Political Quotes

“Mr. President, yesterday I had the chance to come to the floor and talk about the changes I have seen in the streams and rivers in my home State of Oregon as we worked to clean them up, restore them for wildlife, restore them for swimming, restore them for boating, and restore them for drinking water, and how terrific it was to see this occur. We are now considering a parallel provision--a provision designed really to protect the streams near intense mining zones. I had a chance yesterday to go through the details of the regulation and how it made, for example, the coal slurry ponds more secure so they wouldn't rupture. As I pointed out, one ruptured and killed over 100 people and injured more than 1,000 people, not to mention the damage it did to the ecosystem for an extended length downstream. I talked about the toxic chemicals that are leaching out of improperly developed piles, as they are called. Today I want to share a few more of the stories of folks who live in the area and how important it is for them. Sam Needham, who lives near Appalachia, VA, talks about the changes he has seen in rivers near his home since he moved there in 1978. Sam said that when they first moved there, ``Callahan Creek that runs near our house . . . was full of different kinds of fish. Now I don't see any fish in the water.…”