GLIN==> Great News for the Great Lakes from Congress

For Immediate Release: June 18, 2009
 
Contact:
Andy Buchsbaum, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, 734-887-7100
Chad Lord, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, 202-257-4365
Jordan Lubetkin, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, (734)
904-1589 
 
Great News for the Great Lakes from Congress
 
$475 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, Clean Water
Restoration Act, and Great Lakes Legacy Act move forward
 
ANN ARBOR, MICH. (June 19, 2009)—Key steps were taken this week in
Congress towards comprehensive restoration of The Great Lakes, adding
momentum to the movement to protect the region’s most important
environmental and economic asset.
 
President Obama’s $475 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative was
passed with full funding by the House Appropriations Committee, chaired
by Rep. Dave Obey (D-WI). The initiative, originally proposed in
President Obama’s FY2010 Budget, will fund programs to address invasive
species, toxic pollution and habitat restoration. The plan will now
likely be voted on by the full House next week before being addressed in
the Senate. 
 
The Clean Water Restoration Act (S. 787) was approved by the Senate
Environment and Public Works Committee and will now be considered by the
full Senate. The measure restores Clean Water Act protections to
wetlands, lakes, and streams that were compromised in recent Supreme
Court decisions – its passage is a key component of the plan to restore
and protect the Great Lakes. The Act will soon be introduced in the
House and considered by the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. 
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) led the effort to pass this bill and was
joined by Sens., Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Arlen Specter (D-PA) who
all voted for this important bill.
 
The Great Lakes Legacy Act (S. 933) had its funding increased by $150
million per year through fiscal year 2014 by the Senate Environment and
Public Works Committee. Great Lakes Legacy Act funds are distributed
through the USEPA Great Lakes National Program Office to clean toxic
sediment contamination in the Great Lakes. The House passed a similar
increase in March – the measure now moves to the full Senate as either a
stand-alone bill or as part of a larger water investment bill.
EPW-Committee member Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) sponsored the
legislation (with Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), which passed in the committee
by voice vote.
 
“This is another big week for the Great Lakes,” said Andy Buchsbaum,
co-chair of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, “But it’s
important to remember that Congress still has work to do before these
measures are made into law and fulfill President Obama’s promise for
Great Lakes restoration. We applaud the recent actions taken and urge
our representatives in the Senate and the House to finish the job.”
 
The Great Lakes restoration effort is also boosted by other news from
Washington. The Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act (S.
878), which will improve the Beaches Environmental Assessment and
Coastal Health (“BEACH”) Act, was approved by the Senate Environment and
Public Works Committee and will now be considered by the full Senate.
The Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know Act (S. 937), which
requires reporting on hazardous sewer overflow releases in communities,
was also approved by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
and will now be considered by the full Senate. In addition to the
efforts in Congress, the White House recently released a memo creating a
task force to examine national policy for oceans, coasts, and The Great
Lakes.
 
The Great Lakes are increasingly seen as an economic asset. According
to a Brookings Institution study, investing $26 billion to restore the
Great Lakes will lead to at least $50 billion in economic benefit for
the region. Metropolitan areas like Duluth, Detroit, Chicago, and
Buffalo could see gains between $200 million to $7 billion.
 
Source of more than 90 percent of the nation’s surface fresh water, the
Great Lakes are seriously threatened by problems such as sewage
contamination, invasive species, toxic pollution and the loss of
wetlands and other habitat. When the Lakes are unhealthy, it is a drain
on the economy and it means fewer jobs for the region. Just as
disturbing, unhealthy Lakes mean fewer people can enjoy beaches,
fishing, waterways and clean drinking water.
 
###
 
The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition consists of more than 100
environmental, conservation, outdoor recreation organizations, zoos,
aquariums and museums representing millions of people, whose common goal
is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. For more information visit:
www.healthylakes.org.
 
 
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
( http://www.healthylakes.org/ )
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