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A bipartisan bill introduced in Congress would create a new office within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to address environmental needs of the Ohio River basin spanning 204,000 square miles.
The Ohio River Restoration Program Act would create a new office and program modeled after similar efforts in the Great Lakes region and the Chesapeake Bay area, says a release from Democratic U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey of Louisville. The office would work with states, local governments, tribal leaders and private groups to find ways to secure federal funding for the river basin’s protection.
McGarvey in a statement said he was proud to partner with Ninth District Republican Rep. Erin Houchin of southern Indiana on the bill. The representatives are co-chairs of the Ohio River basin caucus in Congress.
“From waste and erosion to pollution and climate change, the Ohio River is facing serious threats that aren’t going to just work themselves out and can’t be fixed by one person or organization alone,” McGarvey said in a statement.
Houchin in a statement said the lawmakers are committed to “ensuring the river gets the attention and resources it needs by securing federal funding and bringing together stakeholders to develop a plan that protects and restores it for future generations.”
Earlier this year she posted on X that the Ohio River sustains over 25 million Americans across 14 states, providing essential drinking water, supporting countless jobs, and nurturing the region’s ecosystem.
“Yet, despite its significance, in 2023, the Ohio River was recognized as the second most endangered river in the country,” she said.
Unlike some watersheds, the Ohio River has no long-term, federally-funded strategic plan for its future. According to a release, the new office under the legislation would be tasked with creating a plan to prevent pollution, conserve farms and restore natural habitats, make investments to prepare against “extreme storms and flooding” and support robust environmental data collection for a protection program, according to the release from McGarvey.
American Rivers, a national nonprofit advocating for the protection and restoration of rivers across the country, in 2023 named the Ohio River the second most endangered waterway in the country in part because the lack of federal investment leaves it environmentally vulnerable.
Heather Taylor-Miesle, a senior vice president of conservation for American Rivers, in a statement said the proposed legislation would have a “profound impact” on the river that serves as a drinking water source for millions of Americans across 14 states.
The release from McGarvey’s office said the legislation is endorsed by more than two dozen national and Kentucky-based organizations including the Kentucky Waterways Alliance, the Kentucky Resources Council, the Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center, the Kentucky Conservation Committee and the Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network.
Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: [email protected].
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