New bipartisan federal legislation boosting investments in Great Lakes restoration and protection advanced out of a U.S. Senate committee today, paving the way for the full chamber to vote on legislation authorizing $500 million to be spent annually to clean up toxic pollution, curb farm and urban runoff, restore habitat, and confront invasive species.

The EPA today announced new clean water protections to prevent toxic PFAS chemicals from contaminating public drinking water supplies and threating the health of people and communities.

The Biden Administration’s proposed fiscal year 2025 federal budget, released Monday, takes a positive step in strengthening EPA and its core environmental protection mission, while maintaining funding levels for core clean water and Great Lakes investments.

Great Lakes supporters are in Washington, D.C., this week with the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, to urge members of Congress to continue their support for federal investments to protect the drinking water, public health, jobs, and quality of life for the millions of people in the eight-state region.

Materials from Great Lakes Day 2024

New bipartisan federal legislation would reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, allowing the federal government to continue to accelerate its investment to restore and protect the Great Lakes – the source of drinking water for more that 42 million people – and to tackle serious threats, including toxic pollution, runoff, habitat loss, and invasive species.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is urging members of Congress to reject the budget bill, as it threatens water quality, jeopardizes public health, and will make projects more expensive by kicking the can down the road.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition and 58 of our member and partner organizations urged representatives to support robust funding for Great Lakes restoration and clean water priorities in a final fiscal year 2024 appropriations package.