Policy

Michigan Columnist Calls on Voters to Highlight Great Lakes in 2008 Election

Syndicated columnist George Weeks this week highlighted the importance of Michigan to demand more from the 2008 presidential candidates. He writes: the key thing is for Michigan voters to stress the issue as candidates campaign here. He also mentions Michigan’s efforts to move forward on Great Lakes restoration, as well as the Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives Boat Tour as important ways to get the candidates’ attention this summer. Click here to contact the presidential candidates about the Great Lakes.

The Day after Tomorrow: The Great Lakes in Crisis

Close your eyes and think of the worst disaster movie you’ve ever seen, OK, do you have it set in your mind’s eye? The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is releasing a report that shows the expected impacts of global warming on the Great Lakes – nearly 95 percent of this nation’s fresh surface water – are much more devastating than anything you could have imagined.

Great Lakes Restoration and the Threat of Global Warming makes it clear that the Great Lakes are poised to reach an irrevocable crisis Read More » »

They Asked For It and They Got It!

Visibly frustrated Members of Congress held a hearing today to discuss ways to improve the Great Lakes Legacy Act. They are frustrated because of the snail-like pace of progress being made cleaning up the remaining toxic sediments lining the Great Lakes and her tributaries after decades of industrialization and farming.

The Members greedily sought out impediments in the Legacy Act to cleaning up the 30 US Areas of Concern from panelists. What will it take to accelerate the process? Do you need more money? How about $150 million a year? That sounded good to Rep. John Hall (D-NY) who wasn’t shocked Read More » »

Drum Roll Please

We are so close to having a national ballast law, we can smell it, taste it and the aroma is so appetizing. Yesterday, the US House passed the first ever national bill that will protect our fresh waters from ballast discharges when it voted 395 to 7 in favor of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2007.

The last year has seen Great Lakes States initiating their own ad hoc ballast bills in a desperate attempt to stop an impending “invasional meltdown” that would put the lakes on an irreversible trek toward ecological disaster, but now an answer is Read More » »

Coalition Applauds U.S. House for Passing Strong Invasive Species Bill

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (April 24, 2008)—The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition today applauded Congress for passing a bill to prevent aquatic invasive species from entering the Great Lakes and other U.S. waters.

“We applaud the U.S. House of Representatives for passing a strong invasive species bill that protects our lakes, our national parks, our economy, our public health and our way of life,” said Tom Kiernan, president of the National Parks Conservation Association and co-chair of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “We urge the Senate to pass its bill and President Bush to sign into law these strong protections from Read More » »

Making the Case for the Great Lakes Collaboration Strategy

The Brookings Institution published a report last year that analyzed the economic impact that restoring the Great Lakes would have on the eight states surrounding the lakes. The authors found that by investing $26 billion the region would reap more jobs, higher property values, a better quality of life and a $80 billion profit. Not a bad return, right? The next obvious question by localities was, how much will our city benefit?A new analysis finds that major Great Lakes cities will see economic gains between $200 million to $13.3 billion if the Read More » »

New Analysis: Restoring Great Lakes Will Bring Major Lakeside Cities Each $200 Million to $13.3 Billion in Economic Gains

Passage of federal, state, and local legislation to fund restoration needed to realize potential gains

Ann Arbor, MI (April 16, 2008)—A new analysis finds that major Great Lakes cities will see economic gains between $200 million to $13.3 billion if the Great Lakes are restored. This report is a supplement to The Brookings Institution’s “Healthy Waters, Strong Economy” report released in November 2007 that found that Great Lakes restoration would bring the region approximately $80 to $100 billion in both short-term and long-term economic gains. This analysis shows that a significant portion of those gains would go directly to major population Read More » »

Dishing up a Quagmire

While needed Federal ballast legislation spins and sputters in a political quagmire on Capitol Hill, invasive species continue to erode the Great Lakes ecosystem and affect everything from power plants to drinking water.

We have talked a lot about the dangerous and quickly replicating zebra mussels that arrived in the Great Lakes after hitching a ride in the ballast water of ocean going ships. But the zebra mussels’ nefarious reputation is being threatened by the quagga mussel. The quagga, that also booked passage from Europe in ballast water, is a more sophisticated breed and can live on almost any surface as Read More » »

Location, Location, Location

Unfortunately, the dating term geographically undesirable (GU) also appears to apply to Congress Members attitude toward the Great Lakes and the issues we have fervently been working on. Usually an explanation of why a budding romantic relationship failed to flower, GU also defines a lack of leadership and perhaps interest in the Great Lakes for lawmakers representing the more far flung districts in our eight states.

After reviewing comments made by those who took part in Great Lakes Day 2008, it becomes clear rather quickly that geography had a lot to do with the kind of experience HOW members had when Read More » »

Our Lakes and Rivers are Becoming Toxic: Vote For CWRA

This month both the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will hold hearings on the Clean Water Restoration Act. Thirty-five years after the landmark Clean Water Act was put into motion our water quality has improved somewhat but our goals continue to elude us. This isn’t helped by the fact that too many industrial and municipal facilities surrounding the Great Lakes and lining the rivers that flow into the lakes have violated EPA permit limits. Records show them dumping way more sewage, E.coli, mercury, PCBs, cancer-causing chemicals such as benzo(a)pyrene, suspended solids, and Read More » »