact that without selective tually caught on fire, causing thou- biologicals, these compounds would be com- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- pletely useless. ator from Hawaii. sands of dollars in property damage. Mr. SCHATZ. Mr. President, in late The water in Lake Superior, one of the This is how the controversy went on October, people who lived in a place most beautiful lakes in the United for the next few years. The public, the called Donora shrugged off the thick, States, became so toxic from compa- science, and the reality all pointed to- yellow smog that had covered their nies dumping asbestos-laden waste that ward the truth, but a few loud voices small town. It was 1948. It wasn’t un- local communities had to start fil- persisted. They did not want the move- usual to see a smog blanket the town, tering their water. Think about that. ment to go forward. This continued thanks to the zinc plant and the steel People could drink the water from even after Rachel Carson passed away, mill that smoked endlessly into the local reservoirs, unfiltered, until pollu- tragically and prematurely, of cancer Pennsylvania sky. It wasn’t unusual to tion came along. This was the path our in the year 1964. see people coughing as they went about country was on. Here is what the New York Times their day. As one reporter put it, ‘‘Peo- Pollution was destroying some of the published in her obituary: ple are always coughing in Donora.’’ most beautiful places in this country— The most recent flare-up in the continuing What was unusual is that the smog on the planet, in fact—putting the pesticide controversy occurred early this health of the public and the health of month when the Public Health Service an- did not clear as the day went on. It lin- nounced that the periodic huge-scale deaths gered, hanging around the town, our economy at grave risk. of fish on the lower Mississippi River had wreaking havoc for the next 5 days. At There was another event in the early been traced over the last 4 years to toxic in- first, life seemed to go on. The Hal- 1960s that helped our country to see gredients and three kinds of pesticides. Some loween parade went on as planned, even clearly that the path we were on would persons believe that the pesticides drained though no one could really see the peo- only lead to destruction. Rachel Car- into the river from neighboring farm lands. ple marching. The high school football son, scientist, public servant, and au- A hearing by the Agriculture Department of the Public Health Service’s charges ended game went on as planned, although the thor, published a book called ‘‘Silent Spring.’’ This book laid out in simple, a week ago with a spokesman for one of the quarterbacks avoided passing plays pesticide manufacturers saying that any since the wide receivers couldn’t see beautiful prose the threats that pes- judgment should be delayed until more infor- the ball. But then someone died. People ticides and pollution posed to our envi- mation was obtained. couldn’t breathe. As the local hospital ronment or what Carson called a The line of argument captured in the started to fill, the town hotel set up ‘‘Fable for Tomorrow.’’ She wrote: New York Times is familiar to anyone beds for overflow patients. By the ‘‘The most alarming of all man’s as- who has watched our Nation struggle fourth day, the hotel had to set up an- saults upon the environment is the to come to a shared set of facts around other emergency section—this time, a contamination of air, earth, rivers and a number of difficult issues, but even in temporary morgue. The town’s three sea, with dangerous and even lethal the face of so much controversy, the funeral homes were overwhelmed. On materials.’’ country did the right thing. In address- Carson’s book made clear that we the fifth day, the stacks of a zinc plant ing the threats to our environment, the were contaminating the environment stopped their endless streams of U.S. Government—with substantial and that this could not go on. Her book smoke, and the smog that would be- and commendable support from Repub- sounded a call for change, as millions come known as the Donora death fog licans—began to lay the foundation for of Americans began demanding that finally lifted but not before nearly 7,000 a new America, one that would pre- the government take action, but there people fell ill and 20 died. serve and protect our country and its was also a backlash. Here is what one This is one of the many stories that resources for the next generation. show us what life was like in the industry spokesman said as public I would like to highlight three of the United States of America before the opinion began to coalesce around ad- critical cornerstones in the foundation: EPA was created. In the early 1960s, dressing pollution: the EPA, the Clean Air Act, and the millions of freshwater fish and rivers The major claims of Miss Rachel Carson’s Clean Water Act. around the country were poisoned by book Silent Spring are gross distortions of Let’s start with the EPA itself. It the actual facts, completely unsupported by insecticides—hurting consumer trust scientific experimental evidence and general, was established in 1970 by President and the countless fishermen and their practical experience in the field. Her sugges- Nixon. He united several offices and bu- families who relied on the fish to make tion that pesticides are in fact biocides de- reaus already in the Federal Govern- a living. Pollution was so bad that de- stroying all life is obviously absurd in the ment into a single agency—one that ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. S1315 . VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:12 Feb 18, 2017 Jkt 069060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G16FE6.129 S16FEPT2 S1316 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 17, 2017 would oversee all of the laws, protec- World War II. At first, DDT seemed The second cornerstone of our efforts tions, research, and policies about the like a dream chemical. It was used to to protect the environment is the Nation’s environment. The mission of protect soldiers from pests and then to Clean Air Act. Before the EPA opened the EPA was clear from the start, to protect crops like cotton, but soon it its doors, States set their own stand- protect human health and the environ- became clear—thanks to Rachel Carson ards for clean air, and most States had ment. Almost immediately, something and others—that this chemical was cre- weak standards because they were in a really exciting happened. There was a ating far more harm than good. Public race to the bottom to attract compa- feeling of hope and anticipation for health was really in danger. The bald nies that didn’t want to have to deal what this Agency could do for the eagle and other wildlife were being with the damage they caused. Imagine country. Within the first few months, poisoned, and the pests that were sup- you are in a State and have three or tens of thousands of resumes came posed to be put off from bothering the four adjacent States and someone flooding in from across the country as crops were adapting, becoming more wants to cite a factory. Well, it is very people clamored to work for the EPA. resistant, even as the chemicals be- difficult to have a strong environ- Here is how one man who worked for came more potent and ultimately more mental standard because that factory the Agency described it: dangerous. is no doubt going to find the place There was a palpable sense of excitement Thanks to the EPA, the use of DDT where they are allowed to pollute the that we were about to do something big. We came to an end. The health of children, had to do things big because the newspapers most, which is why you have Federal families, and wildlife immediately im- standards. Not surprisingly, these low and news magazines were filled with stories proved. The bald eagle slowly recov- about Lake Erie dying. I think it was a year standards were fueling air pollution. or two before that the Cuyahoga had indeed ered, to the point where it is no longer Every day, the average American caught on fire. I believe the Houston Ship a threatened or an endangered species. takes between 17,000 and 23,000 breaths. Channel had the same issue. We knew we The Agency also found a solution to If the air we are breathing is filled with acid rain, which was a major problem were there to really deal with substantial toxic chemicals, we are at risk for can- problems, and we were going to meet with that killed fish, hurt American farm- cer, birth defects, and damage to our immediate pushback. ers, and caused damage to forests and lungs, our brain, and our nerves.