On the Issues
|
WATER QUALITY HEALTH The Great Lakes are a tremendous natural resource that millions of people rely on for drinking water, and ensuring water quality is a priority. A generation ago, the Great Lakes were a huge reservoir of persistent toxic substances. Our fisheries were yielding significantly less than historic highs, and our fish were contaminated with DDT and PCBs. The Great Lakes have definitely improved, but we have been unable to keep pace with the needs of the Lakes. There are still hundreds of fish advisories issued every year, and the number of beach closings has been increasing. Lake Erie is once again experiencing a “dead zone” from high levels of phosphorus. In 1990, Senator Levin authored the Great Lakes Critical Programs Act, which strengthened the water quality standards in the Great Lakes region and required that the worst polluted areas in the Great Lakes be cleaned up using the Remedial Action Plan process outlined in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the U.S. and Canada. The EPA estimates that this law reduces direct toxic water discharges by millions of pounds per year. In order to address the “dead zone” or hypoxia in Lake Erie, Senator Levin worked with the Senate Commerce Committee to amend the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Amendments Act of 2003 (S. 247) to include language that would provide for research in the Great Lakes to uncover the cause of hypoxia and to initiate a planning effort to address the cause of the hypoxia. Related Bills and Laws:
|
Contaminated Sediments
Contaminated sediments are found throughout the tributaries flowing into the Great Lakes, and cleaning up these sediments is important for human health and ecosystem health. more >
Great Lakes Restoration Act
The Great Lakes Environmental Restoration Act would provide $6 billion over 10 years in Great Lakes ecosystem restoration funding. more >
Invasive Species
The Great Lakes have over 160 non-native species, like the zebra mussel and Eurasian ruffe that have invaded the lakes from other regions of the world. Preventing future invasions into the Great Lakes is critical for the native fishery and wildlife. more >
Water Quality
The Great Lakes are a tremendous natural resource that millions of people rely on for drinking water, and ensuring water quality is a priority. more >
LEGISLATION
COMMITTEES
TASK FORCES
