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Congress Passes Great Lakes Legacy Act
Scaled-Back Senate Version Authorizes $108 Million over Two Years
Washington,
Sep 28, 2008 -
Congress passed a scaled-down Senate version of the Great Lakes Legacy Act today (H.R. 6460) that will reauthorize it at $108 million over two years.
“The federal program that has successfully cleaned toxic sediments in several Great Lakes tributaries since it was first passed in 2002 will continue unabated,” said U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland. “It will help to ensure that Congress preserves the legacy of the Great Lakes for future generations.”
The Great Lakes Legacy Act, authored by U.S. Rep. Vern Ehlers, R-Grand Rapids, and co-sponsored by Hoekstra, supports Environmental Protection Agency projects that monitor, prevent and clean-up sediment contamination. The House recently reauthorized the bill at $150 million annually over five years before the Senate reduced the length and amount of funding for the program during negotiations with the House.
The bill requires a local match of 35 percent to encourage stakeholders in the Great Lakes region to invest in restoring them. The original bill was scheduled to expire this year.
Sediment contamination is a significant source of toxic pollutants affecting bottom-dwelling organisms, fish and wildlife. Human health can also be impacted by the bioaccumulation of toxic substances as they travel through the food chain. The program largely funded the $13.5 million clean-up of toxic sediments in Ruddiman Creek.
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