Senator Clinton Continues to Push for Funding for Key Great Lakes Projects

March 17, 2008 -- Washington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton announced today that she joined a bipartisan coalition of Senators from Great Lakes states in urging the Senate leadership to support funding for several key programs to protect and preserve the Great Lakes.

In letters delivered to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of four separate subcommittees, the lawmakers noted that the Great Lakes serve as critical resources for agriculture, drinking water, maritime commerce, and recreation for millions of Americans. They also stressed that the Great Lakes, one of the largest and most imperiled ecosystems in the nation, currently face unique ecological problems that if left untreated will only become more costly and difficult to remedy.

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“The Great Lakes are among our nation’s most precious natural treasures, and are also vital links for New York’s economy. All along New York’s western coastline, New Yorkers rely on the Great Lakes for drinking water, recreation, commerce, fishing, and breathtaking natural beauty,” Senator Clinton said. “Funding these key Great Lakes projects would be a critical step toward addressing the ecological challenges facing the Great Lakes and ensuring that future generations can enjoy their splendor for years to come.”

The projects requested include:

Letter to the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food & Drug Administration and Related Agencies

* $5 million for the Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control
* $2 million for the Agricultural Research Service for Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) testing

Letter to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies

* $90 million for the National Coastal Zone Management Program grants
* $12 million for the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
* $3 million to initiate the Great Lakes Observing System

Letter to the Subcommittee on Energy & Water, and Related Agencies

* $4 million for technical assistance to Remedial Action Plans (RAP) Committees (Section 401a, WRDA 1990 as amended)
* $6.75 million for the construction and operation of the electric dispersal barriers in the Chicago Sanitary& Ship Canal (Section 3061, WRDA 2007)
* $4.5 million for construction of restoration projects under the Great Lakes Fishery & Ecosystem Restoration program (Section 506, WRDA 2000)

Letter to the Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies

* Full funding ($54 million) for the Great Lakes Legacy Program
* $16 million for the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program
* $25 million for EPA’s Great Lakes National Program Office
* $13.25 million for the US Geological Survey’s Great Lakes Science Center

Senator Clinton has long fought to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Last year, Senator Clinton helped reintroduce the Great Lakes Collaboration Implementation Act. This measure is aimed at implementing the restoration and protection strategies outlined in the "Great Lakes Regional Collaboration" strategy released in December 2005. The legislation would also reduce the threat of invasive species, restore waterfront areas and clean up contaminated sediment. Senator Clinton also called on President Bush to provide adequate federal resources for environmental restoration in the Great Lakes Region by ensuring greater coordination between federal agencies and partners on the state, tribal, and local level.

With more than 5,000 miles of shoreline, the Great Lakes make up more than 90 percent of the United States surface fresh water, which 35 million people depend on as a supply of drinking water. The Great Lakes are presently facing unique problems such as habitat loss, toxic sediment remediation and, threats from invasive species.

Source: Senator Hillary Clinton