Funding for Great Lakes Cleanup Clears Hurdle

Posted by Trevor Roy

475-million dollars will go towards preventing the spread of invasive species and stopping pollution on the great lakes.

The money is part of president Obama's 2010 budget and a fulfillment of a campaign promise to the Great Lakes Cities Initiative

The initiative is a conglomerate of Great Lakes Mayors advocating for the clean up of the lakes.

It was estimated that nearly 20 to 110-billion dollars was needed to restore the lakes.

Superior Mayor Dave Ross, who sits on the Great Lakes Mayor's Initiative, says he appreciates the effort, but the 475-million dollars isn't going to cut it.

"The diluted value of any money coming out of Washington is astronomical, so once you get to the real impact on the great lakes of those dollars its going to be very small very minimal and it's not a large enough commitment."

Ross also says he would of liked to see more of the money go towards preventing point source pollution like sanitary sewer overflows.

He says local communities have spent far greater than the 475-million dollars on their great lakes clean up efforts.

"We've spent over 15-billion dollars in investment for pollution issues, so 475-million dollars may seem like a lot, but it's a drop in the bucket."

The money will be spent according to a blueprint crafted in 2005.

The bill now moves to the floor of the house senate for full debate

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