Bill to Clean Up Toxic Pollution Passes Congress

Statement by Jeff Skelding, National Campaign Manager, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, on passage of the Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2008

“The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition appreciates the efforts by Sens. Carl Levin and George Voinovich and Reps. Jim Oberstar and Vern Ehlers to strengthen the Great Lakes Legacy Act.  However, we’re disappointed that Congress did not provide the funding necessary to match the other important improvements in this bill.  To date, the pace of clean-up has been too slow. We will work with the new Congress and the next President to tackle the serious threat of toxic pollution, which closes beaches, threatens the public’s health, and drives down home values.  We will work to increase funding for this successful program — to $150 million per year — so we can clean up the toxic pollution in the Great Lakes before it gets worse and more costly.”

Contact:

Jeff Skelding, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, (202) 797-6893

Jordan Lubetkin, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, (734) 887-7109

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“As Is” Legacy Act Approved

In the wee hours of the night, hidden beneath the gunfire erupting over the collapsing financial markets, the US Senate struck down the Great Lakes Congressional Delegation’s attempt to quicken the clean-up of our drinking water. The US Senate approved the Great Lakes Legacy Act at the current rate of $50 million for the next two years. The US House voted 411 to 9 on Sunday in favor of the Senate’s version to ensure that the clean-up doesn’t stop all together. The reauthorization awaits President Bush’s signature.

The House had vigorously tried to triple the funding of the very successful Great Lakes Legacy Act to $150 million. In the last five years, the act successfully remediated and delisted two Areas of Concern. Members had calculated that increasing the funding would ensure that all the AOC’s would be cleaned up in the next ten years. The program is vital to the region as the poisons in the AOC’s make their way into the Great Lakes, then into our drinking water and into our fish and wildlife, and that impacts human health.

Apparently, the Senators from outside the Great Lakes opposed the increase in funding, but our Senators and House members did not let us down. Usually reauthorizations are for five years and since the Senate version only appropriates the money for two more years it means that Congress will be able to bring up the funding levels in the near future. Let’s pray that we can increase funding at that point.

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Minnesota Considering Ballast Law

First Michigan decided not to wait for the US Congress to set a national standard for ballast water and now Minnesota is considering similar statewide legislation to protect Lake Superior. The US Congress and the shippers ought to have seen this coming and they might as well accept the fact that ballast legislation is going to come to the Great Lakes.

The question is will Great Lakes ballast standards become piece meal as each state determines its own standard and permitting requirements - which will be a real hassle for shippers, or will there be one sweeping national standard that applies to everyone and is enforced across the nation?

The US House approved a national ballast law early this year, but it is currently stuck in the US Senate. If it isn’t taken up in the coming days then it will languish again until next summer. Meanwhile, the Great Lakes are becoming more and more infested with these cancerous species and the region is paying out-of-pocket to attempt to mitigate the damage. How long must we wait for action?

The US Senate has a historic opportunity right now to set a strong national standard for the management of our fresh waters. One unified program would also help the shipping industry and commerce. Let’s not let the ballast bill get lost in the fog of the national election cycle because our precious fresh water’s don’t have another year to wait.

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Compact Approved, Next Task: Restoration

Two-thirds of the US House approved the Great Lakes Compact this afternoon with a vote of 390 to 25. Hooray! So, what does it all mean? Of course, it means that the eight Great Lakes states have more control over the Great Lakes. But it also means that when we come together, as one, and tell our leaders that we want to protect and restore the Great Lakes, they will listen.

No lesson could be more valuable and no time more urgent for us to immediately put our efforts into demanding that the US Congress and the next President fully fund restoration of our Lakes and economy. There has been chatter here and there since the collapse of the financial markets late last week that there is no way we can afford a luxury such as cleaning up our drinking water. We are here to tell you, it is not a luxury but a necessity, and remind you that by investing the needed $4 billion a year for five years now (btw, that equals what we spend in six days in Iraq) we will be more than helping the nation’s economy recover.

So, let’s all pull together as one voice again and use this crucial campaign season to make sure they hear us as one voice once more. We are so close….

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US House Says Yay To Great Lakes Legacy Act

Last evening, the new and improved Great Lakes Legacy Act cleared the US House with an overwhelmingly favorable vote of 371 to 20. Now the much needed reauthorization moves to the US Senate where we hope with all our collective hearts that it is swiftly approved.

