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(Washington D.C.)- The House approved legislation today to provide $475 million for a new Great Lakes restoration effort. The funding, approved as part of the annual funding bill for the Department of the Interior and Environmental Protection Agency, passed the House by a vote of 247 to 178. The Senate is expected to approve the measure in the near future, clearing the legislation for President Obama's signature.
“The Michigan Delegation has been fighting for years to win this kind of restoration money,” said Rep. Levin. “The difference this time is that we now have a President who cares about the Great Lakes."
Rep. Levin added, "This is a good day for the Great Lakes, but long term restoration of the Lakes will require a sustained effort at the federal, state and local level."
At the urging of Rep. Levin and others in the Michigan Congressional Delegation, the EPA bill includes the full $475 million requested by President Obama for a new Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. This initiative will begin to address longstanding problems in the Great Lakes, including invasive species, non-point pollution, habitat and fisheries loss, and contaminated sediment.
The legislation also includes $2.1 billion in federal assistance to help states and localities finance and build clean water infrastructure projects through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. This is a significant increase in federal clean water assistance to states. Michigan's share is expected to be in the neighborhood of $100 million. The legislation stipulates that at least 30 percent of each state's federal allocation be used for eligible projects in the form of a grant, negative interest loan, or principal forgiveness, saving localities money at a time when budgets are already stretched thin.
Also included in the legislation is a $500,000 federal contribution to help with repairs to the Oakland-Macomb Interceptor submitted by Reps. Levin and Miller, as well as by Senators Levin and Stabenow. The assistance was requested by the drain commissioners of both Oakland and Macomb Counties. The Interceptor is a 21 mile sewer that is the sole conduit that transports sanitary sewage from over 300,000 residents of Oakland and Macomb Counties to the City of Detroit for treatment. Ownership of the Interceptor was recently transferred from the City of Detroit to Oakland and Macomb Counties as part of a far reaching water infrastructure settlement. The Interceptor is approximately 40 years old and is in need of extensive and costly repairs.
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