Congress OKs $475M for Great Lakes

Deb Price / Detroit News Washington Bureau

Washington -- Congress approved legislation Thursday that includes $475 million to restore the Great Lakes by combating invasive species, cleaning up highly polluted sites and expanding wetlands.

The bill also includes $131 million to finance wastewater and drinking water projects in Michigan, $11.2 million for 14 projects in the state, and $1 million for mass marking of hatchery fish in the Great Lakes.

"This legislation provides a significant boost to protect and clean up the Great Lakes, improve Michigan's parks and lands, provide communities with safe drinking water and improved wastewater infrastructure, and preserve key facets of Michigan's heritage," said Sen. Carl Levin, D-Detroit.

President Barack Obama has signaled he'll sign it.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative includes:

• $146 million for cleaning up pollution in sediment in feeder rivers and harbors before it flows into the Lakes.

• $105 million to protect and restore habitat and wildlife.

• $97 million to stop "nonpoint" pollution, such as farm fertilizer and oil runoff, that closes beaches and leads to fish kills.

• $65 million to evaluate how the Lakes and wildlife are responding to cleanup efforts.

• $60 million for combating zebra mussels and other invasive species.

The Great Lakes funding is in an Interior appropriations bill, which also temporarily funds several agencies to avoid a shutdown. The House passed the bill by a vote of 247-to-178.

Michigan's eight Democrats voted for the bill, joined by Rep. Candice Miller, R-Harrison Township. The state's other six Republicans voted against it.

Rep. Vern Ehlers, R-Grand Rapids, said he reluctantly voted against the bill because he objected to the "far too high" overall size -- $32.2 billion -- for Interior programs.

The Senate passed the bill, 72-28, with Levin and Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, voting for it.

The bill includes $100,000 to build a seawall to protect Big Sable Lighthouse; $1 million to buy 15 parcels of land for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore; and $500,000 for a 21-mile sewer line to transport sanitary sewage from over 300,000 residents of Oakland and Macomb counties to Detroit for treatment.

The bill also exempts 26 Great Lakes steam and diesel cargo vessels from proposed tough clean-air rules by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Miller said the EPA rule threatened to "ground this important part of our economy to a halt."

dprice@detnews.com (202) 662-8736