FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Contact:
Kevin Benacci
kevin.benacci@mail.house.gov
216-409-5055 

Dave Joyce Announces Major Great Lakes Wins Included in Omnibus

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act Funded and Officially Authorized For First Time; Ban on Open Lake Dumping of Dredged Materials In Lake Erie

WASHINGTON- Today, Rep. Dave Joyce (OH-14) announced that the Omnibus Appropriations Bill released by Congressional leaders includes a number of significant wins for the Great Lakes and Northeast Ohio. 

Dave Joyce’s signature legislative priority, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative was funded at $300 million. 

The GLRI was also formally authorized for an additional year, a crucial designation reaffirming the importance of this program.

The Omnibus measure also included Rep. Joyce’s language to prevent the Army Corps of Engineers from using federal funds to dump dredged materials in Lake Erie. Mr. Joyce secured this language in April in the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill that came out of the House Appropriations Committee, on which Mr. Joyce sits. 

“When it comes to jobs, the economy and environmental importance - the Great Lakes are simply a mammoth force in Northeast Ohio” Rep. Joyce said. “And this bill is a mammoth win in the fight to preserve and protect Lake Erie.”

The five Great Lakes contain one fifth of the world’s fresh water supply, and are responsible for more than 1.5 million jobs generating $62 billion in wages. GLRI is a group of programs that makes sure this environmental and economic treasure is protected.

In March, Rep. Joyce introduced the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2015 which would address invasive species problems, coordinate protection and restoration efforts, and bring together business and environmental organizations with a shared interest in the Great Lakes.  It formally authorizes funding of GLRI at $300 million annually for fiscal years 2016-2020 and does not add any debt to the federal budget.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is an action-oriented, results-driven initiative targeting the most significant problems within the basin, including;

• Cleaning up Great Lakes Areas of Concern
• Preventing and controlling invasive species, like Asian carp
• Reducing nutrient runoff that contributes to harmful and nuisance algal blooms
• Habitat and wildlife protection and restoration.

In April, Rep. Joyce fought to have the following language included in the FY16 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill, which made it into the Omnibus Appropriations bill:

“SEC. 108. No funds in this Act shall be used for an open lake placement alternative of dredged material, after evaluating the least costly, environmentally acceptable manner for the disposal or management of dredged material originating from Lake Erie or tributaries hereto, unless it is approved under a State water quality certification pursuant to 33 U.S.C. 1341.”

This language ensures that the Army Corps of Engineers does not have the authority to use federal dollars to dispose of dredged materials into Lake Erie, also known as “Open Lake Dumping”, unless it has approval from the State of Ohio.

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