A bipartisan group of House members is taking another stab at creating a federal cleanup program for the Ohio River, considered one of the nation’s most impaired.
Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.), along with seven co-sponsors, introduced the “Ohio River Restoration Program Act, H.R. 5966, last month. The bill would direct EPA to create a dedicated restoration program for the Ohio, one of the largest rivers in the nation, and develop an action plan to reduce pollution in partnership with state, local and tribal governments.
McGarvey brought forth similar legislation last year. But he has since built a broader coalition of Democrats and Republicans to try to secure passage, potentially to coincide with the upcoming reauthorization of existing EPA programs for other major bodies of water, he said in an interview.
“We’re pushing for this to happen as soon as we can possibly get it done,” McGarvey said this week.
