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Klobuchar Calls for Increased Protection for the Great Lakes

Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2008 focuses on Areas of Concern

May 12, 2008

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar has joined Senators Carl Levin (D-MI), George Voinovich (R-OH) and six other senators in introducing legislation that helps the federal government increase its efforts to protect the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2008 provides numerous steps to restore and protect the largest concentration of fresh water in the world, the Great Lakes.  The Act gives the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) increased funding to remove toxic sediment from several Great Lakes “Areas of Concern,’’ including the St. Louis River system in northeastern Minnesota. It also gives the EPA greater flexibility to directly distribute funds to contractors to clean contaminated areas. Eight of the affected Areas of Concern are located on Lake Superior, including the St. Louis River and Bay in Duluth.

“Lake Superior is a priceless resource for all Minnesotans. Our cities depend on it for fresh water, our businesses thrive on it for shipping and commerce, and for our families, going up to the Lake has become a favorite pastime’’ Klobuchar said. “We must continue to restore and protect Lake Superior and the rest of the Great Lakes in order to preserve this great resource for future generations.”

The Areas of Concern identified by the EPA do not meet the water quality goals set by the United States and Canada in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement due to contaminated sediments from past industrial activity, which have resulted in a host of problems such as fish advisories, degradation of fish and wildlife populations, taste and odor problems with drinking water, beach closures, and bird and animal deformities or reproductive problems. 

The Act calls for cleaning up the Areas of Concern within 10 years by increasing funding to $150 million per year from $50 million, a figure based on estimates from the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy.


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