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Coalition Supports Efforts to Clean Up Great Lakes Toxic Hot Spots
ANN ARBOR, MICH. (July 11, 2008) – The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday introduced the Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2008, a bill to clean up toxic pollution around the lakes. With only days left in the summer congressional calendar, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition urged Congress to re-authorize and fund the successful program and called on the Presidential candidates to support Congress’ efforts.
“Cleaning up toxic pollution is essential to our public health, economy and way of life,” said Jeff Skelding, national campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “We urge the U.S. Congress to re-authorize and fund this successful clean-up program so that we can put an end to drinking water restrictions, beach closings and fish consumption advisories for the millions of people who rely on the Great Lakes.”
Representatives Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.) and James Oberstar (D-Minn.) introduced the Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2008 (H.R. 6460), whose funds go toward clean-up of polluted Great Lakes harbors and tributaries. Designated Areas of Concern by the U.S. and Canadian governments, the contaminated sites pose threats to people, wildlife and economy.
“We applaud Representatives Ehlers and Oberstar for introducing this bill and leading the bi-partisan effort to clean up toxic contaminants in the Great Lakes,” said Skelding. “We look forward to working with them and Congress to make this legislation as strong as possible for the citizens of the Great Lakes.”
The Great Lakes Legacy Act is a top priority for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. The Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2008 reauthorizes the Great Lakes Legacy Act for another five years and increases the authorization of funds from $54 million to $150 million per year.
Of the 31 contaminated sites in the United States or shared with Canada, only one Area of Concern –Oswego River – has been de-listed since 1987. (A full list of U.S. Areas of Concern in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin is below.)
“The pace of restoring Areas of Concern is too slow,” said Skelding. “We know that healthy lakes go hand-in-hand with healthy communities and a healthy economy. It’s time to speed up work cleaning up these polluted sites before the problems gets worse and the solutions more costly. The time to act is now.”
The Great Lakes region stands to gain between $12 billion and $19 billion in economic benefit from cleaning up the Areas of Concern, according to the Brookings Institution.
Updating and funding the Great Lakes Legacy Act is also a major recommendation of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy, a historic plan put forward by more than 1,500 citizens, public officials, business representatives, scientists and conservationists. It’s also a priority for the Council of Great Lakes Industries and the Great Lakes Commission.
The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition consists of more than 100 zoos, aquariums, museums, and hunting, fishing, and environmental organizations representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes.
For more information: http://www.healthylakes.org/
For Immediate Release:
July 11, 2008 Contact:
Jeff Skelding, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, (202) 797-6893, jskelding@nwf.org Chad Lord, Policy Director, Healing Our Waters Coalition, (202) 454-3385, clord@npca.org Jordan Lubetkin, Communications Director, Healing Our Waters Coalition, (734) 904-1589, lubetkin@nwf.org United States Areas of Concern include: ILLINOIS
Waukegan Harbor, Illinois INDIANA
Grand Calumet River, Indiana MICHIGAN
Clinton River, Michigan Deer Lake, Michigan Detroit River, Michigan Kalamazoo River, Michigan Manistique River, Michigan Muskegon Lake, Michigan River Raisin, Michigan Rouge River, Michigan Saginaw River and Bay, Michigan St. Clair River, Michigan St. Marys River, Michigan Torch Lake, Michigan White Lake, Michigan NEW YORK
Buffalo River, New York EighteenMile Creek, New York Niagara River, New York Oswego River/Harbor, New York Rochester Embayment, New York St. Lawrence River at Massena, New York OHIO
Ashtabula River, Ohio Black River, Ohio Cuyahoga River, Ohio Maumee River, Ohio PENNSYLVANIA
Presque Isle Bay, Pennsylvania MINNESOTA/WISONSIN
St. Louis River and Bay, Minnesota and Wisconsin WISCONSIN
Lower Green Bay and Fox River, Wisconsin Menominee River, Wisconsin Milwaukee Estuary, Wisconsin Sheboygan River, Wisconsin Jordan Lubetkin
Senior Regional Communications Manager National Wildlife Federation - Great Lakes Office 213 West Liberty, Suite 200 | Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Phone: 734-887-7109 | Fax: 734-887-7199 | Cell: 734-904-1589
NWF's mission is to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future. www.nwf.org/news/
Working to restore the Great Lakes by offering solutions to sewage contamination, invasive species and other threats. www.healthylakes.org |