It’s too late to get economic stimulus money to help restore the ecosystem in the Great Lakes, and it is too late to send funds for jobs to clean up toxic hot spots. But it isn’t too late to do everything possible to convince the conferees to go with the House version of the bill when it comes to updating sewers and cleaning up drinking water.
The House version of the economic recovery package would provide $6 billion for both wastewater and drinking water infrastructure. The House bill would deliver $2.18 billion to the Great Lakes states and would create 75,000 jobs. The Senate version would only provide $4 billion to the state revolving fund and many fewer jobs. Michigan leads the states with an unemployment rate of 11 percent – this isn’t the time to cut back on the SRF funding. “Investments in ready-to-go projects will create jobs, restore the Great Lakes and boost the economic prosperity in the region,” said Jeff Skelding, national campaign director for HOW. “Now is the time to act, before the problems get worse and the solutions more costly.”
There is still a chance that the House levels will be accepted during the conference negotiations. We need to call our Great Lakes Delegation and urge them to convince their colleagues to invest more in water infrastructure. With a little persistence and luck we might just succeed.
Related posts:
- Short and Very Bittersweet
- Restoration Means Recovery for the Midwest
- Winning Hearts and Minds
- First Things First
- Done Deal