EPA Releases Additional Funds To Protect Lake Erie

WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, the U.S. EPA announced it will release an additional $20 million to support the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The funds will be used to control invasive species, clamp down on excess nutrients and restore habitats.

Rep. Marcy Kaptur was one of the key figures fighting for additional funding for the lakes. She trumpeted the boost in funding on Thursday.

“The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative meets an enormous unmet need for our region and the millions of people who depend on the Great Lakes for their drinking water, work, and leisure,” said Kaptur. “The Great Lakes are among our planet’s greatest gifts."

The EPA said it would specifically use the additional funds to:

• Accelerate cleanup of "areas of concern" in the Great Lakes ($7.5 million) — Crews will do significant sediment remediation and habitat restoration
• Fund research into ballast water treatment systems ($5 million) — The money will be used to support more research into how to prevent invasive species, like Asian carp, and to develop ballast water treatment systems for cargo vessels
• Boost the Great Lakes Trash Free Water grant program ($2 million) — The money will go to projects designed to provide healthy habitats for fish and wildlife by removing trash from the lakes
• Reduce excess nutrient loads ($5 million) — Excess nutrients can create harmful algae blooms. This additional money will go to reducing those nutrient loads and rebuilding habitats for fish
• Support the Great Lakes National Program office ($500,000)

"Put simply, our Great Lakes cannot be replaced – they must be protected and deserve robust federal investment. Today’s announcement reflects the bipartisan Congressional effort to increase funding for GLRI in Fiscal Year 2020, a process set in motion by the House Appropriations Committee, on which I serve. The GLRI is reshaping the ecological future of our Great Lakes for the better. I look forward to the good these funds will do through a wide variety of projects and initiatives in the region," Kaptur said.