House Recommends 80% Reduction in Federal Loan Monday for Great Lakes Cleanup
By Patrick Lynn
A new bill proposed Tuesday could cut 80 percent from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
The GLRI funding, which currently stands at $285M in federal government money, cleans up toxic harbors, removes algae blooms, and controls invasive species. The new bill proposes only $60M in federal loan money be used for the project.
Former President George W. Bush commissioned a study team for the Great Lakes Initiative but no money was spent on the cleanup. President Barack Obama made it a campaign issue when he ran for the White House in 2008.
The Great Lakes program has been funded ever since Obama entered office, with more than $400M a year having been spent until recently.
Supporters of the cleanup project say the new bill would devastate the progress of the cleanup, which has support from both parties.