Ahead of Earth Day, Senators’ Bill Would Address Challenges Facing Great Lakes Habitat and Wildlife

WASHINGTON –-(ENEWSPF)–April 21, 2015.  U.S. Senators Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) today introduced the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2015 (S.1024) legislation that authorizes the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), a results-driven program to address some of the most serious issues that threaten the ecological and economic wellbeing of the entire Great Lakes basin. Senator Kirk is Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, and continues to fight to protect this critical source of drinking water for more than 30 million Americans. While Illinois’ Lake Michigan coastline encompasses only 63 miles, more than half of the State’s population resides within the Basin and millions rely on the lakes for job opportunities, recreation, tourism, and shipping of everyday commodities.

Last year, the GLRI received $300 million in the Omnibus Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2015 to combat some of the biggest challenges the Lakes are facing today, such as the threat of invasive species, pollution and toxic contamination. Among its many achievements, the environmental restoration work conducted through this program led to the delisting of three formerly contaminated sites along the Great Lakes, known as Areas of Concerns, and helped to fund the contamination cleanup effort at Waukegan Harbor, a necessary first step to unlocking economic redevelopment in the City of Waukegan and Northern Illinois. Yet, despite this progress, 27 toxic Areas of Concern remain across the Great Lakes Basin. The Kirk-Portman bill authorizes the GLRI at $300 million annually from fiscal year 2016-fiscal year 2020 to ensure that continued federal resources are made available to accelerate the restoration and protection of the Great Lakes.

“Last year I celebrated the contamination cleanup of Waukegan Harbor and the removal of more than 150,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment, which was made possible because of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative,” Senator Kirk said. “As the source of clean drinking water for more than 30 million Americans, it is crucial that we keep the Lakes our nation’s most precious natural resource, free from toxins, sewage and the continued threat of invasive species in order to keep the Lakes the crown jewel of the Midwest.”

“GLRI has been an incredibly successful tool for Lake Erie protection and restoration efforts, and I’m pleased to introduce this legislation,” Senator Portman stated. “We must protect our Great Lakes not only for their environmental well-being, but also for the economy of our region.”

A House companion, H.R. 223, was introduced in January 2015 and currently has 34 cosponsors.

“The Great Lakes are truly a shared national treasure, holding 95% of our country’s surface fresh water and providing drinking water to over 30 million people,” said Representative Dold, an original cosponsor of the House legislation. “As a scoutmaster, I teach Boy Scouts the principle of leaving areas better than when we found them. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is vitally important to ensuring we can fulfill this pledge with one of our country’s greatest natural resources.”

“The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is making tremendous progress in revitalizing cities and cleaning up the Great Lakes. This legislation will further strengthen this unprecedented federal-state partnership,” said Great Lakes Commission Chairman Kelly Burch, executive director of Oil and Gas Operations with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. “There’s more work ahead of us, so it’s important that Congress provide a predictable and durable foundation to support our continued restoration efforts.”

“We thank Sen. Kirk for building support for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. He and other U.S. Senators from the region continue to show their commitment to authorizing this program and addressing other Great Lakes issues. There are many unmet needs still facing the Great Lakes, like cleaning up Areas of Concern, stopping farm and urban runoff, and preventing invasive species. Authorizing the successful Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which has been producing results for communities around the region for the past six years, is one of our top priorities. We look forward to working with Sen. Kirk and other Republicans and Democrats in the Congress to make sure the nation maintains its long-term commitment to protecting and restoring the Great Lakes that millions of people depend on for their drinking water, jobs, and quality of life,” said Chad Lord, Policy Director for the Healing Our Waters, Great Lakes Coalition.

“We deeply appreciate Senator Kirk’s commitment to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and his recognition of a broad set of Great Lakes needs in cooperation with his Senate colleagues,” said Joel Brammeier, president and CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes. “Restoring and protecting the Great Lakes is a collaborative effort in the halls of Congress, among federal agencies and within the region itself. We are excited for the promise held by a Congressional authorization of the GLRI and maintain our commitment to addressing the problems facing our Great Lakes with Congressional support.”

Source: kirk.senate.gov