LaTourette adds 50 million to Great Lakes Restoration Funding
Thursday, July 28, 2011
LaTourette adds $50 million
to Great Lakes Restoration Funding
U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette (R-OH) today announced that the
House of Representatives has approved an amendment he offered to
add $50 million to Great Lakes funding in the spending bill that
funds the Environmental Protection Agency.
The LaTourette amendment passed last night by a vote of 220-206
and will not add to the debt. The additional $50 million is fully
paid for by reducing funding by a like amount in other EPA
accounts. Total EPA funding is $7.1 billion, which is 18
percent lower than last year's funding.
LaTourette said the funding from his amendment brings total
Great Lakes funding to $300 million, the same as last year.
Of the EPA's geographic programs, the Great Lakes will get the
largest amount of funding. LaTourette said the Chesapeake Bay
will receive $50 million and Puget Sound will receive $30 million
for restoration efforts.
"This is a huge victory for the Great Lakes, which contain 20
percent of the world's fresh water. We need to make sure we
protect this valuable resource," LaTourette said. "The Great
Lakes continue to be the treasure of the world, and there's going
to come a time when water is the new oil when it comes to this
important resource."
LaTourette said the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is
designed to mitigate toxic substances in the Great Lakes, reduce
the impact of invasive species like zebra mussels and Asian carp,
improve near-shore health, reduce nonpoint source pollution,
improve habitat and reduce species loss.
"This program allowed us to finish the cleanup of Ashtabula
Harbor and remove decades of toxic sludge, and about 300 other
projects are on the docket. I am counting on our Ohio
senators to safeguard this funding, and perhaps add to it if they
can find offsets to pay for it," he said.
The spending bill, which has about 200 amendments, will likely
not be finished in the House until September, and then will go to
the Senate. LaTourette was also successful in including a ballast
water amendment in the bill which will protect Great Lakes
waterborne commerce.
The Great Lakes' $7.5 billion fishing industry supports 800,000
jobs, and waterborne commerce provides a huge economic boost.
He said the Lake Carriers' Association in Cleveland has said it
would take take 2,800 25-ton trucks, 700 railroad cars or 47 barges
to carry the load of one Great Lakes vessel. In addition, one study
by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers found that Great Lakes shipping
saves about $3.6 billion a year over the next least-costly methods
of transportation -- by rail or truck.