“We applaud the U.S. House of Representatives - especially Reps. James Oberstar and Vern Ehlers - for passing this important and successful clean-up program,” said Jeff Skelding, national campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. Oberstar (D-Minn.) and Ehlers (R-Mich.) introduced the GLLA. “Cleaning up toxic pollution is essential to our public health, economy and way of life. We need the Senate to take quick action like they did with the Compact and reauthorize this critical program.”

The act triples previous funding to $150 million a year to increase the clean up of the 31 Areas of Concern on the US side of the Great Lakes, which to date has been moving at a snail’s pace.

“In order to speed up efforts this bill tripples the authorization funding level from $50 million to $150 million per year. If fully appropriated, this has the potential to delist all the US Aoc’s within the next decade,” said Rep. Ehlers during the debate on the bill. And Illinois Rep. Mark Kirk (R) was quick to point out the benefits associated with the clean up, using Waukegan Harbor’s remediation as an example, “And when it is complete, it will increase Lake County property vlaues by over $800 million.”

The Legacy Act is a top priority for the Great Lakes region and it is an essential component of the Great Lakes regional collaboration strategy for restoration. Illinois Democrat Rham Emanuel summed up best the regional and national import of this legislation when he said, “If we invest in our lakes and deal with the basic pollutants, that is invasive species, urban run off and those types of pollution, we can deal with 93 percent of the problems effecting our lakes, our fresh water. This is the type of investment that will make sure that not only the region and the states that border these lakes, but the entire US, will preserve and invest in one of the most important natural resources in the coming days and years ahead, which is clean water.”

Many other Great Lakes lawmakers championed our cause during the debate, including: Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), Dennis Kuccinich (D-OH), Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), Fred Upton (R-Mich.), Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) and New York’s Rep. Louis Slaughter (D) who sent out a press release that day. Please take a moment to thank our champions by contacting their offices with an email or phone call.

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Every Heart Beats True…

Barack Obama’s Great Lakes proposal is still making its way through the news cycle and now regional Republican Party Chairs have chimed in saying that John McCain is also committed to supporting the Great Lakes – via the Compact.

Last December, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle (D) as chair of the Great Lakes Governors Council asked the presidential hopefuls to outline their vision for the Great Lakes. It appears, Barack Obama did so this week. Obama’s $5 billion is certainly a step in the right direction.Meanwhile, republican contender, McCain – the only republican candidate to sign the pledge - has said he will use his talent to work both sides of the aisle to find solutions and he fully supports the Great Lakes Compact.

When President George Bush was running for reelection he set up the Great Lakes Task Force that found we need $20 billion over five years to fully restore the lakes and regenerate the economy. That is less than $5 billion a year – which is about what we spend over two weeks in Iraq regardless of how our domestic economy is doing – and this investment promises a $50 billion return.

This is just the beginning, folks, we need all levels of government in the Great Lakes region to challenge John McCain and Barack Obama to step up and restore the Great Lakes. We have momentum with all the buzz that Obama’s recent proposal has generated and with McCain currently campaigning in the region – go out and make sure they hear us loud and clear. There is no question, this is a red and blue issue and we need a red, white and blue solution.

To read more go to: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/17/obama_lakes_plan_could_help_wo.html and
http://blog.dispatch.com/politics/2008/09/obama_proposes_great_lakes_pro.shtml

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Wanted New Leaders? No Kidding!

Grumbles is grumbling again at the moment when the Great Lakes Legacy Act is about to be approved and improved by the US House of Representatives. Would you believe Benjamin Grumbles, Assistant Administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency has written to Environment and Public Works Chair Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) to ask her not to give the Legacy Act program more money? What the H-E – double toothpicks is he doing? Just another example of how the Bush Administration has been undermining the Great Lakes and his campaign promise (albeit verbal) to fix them.

The Great Lakes Legacy Act, that is to be voted on this afternoon, triples past authorization levels to speed up the clean-up of 31 Areas of Concern on the American side of the Great Lakes. Areas that are poisoning our drinking water, the fish we eat and well, us. The EPA apparently expects our region to continue to live with dirty water – water that is dirty, btw, because we worked hard supplying the products and services as the economic engine for this entire nation for the last century plus.

