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The Macomb Daily
March 2, 2008 |
Rep Sander M. Levin
Guest Opinion |
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Leadership needed to fund the Great Lakes |
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The Macomb Daily recently editorialized on the lack of funding for the Great Lakes in President Bush’s 2009 budget and urged swift adoption of the proposed Great Lakes Compact [“Compact would give Great Lakes states more clout,” February 15] . The Macomb Daily is right to encourage the Compact’s adoption, as it will give us more legal clout to prevent the diversion of Great Lakes water to other regions, but it would not bring any new federal resources for Great Lakes restoration. The real problem is that the Bush Administration continually seeks to cut funding for programs that benefit the Great Lakes.
The President’s 2009 budget would be a disaster for the Great Lakes. It cuts the Clean Water State Revolving Fund by $134 million or 19 percent. The Revolving Fund is one of the most effective environmental programs in existence. Since 1995, the federal government has provided nearly $300 million through the Revolving Fund to help build water infrastructure in the Lake St. Clair watershed to clean up the sewage that was killing the Lake. The Revolving Fund has provided billions to reduce pollution throughout the Great Lakes Basin.
Unfortunately, this program has been cut repeatedly by the Bush Administration. Since 2002, Michigan’s annual allotment under the Clean Water Revolving Fund has been cut 58 percent – from $57.9 million in 2002 to just $29.5 million this year. Under the President’s 2009 budget, Michigan’s funding would drop still further to $23.8 million.
The environmental health of the Great Lakes has reached a turning point. We know what needs to be done, but this time there is no leadership from the White House. In 2004, the Bush Administration called all Great Lakes stakeholders together to chart a course for the future of the Lakes. The initiative was called the Great Lakes Regional Collaborative and, in 2005, the Collaborative released a detailed blueprint for the restoration of the Lakes. But instead of leading the effort to carry out the plan, the Bush Administration has sat on the sidelines and done nothing.
I have joined a bipartisan coalition of 50 Members of the House of Representatives and 11 U.S. Senators in sponsoring legislation to begin implementing the restoration blueprint of Great Lakes Collaborative. But in order to make this bill law, we need a President who cares about the Great Lakes.
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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
