Brian Higgins: “The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill signed into law yesterday reveals the power of this moment and the importance of…”

“The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill signed into law yesterday reveals the power of this moment and the importance of momentum. Madam Speaker, 50 years ago, the Buffalo River was declared biologically dead and ecologically destroyed. Through the work of the Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper and their partners, we made a plan and made progress passing the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Now with new infrastructure funding, new life for the Buffalo River is closer than ever. Today, I am calling on the Environmental Protection Agency for a full restoration of the Buffalo River and for a date-certain action plan to delist the river as an area of concern. This project restores our natural environment, and it makes more viable other projects like The Riverline and the DL&W terminal. It also leverages a settlement reached this week to provide river access to the Kaisertown neighborhood and new public access along Buffalo's City Ship Canal. The power of this law will lead us to a logical conclusion, connecting our community to resources long denied and to improve our life quality now and into the future. ____________________”