The newest updates in Great Lakes policy
The Coalition maintains an active presence in Washington, D.C., to help educate elected officials about the importance of Great Lakes restoration investments, and uplift policies that benefit the ecosystem, wildlife, and people. In 2023, the Coalition is watching and advocating for the following federal priorities:
invest in Great Lakes restoration: fully fund and reauthorize key restoration programs, which can also address impacts from our changing climate through nature-based infrastructure and habitat improvement projects, helping reduce flooding and other serious threats.
restore and strengthen clean water protections: address legacy pollutants, contaminants like lead and PFAS, aging infrastructure overwhelmed by the effects of climate change, and rollbacks to federal regulations that have weakened clean water protections.
invest in water infrastructure: back up the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act with clear support for full funding and equitable implementation of key programs, prioritizing communities that have historically borne the brunt of pollution and environmental harm - low-income communities, Black people, Indigenous Peoples, and People of Color.
support comprehensive action on climate: pass comprehensive climate change legislation, investing in climate action, public health, and community resilience.
For more information, contact the coalition’s policy director, Chad Lord, at clord@npca.org.
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.
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.
A new U.S. EPA rule restores the ability of states and Tribes to protect local waters under the Clean Water Act, allowing states and Tribes to weigh in on federal permits for projects such as roads, pipelines, and dams and allowing local residents to have a say in projects that could impact their waters, recreational opportunities, and public health.
The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition and 95 partner organizations submitted a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, urging the Administrator to consider three main principles to ensure the success of the GLRI program over the next five years.
The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations released its fiscal year 2024 Interior and Environment funding bills. The Republican budget being considered holds the line on Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding at $368 million (level with current funding), but eviscerates other core clean water programs
The Supreme Court’s decision to abolish clean water protections for wetlands will undermine Great Lakes restoration efforts and jeopardize drinking water sources that millions of people depend on in the eight-state region.
The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition and 63 of our member organizations urged House appropriations subcommittees to support robust funding for Great Lakes restoration and clean water priorities in their Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bills.
The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is pleased to see that the Government of Canada is investing in Great Lakes restoration and protection in the form of $420 million CAD (about $306 million USD) over the next ten years.
The Biden Administration released its proposed federal budget on March 9. The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has analyzed the budget vis-à-vis our core clean water and Great Lakes programs.
The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition submitted testimony from Coalition Director Laura Rubin to Congress, urging House and Senate leaders to fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative at $425 million.