For Immediate Release
September 18, 2008 |
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Cullen Schwarz
Office: 202.225.4961
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House Approves
Great Lakes Legacy Act
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Reauthorization of Legacy Act Increases Authorized
Funding for Great Lakes Pollution Cleanup |
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(Washington D.C.)- {The House of Representatives today passed legislation to update the key federal law that helps fund the environmental cleanup of contaminated sediment in Great Lakes Areas of Concern. The bill, H.R. 6460, passed by a vote of 371-20.
“A key part of restoring the Great Lakes is cleaning up the environmental damage from decades past in the Great Lakes Areas of Concern,” said Rep. Sander Levin. “Five years ago, Congress created the Great Lakes Legacy Act to begin this effort. Today we continue and build on this effort by renewing and strengthening this environmental cleanup program.”
Earlier this year, Congressman Levin urged the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to increase funding in the Legacy Act’s reauthorization from $50 million per year to $150 million per year, the amount recommended by the Great Lakes Regional Collaborative. Levin also suggested that the Legacy Act’s scope be expanded. To date, the Legacy Act has focused on funding re-mediating contaminated sediments. While contaminated sediments pose a significant challenge, Rep. Levin urged that Legacy Act funds also be used for habitat restoration work. Both of these recommendations were adopted in the reauthorization approved by the House of Representatives.
Discharges of toxic substances into the Great Lakes Basin have been greatly reduced in recent years, but persistent, high concentrations of contaminants remain in the bottom sediments of some of the rivers and harbors that feed into the Lakes. These tributary areas in the Great Lakes basin have been identified and labeled as "Areas of Concern” with 31 of the 43 AOCs located on the U.S. side of the Great Lakes.
Through the Great Lakes Legacy Act, an estimated 850,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment has been removed since 2004. The Legacy Act has completed work on four remediation projects, and more cleanup projects are in the pipeline.
The Great Lakes Legacy Act was originally enacted in 2002. If approved by the Senate and signed by the president, H.R. 6460 would reauthorize the Legacy Act for five years.
Summary of H.R. 6460
• Reauthorizes the Great Lakes Legacy Act for five years.
• Increases the authorized funding from $50 million per year to $150 million per year (experts estimate that investing $150 million per year for ten years should completely clean up all of the contaminated areas in the Great Lakes).
• Continues the leveraging requirement of a 35 percent non-federal cost share for remediation activities.
• Requires that aquatic habitat remediation be done in conjunction with contamination remediation.
• Increases funding for Research and Development from $3 million to $5 million so that new and more effective technologies can be developed and long-term savings can be realized.
• Clarifies that potentially responsible parties can participate in the non-federal cost share by making in-kind contributions.
• Speeds the process by which contaminated sites are analyzed, ranked, prioritized and ultimately remediated.
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To Contact Congressman Levin: -
Email Congressman Levin In Michigan: 27085 Gratiot Ave, Roseville, MI 48066 | (586) 498-7122 | (248) 968-2025
In Washington: 1236 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 | (202) 225-4961
