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GLIN==> Al Gore and the Great Lakes

To: ppa-greatlakes@igc.topica.com
From: lois_epstein@edf.org
Subject: Vice President Al Gore Announces Administration Will Seek
$50Million to Help
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 08:22:25 -0800
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Reply-To: lois_epstein@edf.org
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From: Lois Epstein@EDF on 01/10/2000 11:21 AM
Subject: Vice President Al Gore Announces Administration Will Seek
$50Million to Help Restore the Great Lakes



 >> THE WHITE HOUSE
 >>
 >> Office of the Vice President
 >>_______________________________________________________________________
 >>For Immediate Release Contact:
 >>Monday, January 10, 2000 (202) 456-7035
 >>
 >> VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE ANNOUNCES ADMINISTRATION WILL SEEK $50 MILLION TO
 >> HELP RESTORE THE GREAT LAKES
 >>
 >> Washington, DC -- Vice President Al Gore announced today that the
 >>Administration will propose a new $50 million initiative in its fiscal
year
 >>2001 budget to help restore the beauty and livability of our nation's
Great
 >>Lakes.
 >>
 >> Under the proposal, Great Lakes communities -- such as Detroit,
 >>Milwaukee, Cleveland, Gary, Duluth, and Buffalo -- would be eligible for
 >>matching grants to help them restore and protect their waterways for
 >>drinking, fishing, swimming, boating and urban redevelopment.
 >>
 >> "The Great Lakes are among our nation's most cherished natural
 >>treasures. We have made tremendous progress in restoring the quality of
 >>their waters, but much remains to be done," said Vice President Gore.
 >>"Today, we are proposing a major new partnership with Great Lakes
 >>communities to help restore their treasured lakes and enhance their
 >>livability. Working together, we can continue to improve water quality,
 >>redevelop some of our nation's oldest urban centers, and protect the
health
 >>of millions of Americans who use and enjoy the Great Lakes every year."
 >>
 >> The proposed initiative would provide $50 million in matching grants
 >>to state and local governments to clean up contaminated sediments,
control
 >>stormwater, restore wetlands, acquire greenways and buffers, and control
 >>polluted runoff. The funds would be awarded by the Environmental
 >>Protection Agency through a competitive grant process. State or local
 >>governments would be required to provide at least 40 percent of project
 >>costs, resulting in a total investment of more than $80 million.
 >>
 >> States or municipalities will use the funds to address existing
"areas
 >>of concern" that were defined in 1987 by the International Joint
Commission
 >>-- a joint partnership between the United States and Canada. There are 42
 >>designated "areas of concern" around the Great Lakes Basin where the
 >>aquatic environment has been most severely affected. Of the 42 "areas of
 >>concern," 26 are located exclusively in the United States, five are in
 >>waters shared by the U.S. and Canada, and the remaining 12 are located
 >>exclusively in Canada. All of these areas have significant water
pollution
 >>problems that restrict fishing, swimming, boating, and use for drinking
 >>water. Most are in older, urban communities confronting a range of
 >>pollution problems that detract from their livability by making it
 >>difficult to attract new industries and restricting access to water and
 >>open space.
 >>
 >> For over a decade, the governments of Canada and the United States
 >>have been working with local governments, private industry, and community
 >>organizations to develop cleanup plans to restore and protect water
quality
 >>in these 42 areas. While virtually all of these areas have developed
 >>detailed restoration plans and initiated significant environmental
 >>protection efforts, funding shortfalls have acted as a roadblock to
 >>achieving cleanup goals. The new grants proposed by the Clinton-Gore
 >>Administration would help speed implementation of existing cleanup plans
 >>here in the U.S. and within shared waters.
 >>
 >> The Environmental Protection Agency's fiscal year 2000 budget
includes
 >>$17 million for research, demonstration projects and other efforts to
 >>support Great Lakes cleanup. The Administration will propose continuing
 >>this funding in fiscal year 2001.
 >>
 >> Surrounded by rich farmlands and growing urban centers, the Great
 >>Lakes are home to over 25 million Americans. Many people use the Great
 >>Lakes as a source of drinking water. In addition, millions enjoy the
 >>recreational opportunities provided by the Great Lakes each year,
including
 >>boating, fishing, and sightseeing. The Great Lakes also sustain a rich
 >>diversity of birds and other wildlife; an estimated three million birds
 >>migrate through the Great Lakes each year, relying on the lakes for their
 >>food and shelter.
 >>
 >>
 >> Great Lakes "Areas of Concern"
 >>
 >>Illinois: Waukegan Harbor
 >>
 >>Indiana: Grand Calumet River
 >>
 >>Michigan: Clinton River
 >> Deer Lake
 >> Detroit River
 >> Kalamazoo River
 >> Manistique River
 >> Muskegon
 >> River Raisin
 >> Rouge River
 >> Saginaw River/Bay
 >> St. Clair River
 >> St. Marys River
 >> Torch Lake
 >> White Lake
 >>
 >>Minnesota: St. Louis River
 >>
 >>New York: Buffalo River
 >> EighteenMile Creek
 >> Niagara River
 >> Oswego River/Harbor
 >> Rochester Embayment
 >> St. Lawrence River
 >>
 >>Ohio: Ashtabula River
 >> Black River
 >> Cuyahoga River
 >> Maumee River
 >>
 >>Pennsylvania: Presque Isle Bay
 >>
 >>Wisconsin: Lower Green Bay & Fox River
 >> Menominee River
 >> Milwaukee Estuary
 >> Sheboygan River
 >> # # #
 >>
 >>
 >>

Lois N. Epstein, P.E.
Senior Engineer
Environmental Defense Fund (Washington, DC)
Lois_Epstein@edf.org



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