GLIN==> Great Lakes Restoration Advances in Congress

Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition
 
Great Lakes Restoration Advances in Congress
 
ANN ARBOR, MICH. (June 26)—The effort to restore the Great Lakes
advanced in the U.S. Congress, as the House of Representatives today
approved $475 million to fund a new Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
first proposed in President Obama’s budget. 
 
The Senate Committee on Appropriations yesterday approved $400 million
for the initiative as part of its 2010 Interior and Environmental
Protection Agency funding bill.
 
“We applaud the House of Representatives, House Appropriations
Committee Chairman Dave Obey (D-Wis.),  Senate Interior Subcommittee
Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and all our Great Lakes
appropriators for advancing Great Lakes restoration and economic
recovery,” said Chad Lord, policy director for the Healing Our
Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “The urgent threats to our Lakes and our
economy demand federal action. We are hopeful that with such strong
support from Great Lakes members, the initiative will be fully funded at
$475 million when the House and Senate reconcile their two bills.”
 
The House of Representatives vote was 254-173. For details on how each
member voted, see: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll475.xml 
 
The $475 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative strives to clean up
contaminated sediments which threaten public health; prevent the
introduction of invasive species which cost the region at least $200
million per year in damages and control costs; prevent run-off and other
pollution responsible for beach closures; and restore habitat that is
the foundation of the region’s multi-billion-dollar outdoor recreational
economy.
 
The full Senate will take up the spending bill after the July 4 break,
which begins tomorrow. Senate appropriations committee members from
Great Lakes states include Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Herb Kohl (D-Wis.),
Arlen Specter (D-Penn.), and George Voinovich (R-Ohio).
 
U.S. representatives from Great Lakes states who serve on the
appropriations committee include David Obey (D-Wisc.), Marcy Kaptur
(D-Ohio), Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.), Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), John Murtha
(D-Penn.), Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.), Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.), Jesse
Jackson (D-Ill.), Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich.), Chaka Fattah (D-Penn.),
Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), Mark
Kirk (R-Ill.) and Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio).
 
For Immediate Release:
June 26, 2009
 
Contact:
Jordan Lubetkin, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition,
734-904-1589
Chad Lord, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, 202-454-3385
 
 
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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