New Report: Restoring Great Lakes Would Bring Region $50 Billion in Economic Gain

On a Roll to Save the Lakes

Somedays I step back and think about Thomas Jefferson who, recognizing the great beauty of the federal-state relationship, waxed prophetic about the states becoming laboratories of democracy. Today, the Great Lakes are poised to benefit tremendously by this ingenious system - following the lead of 13 states - US Senators Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and George Voinovich (R-OH)have introduced a bill that will put an end to the use of phosphates in household dish detergent that leach into the Lakes feeding dangerous algae and killing off fish by 2010.

“Protecting and restoring the Great Lakes has been a top priority of mine Read More » »

The Senate to Consider the Legacy Act

The Great Lakes Legacy Act reauthorization bill was introduced last week by US Senators Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and George Voinovich (R-OH) with seven of the Great Lakes Senators signing on as original co-sponsors. Now, it is time to corral the rest of the Great Lakes Senate Delegation to join as co-sponsors and show a united front to the US Congress on this issue.

The new law will provide more money - $150 million - and expects to have the 31 areas of concern cleaned up within the decade. The EPA will have more flexibility distributing the funds to contractors untying some Read More » »

Coalition Supports Bill to Clean Up Great Lakes Toxic Hot Spots

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (May 8, 2008) – The U.S. Senate yesterday introduced a bill to clean up Great Lakes toxic hotspots responsible for drinking water restrictions, beach closings and declines in fish and wildlife populations.

“Cleaning up toxic pollution in the Great Lakes is essential to our public health, economy and way of life,” said Jeff Skelding, national campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “We urge the U.S. Congress to pass and fund this important, efficient and successful clean-up program.”

Senators Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and George Voinovich (R-Ohio) introduced the Legacy Act of 2008 (S. 2994), whose funds go Read More » »

It is the Economy Stupid, All Over Again!

Democrats in the Great Lake State of Indiana came out for Hillary Clinton yesterday giving her a slight edge over Barack Obama in the state as the two compete to become the presidential candidate for the blue party. But it wasn’t the big gas tax debate that affected the votes of Indiana democrats – it was the economy, according to nine out of ten voters.

We, at HOW, have embraced the Brookings report that shows that by fully implementing the Great Lakes Collaboration Strategy, the economic engine in our region would be revved up once again - jobs would be created, Read More » »

If You Aren’t Part of the Solution…

Tomorrow is the last day that the Great Lakes Senators can sign onto the Great Lakes Legacy Act as original co-sponsors. It is time for reauthorization of the law that is the best tool in our carpenter’s box to clean up the toxic legacy of the industrial age. US Senators Carl Levin (D-MI) and George Voinovich (R-OH) are actively seeking co-sponsors and will introduce the bill this week.

Cosponsors send a strong signal to the guys with the money on the Hill, according to Joy Mulinex, the Great Lakes Task Force Director. “If only a couple of Members sign onto Read More » »

That Smelly Rat Isn’t In Denmark Anymore

Remember that “alarming” Center for Disease Control report that hit the news only because a watch dog group exposed that it had been suppressed from publication for more than half-a-year? Well, now that Congress has called for an inquiry the Canadian Press reports that the head of research at the CDC is claiming the report was not hidden from public view but held because of questions regarding the methodology. The CDC has also admitted to deleting (key?) data from the report.

Dr. Henry Falk oversees CDC research on environmental health hazards and he told the Canadian Press that Read More » »

Drum Roll Please

We are so close to having a national ballast law, we can smell it, taste it and the aroma is so appetizing. Yesterday, the US House passed the first ever national bill that will protect our fresh waters from ballast discharges when it voted 395 to 7 in favor of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2007.

The last year has seen Great Lakes States initiating their own ad hoc ballast bills in a desperate attempt to stop an impending “invasional meltdown” that would put the lakes on an irreversible trek toward ecological disaster, but now an answer is Read More » »

Coalition Applauds U.S. House for Passing Strong Invasive Species Bill

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (April 24, 2008)—The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition today applauded Congress for passing a bill to prevent aquatic invasive species from entering the Great Lakes and other U.S. waters.

“We applaud the U.S. House of Representatives for passing a strong invasive species bill that protects our lakes, our national parks, our economy, our public health and our way of life,” said Tom Kiernan, president of the National Parks Conservation Association and co-chair of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “We urge the Senate to pass its bill and President Bush to sign into law these strong protections from Read More » »

Never Forget Those Who Think We Are Awash In Water

The Great Lakes State of Pennsylvania gave Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain resounding victories in the contest to determine who will run for US President this fall. While Great Lakes states share a concern over our fresh water and the next president’s intentions for it, water, is increasingly becoming a national and international issue.

“We need to have a president who will take seriously the problem with water,” Sen. Hillary Clinton said at an early April campaign stop in Oregon. “Water has always been a local and state issue. I think that is probably all to the Read More » »

Making the Case for the Great Lakes Collaboration Strategy

The Brookings Institution published a report last year that analyzed the economic impact that restoring the Great Lakes would have on the eight states surrounding the lakes. The authors found that by investing $26 billion the region would reap more jobs, higher property values, a better quality of life and a $80 billion profit. Not a bad return, right? The next obvious question by localities was, how much will our city benefit?A new analysis finds that major Great Lakes cities will see economic gains between $200 million to $13.3 billion if the Read More » »