U.S. Senate Passes Bill to Boost Great Lakes Funding

U.S. Senate Passes Bill to Boost Great Lakes Funding ANN ARBOR, MICH. (October 31, 2019) – The U.S. Senate today passed a bill to boost Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding to $310 million, a $10 million increase over last year’s $300 million federal investment in the program. The amendment to increase funding was led by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio).Healing Our Waters – Great Lakes Coalition Director Laura Rubin said:“This new funding bill is excellent news for the 30 million Americans who rely on the Great Lakes for their drinking water, jobs, recreation, and way of life. Over the past decade, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has been producing results for communities across the region, but serious threats remain. This investment acknowledges the work we have left to do. We thank Senators Peters and Portman for their leadership, and we thank the region’s Senate delegation, who are working in a spirit of bi-partisan cooperation to make sure Great Lakes restoration and protection remain a national priority.”The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative invests in local projects in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin to clean up toxic pollution, fight invasive species, reduce runoff from cities and farms, and restore fish and wildlife habitat.