Heard on the Hill

The Train Keeps on Moving

Good news in the effort to restore the Great Lakes and revitalize the economy.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson at a U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure hearing gave an update on how economic recovery act funds were being used to jump-start the economy, protect human healthy and safeguard the environment.

Said Jackon: “Funding these programs will not only help our economic recovery, but they will protect and increase the number of green jobs, sustain communities, restore and preserve the economic viability of property, promote scientific advances and technological innovation, and ensure a safer, healthier environment.”

Read the her full Read More » »

Great Lakes Restoration Featured on “Living on Earth”

I’m sure many of you have heard the radio show “Living On Earth” on NPR before. This week they are featuring a story with some Healing Our Waters Coalition members. It’s a really good, concise recap of what’s up with the Great Lakes and how President Obama is proposing to fund restoring the lakes and reviving our economy.

You can listen online here

or find out when it’s playing near you.

Sen. Gillibrand “on message” for the Great Lakes

Here is a link to a North Country Public Radio story about President Obama’s commitment to Great Lakes Restoration that we understand will be airing on the NPR show Living On Earth.

What struck me most about this story was a short quote from the new junior Senator from New York, Kirsten Gillibrand. She absolutely nailed the message that investing in Great Lakes restoration will create jobs and grow the economy. The story also mentions that Senator Gillibrand intends to use her new seat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee to fight for Great Read More » »

Ms. Neagu Goes to Washington

While she didn’t filibuster on the floor of the Senate like Jimmy Stewart in the classic film, Indiana’s Jeanette Neagu - with the Lake Michigan League of Women Voters - did join hundreds of other advocates on Great Lakes Day last week, and picked up some press coverage back home.

Neagu’s quote at the end is spot on:

“Members of Congress ultimately hold the purse strings for the federal government through the annual appropriations process, so it is critical they match the president’s initiative in their own budget resolution and appropriations to restore this treasured resource,” she said.

EPA Administrator: ‘We’re Back on the Job’

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson re-affirmed the Obama Administration’s support for the Great Lakes, vowing, “We’re back on the job.”

Administrator Jackson went through the list of Great Lakes restoration priorities, assuring advocates that the White House would work to restore the lakes.

“We remain committed to modernizing wastewater treatment,” said Jackson at none point.

Jeff Skelding, national campaign director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, had this to say about Administrator Jackson’s keynote address in front of Great Lakes Commission and Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition members.

“The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is pleased that the highest levels of the Obama Administration Read More » »

Sources Say…

HOW’s own Cameron Davis is considered to be a strong contender for the assistant administrator position at the Office of Water. Davis, who is currently president of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, appeared before Congress several times fighting for our restoration efforts. He was also a staff attorney for the EPA’s Office of Regional Counsel in Region V.

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, Read More » »

Big Wheels Keep on Turnin’ Legacy Act Keep on Churnin’

While Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.)and George Voinovich (R-OH) are committed to pushing the Great Lakes Legacy Act through this Congress, the fact that we are up against a national campaign season is weighing heavily on the prospect of passage. Essentially, Congress has three weeks in September to try and finish business for the year and after that it will be all campaigning, all the time.

“We are hoping to get it done in September,” Garrette Silverman, a spokesperson for Sen. Voinovich said, “but as of now we don’t have any timing for floor action.” And there-in lays the rub, Read More » »

Dennis No Longer a Menace

Ohio’s infamous Cuyahoga River that sparked the political firestorm that was quenched with the introduction of the Clean Water Act in the 1970s is in Rep. Dennis Kucinich’s (D-OH) district. HOW has just learned that Rep. Kucinich has become a co-sponsor of the reauthorizatin for the Great Lakes Legacy Act - a bill that has trippled the funding authorization to speed up the clean up of the most devestated areas of pollution around the Great Lakes. HOW is ever thankful for his support and hopeful that the bill will come to the floor when Congress convenes in September. To Read More » »

Great Lakes Legacy Act is on the Move!

It is actually possible that the Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA) that funds the clean-up of the numerous Areas of Concern (AOC) around the Great Lakes could go to the floor for a vote before Congress recesses for the summer. Our Congressional Delegation has made fantastic strides in a very short time to reauthorize and improve this extremely important legislation.

Yesterday, July 31, the GLLA was passed out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Senate Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) pledged to ask the Senate Majority Leader to “hotline” or Read More » »