Nick Rahall: “it is indeed fitting that we are considering this bill today, this alleged reauthorization, the Clean Water Act. I say…”

“it is indeed fitting that we are considering this bill today, this alleged reauthorization, the Clean Water Act. I say this because on this day, 123 years ago, President Grant signed into law a bill that has perhaps created more environmental disasters than any other single measure. The law he signed has left us with a legacy of acidified rivers and streams, devoid of aquatic life, running shades of orange and red. A law that has left us with a legacy of mammoth open pits that serve as toxic swimming pools for migrating birds. A law that has left us with a legacy of cyanide laced rock and debris, a ticking timebomb for future generations. In short, a law that has given rise to more Superfund sites due to the activities it endorses than has any other type of activity. This activity is hardrock mining, for minerals such as gold and silver, on Federal lands in the Western States. And the law is known as the mining law of 1872. So today, on its 123d anniversary, we find ourselves considering another bill that if enacted promises to cause further environmental degradation and depravation. I say this because the pending legislation represents a direct assault on the goals of the Clean Water Act.”