House lawmakers introduced legislation Tuesday to advance environmental restoration in the Ohio River Basin, a 204,000-square-mile watershed that supporters say is in desperate need of federal attention.
The “Ohio River Restoration Program Act” would establish a program office at EPA focused on the Ohio River. The office would convene state and local leaders from within the 14-state region to create an action plan for reducing pollution and restoring water quality.
Sponsored by Reps. Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.) and Erin Houchin (R-Ind.), the legislation takes inspiration from long-running federal restoration initiatives for the Chesapeake Bay, the Great Lakes and other treasured water ecosystems.
“It’s unconscionable that our most vital and important resource is also the largest body of water in the entire country that receives zero dollars in dedicated federal funding — we’re working to change that,” McGarvey said during a press conference Tuesday. “The problems of the Ohio River are not going to get better unless we do something.”
