Schumer Demands Feds Quit Sticking Upstate NY With Billion-Dollar Bill to Rid Great Lakes of Invasive Species, Toxic Sediment and Industrial Pollution - Pushes Senate Committee to Deliver Funding for Vital Protection Programs

Press Release

Over the Past Decade, Threats to Great Lakes have Grown as Invasive Species and Deadly Diseases Wreak Havoc on Wildlife, and as Toxic Sediment Infests Water Used for Drinking and Recreation

Across the Country, Local Governments have Spent over $15 Billion on Great Lakes Programs, While the Federal Government has Shirked Fiscal Responsibility and Administration Threatens to Slash Funding Further

Schumer, Bipartisan Coalition Urge Senate Appropriations Subcommittees to Include Vital Funding For Great Lakes Projects in FY09 Appropriations Bills

With the Great Lakes increasingly threatened by invasive species, habitat loss, toxic sediment, and other dangerous conditions, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced efforts to get the federal government to do more to ensure that vital funding is delivered to local governments currently footing the billion-dollar bill for programs to protect and preserve New York's most precious natural resource. Schumer has joined a bipartisan coalition of senators from Great Lakes states in sending letters to various subcommittees within the Senate Appropriations Committee, urging them to include funding for these essential programs in Fiscal Year 2009 appropriations. With the federal government largely ignoring the threats to the Great Lakes that have mounted over the past decade, local governments have been forced to foot the bill for supporting these programs, whose livelihood is further jeopardized by dramatic funding cuts in the President's proposed FY09 budget.

Schumer, noting the importance of the Lake Erie and Lake Ontario to New York State's economy, recreation and tourism, joined a bipartisan senate coalition in issuing a call to arms for the federal government to stop shirking their responsibility and start providing fiscal aid to the cities and towns currently shouldering the burden of supporting vital programs and initiatives to save the Great Lakes.

"The numbers here don't lie—our local governments have proved themselves ready and willing to do all they can to preserve a natural resource that is the lifeblood of Upstate New York," said Schumer. "But their already overburdened budgets are stretched too thin, and it's unthinkable that the federal government would continue to ignore such an obvious, dangerous threat. This is not a potential. This is not a maybe. The threat is now—it's the water we drink, the shores we vacation on and the environment our children are growing up in. It is crystal clear that it's time for the federal government to wake up and start doing its part."

According to a study released by the Great Lakes Commission and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative last month, local governments are spending about $15 billion annually on Great Lakes environmental programs, while the federal government is not doing enough.

Compounding the problem, Schumer noted, is the fact that President Bush's proposed FY09 budget would cut spending for the Great Lakes by 16 percent from this year, or over $50 million. That puts the allocated Great Lakes funding at under $300 million, which is less than half of what the Great Lakes Coalition estimates should be allocated for these programs.

Today, in response to a growing threat across upstate New York and the Administration's proposed budget slashes, Schumer announced he has joined a bipartisan coalition of senators from Great Lakes states in a widespread effort to ensure these toxic budget cuts are avoided and programs vital to the health of the Great Lakes and New York residents are fully funded and preserved.

Schumer and the Great Lakes Task Force sent letters to the relevant subcommittees in the Senate's Appropriation Committee, urging them to fund essential Great Lakes preservation programs as the Senate moves forward in their FY09 budget.

Included in the funding requests is millions to control the dangerous spread of sea lampreys across the lakes, often noted as the most effective way to recover the fish population in the Great Lakes. "These tiny creatures have an impact a thousand times their size," said Schumer. "They're wreaking havoc on the entire ecosystem in the Great Lakes. Scientists have developed great tools for fighting this scourge - now the government needs to do its part by ensuring that they have the money to implement their winning solutions."

Schumer has long been a champion of fighting invasive species across Upstate New York. He is a cosponsor of S. 725, the National Aquatic Invasive Species Act which puts forth a comprehensive, multi-agency plan to stop the introduction and spread of invasive species in American waterways. It includes ballast-water protections, funding for research, and treatments for current pests.

In 2006 Schumer wrote to the co-chairs of the National Invasive Species Council (NISC), asking them to identify the highest-risk land pathways for invasive species to enter our nation. Schumer also encouraged NISC to work with universities in New York, Hawaii, Florida, and California to address this problem.

Schumer urged NISC to reach out to the United States Trade Representative to develop strategies and/or international agreements to ensure non-native species are not transported in to the United States. He also wrote to the Acting Commissioner of U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) asking to outline how CBP checks foreign ships, cargo, and passengers at ports of entry for invasive species entering the country, and how they can improve this process.

The Great Lakes hold 90 percent of the fresh surface water in the United States and provide drinking water for over 35 million people. Over the years, the threats to this vital resource have mounted in the form of dangerous invasive species, toxic sediment and consistent industrial pollution.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source