Congress votes to fund Great Lakes program
A program aimed at cleaning up the Great Lakes and keeping them pristine will run through 2026, after approval Tuesday by the U.S. Senate.
Sponsored by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act authorizes $375 million, starting in 2022, a $75 million increase over current spending.
The program will also see an increase of $25 million per year, according to a release from Baldwin, until the program reaches $475 million in 2026.
The bill had bipartisan support and was co-sponsored by 40 members of the House of Representatives and 10 other senators, including Democrat Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York and Republican Todd Young of Indiana.
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative was established in 2010, according to the program’s website, funding 16 federal organizations to rid the Great Lakes of the biggest threats to their ecosystem. The program hopes to achieve several goals for the lakes, including keeping fish safe to consume, keeping the lakes as a safe source of drinking water, controlling invasive species and protecting natural habitats.
Money from the program has helped to pay for the clean-up of toxic pollutants from Lincoln Creek and the Milwaukee River in Lincoln Park, as well as the lower Menominee River, which was delisted as an area of concern this year.
“Preserving the Great Lakes is not just an environmental goal — it is an economic necessity for Wisconsin, and making stronger, long-term investments in GLRI will better help us ensure that our Great Lakes are protected and preserved for generations to come. I’m looking forward to the President signing our bipartisan bill into law,” Baldwin said in a press release.
President Donald Trump has several times threatened to cut funding to the program, starting in 2017. The threat prompted pushback from environmental groups and politicians, including then-Governor Scott Walker.
The bill will now head to Trump’s desk for his signature.