WASHINGTON—Rep. James L. Oberstar (Minn.), Ranking Democratic Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, today introduced legislation to provide $450 million to remove industrial toxins and other pollutants from the Great Lakes.

The bill, H.R. 3670, reauthorizes the Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes Program and provides for clean-up of the portions of the lakes designated as Areas of Concern.

"The Great Lakes Basin is of critical importance to the economy of two nations," Oberstar said. "The Basin is home to more than one-tenth of the U.S. population, and one-quarter of the Canadian population. One of the world’s largest concentrations of economic capacity is located in the Basin – some one-fifth of U.S. industrial jobs and one-quarter of Canadian agricultural production. "

Two hundred years of industrial and agricultural pollution, however, has deposited high concentrations of pollutants such as PCBs in the lakes.

"If you eat fish once a week and live within 20 miles of one of the Great Lakes, you are likely to have 440 parts per billion PCBs in your body. That is more than 20 times higher than people living elsewhere in America and not exposed to Great Lakes fish," Oberstar said.

The U.S. and Canadian governments have identified 43 Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes. Of these, 31 fall wholly or partially within U.S. waters. Oberstar’s bill provides $40 million a year for Fiscal Years 2001-2005 for operation of the Great Lakes Program, and $50 million a year for the same period to fund projects to clean up the Areas of Concern. The federal share of these projects would be 60 percent.

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The bill further authorizes projects to improve degraded estuary habitat, and provides 65 percent federal funding.

"The Great Lakes are the Nation’s largest fresh water resource and the largest system of fresh water on earth, containing nearly 20 percent of the world supply. The Great Lakes contain 5,500 cubic miles of water and cover 94,000 square miles. Only the polar ice caps contain more fresh water," Oberstar said. "I urge all of my colleagues to join me in protecting this precious fresh water resource."