There is nothing polite to say to Grumbles and the EPA for this attack. Instead, lets focus on the new guy who will be taking office soon - either one has to be better than this President and his political appointees at the EPA.

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Time to release the Fuss Busters

What is all this fuss over the Great Lakes? That seems to be the line some folks are taking since presidential hopeful Barack Obama’s released his plan to restore the lakes. The story has been picked up across the region and thrust the issue of restoring the Great Lakes into this hotly contested election. Newspapers, television and the blogosphere is jam packed with vivacious responses – some good, some bad.

It is nigh time that the Great Lakes become a part of the national dialogue and agenda.

If you have a moment, leave a comment below and/or go to one of the articles below and leave a comment in support of Great Lakes restoration — a platform that both John McCain and Barack Obama need to support. Take some time to tell people why the Great Lakes are important and why they need to be restored immediately, if not yesterday. Thanks!

Battle Ground Great Lakes Project

Obama Proposes $5 Billion Fund To Restore Great Lakes

Obama Has Great Plans for Great Lakes

Obama Campaign: Announced Obama-Biden Plan for Great Lakes

Democrats Pitch $5 Billion Great Lakes Clean Up Fund

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A Step in the Right Direction

The Mid-West was abuzz this morning as news broke that democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama and his running mate Sen. Joe Biden released a plan to use the Executive Office to restore the Great Lakes. It is a constructive first step that puts meat on the bones of the restoration pledge that Obama and GOP presidential candidate John McCain took in the early days of this campaign.

Obama’s plan would appoint someone to coordinate the federal, state and local agencies working on Great Lakes issues, and commit to providing at least $5 billion in new funds to jump start restoration. That is a nice down payment toward the $20 billion needed to fully restore the lakes and help generate a thriving economy in our region. Thank goodness the candidates have recognized the increasingly vital role the Great Lakes play in our economy.

“The release of Senator Obama’s plan indicates that the presidential candidates are getting serious about Great Lakes restoration. We look forward to the candidates trying to outdo each other on who is going to stand up for the millions of people, businesses and communities who rely on the Great Lakes 365 days a year,” stated Jeff Skelding, national campaign director for Healing Our Waters.

Last week, the Republicans for Environmental Protection’s Rob Sisson represented the McCain campaign at HOW’s annual conference, he argued that McCain thoroughly understands the economic boon that restoration promises and recognizes the urgency of the situation. “He will be looking for a bill to sign…as part of a larger national effort,” Sisson said. McCain, a fan of Teddy Roosevelt, wrote an editorial entitled “Nature is not a Liberal Plot,” to make the point that conservative and conservation shouldn’t be at odds.

Just before speaking to HOW, Sisson told the Associated Press that McCain will use his leadership to help the Great Lakes, “he won’t just wait for Congress to deliver the bill. He’ll work with Congress to pull a bill from them.”

In the meantime, we are grateful that the Candidates have recognized the significance of the Lakes to this nation and we hope for a commitment to fully fund the $20 billion restoration program regardless of who takes office in January.

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Presidential Candidate Support for Great Lakes Restoration Must Lead to Funding

Statement by Jeff Skelding, national campaign director,
Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, on release of
Sen. Barack Obama’s Great Lakes Restoration Plan

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 16, 2008)—“The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition welcomes the attention that Great Lakes restoration is generating from both major party presidential candidates, Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama.

“The release of Senator Obama’s plan indicates that the presidential candidates are getting serious about Great Lakes restoration. We look forward to the candidates trying to outdo each other on who is going to stand up for the millions of people, businesses and communities who rely on the Great Lakes 365 days a year.

“Sen. Obama’s proposal puts meat on the bones to the pledge both candidates made in December to restore the Great Lakes.

“The Great Lakes are a national icon that is the foundation of our regional economy, and the source of our drinking water, health and way of life.

“Our position has been, and will continue to be, that the next president needs to take decisive action to confront the serious threats facing the Great Lakes before the problems get worse and more costly. This support should include fully funding in five years the comprehensive effort to restore the Great Lakes, as delay will only exacerbate the problems and cost American taxpayers more money.”

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. The coalition is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose candidates.

For Immediate Release:
September 16, 2008

Contact:
Jeff Skelding, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, (202) 797-6893, JSkelding@nwf.org

Jordan Lubetkin, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, (734) 904-1589, lubetkin@nwf.org

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