The U.S. Senate released its nine remaining funding bills yesterday that boost federal investments to restore the Great Lakes, remove toxic lead from drinking water, confront sewage overflows, and reduce farm and city runoff pollution.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition urges Congress support comprehensive infrastructure legislation and take bold action to address climate change.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition is pleased to see the Trump Administration’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule vacated by the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona because the rule causes environmental harm. Restoring protections for streams and wetlands has been a priority of the Coalition.

After years of clean-up efforts, the Ashtabula River in Ohio is no longer considered one of the “most environmentally degraded” areas in the Great Lakes Region thanks, in part, to Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funding.

In a 69-30 vote, the U.S. Senate has passed a bipartisan infrastructure package that boosts federal investment in core Great Lakes and clean water programs, including $1 billion in additional funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

The bipartisan infrastructure package released last week contains $1 billion for Great Lakes restoration efforts through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to restore fish and wildlife habitat, reduce farm runoff pollution, clean up toxic contamination, and manage invasive species.

Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, has been named as one of two new members to the EPA’s Great Lakes Advisory Board.