The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition welcomes the newly proposed Biden Administration budget that, taken in tandem with the American Jobs Plan, presents a historic opportunity to secure sizeable federal investments to accelerate progress to restore the Great Lakes, protect the health of communities, and reverse environmental justices that have harmed vulnerable communities.

New investment is sorely needed. The Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin face more than $188 billion in water infrastructure repairs and upgrades over 20 years to meet clean water objectives and to protect the health of local communities, according to the U.S. EPA.

The U.S. Senate passed legislation to boost the nation’s investment in water infrastructure to get at the vexing and ongoing problems of toxic lead in people’s drinking water, sewage contamination, and unaffordable water bills that are impacting millions of people in the Great Lakes region and across the country

Plan recognizes importance of investing in Great Lakes restoration to protect communities from storms, flooding and other impacts from climate change.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition supports a robust federal investment in the nation’s water infrastructure and sent a letter to Senate leaders supporting swift action.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is hailing the introduction of new legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2021, that invests $50 billion over five years to update antiquated water infrastructure.

The inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States presents opportunities to accelerate progress to protect and restore the Great Lakes and our nation’s drinking water and reverse environmental injustices that have disproportionately impacted people of color, low-income communities, and indigenous tribes.