A bipartisan bill introduced in Congress would create a new office within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to address the environmental needs of the Ohio River basin, which spans 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 and Chesapeake Bay regions, according to a news 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 river basin protection.
McGarvey said in a statement that he was proud to work with 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 faces serious threats that will not resolve themselves and cannot be addressed by one person or organization alone,” McGarvey said in a statement.
Houchin said in a statement that lawmakers are committed to “ensuring the river receives the attention and resources it needs by securing federal funding and bringing stakeholders together to develop a plan that protects and restores it for future generations.” “
Unlike some watersheds, the Ohio River has no long-term, government-funded strategic plan for its future. According to a news release, under the legislation, the new office would be tasked with creating a plan to prevent pollution, preserve farms and restore natural habitats, make investments to prepare for “extreme storms and floods,” and provide strong environmental data collection for a protection program, according to McGarvey’s press release.
American Rivers, a national nonprofit organization that works to protect and restore rivers across the country, renamed the Ohio River in 2023 the second most endangered waterway in the country, in part because it is environmentally vulnerable due to a lack of federal investment.
Heather Taylor-Miesle, senior vice president of conservation at American Rivers, said in a statement that the proposed legislation would have a “profound impact” on the river, which serves as a source of drinking water for millions of Americans in 14 states.
The press release from McGarvey’s office said the legislation is supported 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.
