Durbin Introduces Legislation to Restore the Great Lakes

Press Release

Durbin Introduces Legislation to Restore the Great Lakes

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced legislation that aims to help restore the health of Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Conservation Education Act will create a competitive grant program within the Department of Commerce (DOC) to fund Great Lakes conservation education and outreach.

"Last weekend, it was heartening to meet so many Chicagoans who are committed to cleaning up Lake Michigan and our beaches," said Durbin. "Their efforts have the power to inspire others to get involved, use less water where we can, make sure that we are not dumping garbage into this amazing body of water, and participate in clean-up efforts. My legislation will provide additional resources for education and outreach throughout the Great Lakes region. Together we can restore the lakes."

The Great Lakes Conservation Education Act authorizes a $15 million competitive grant program at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to support conservation, education and outreach programs to restore the Great Lakes. Citizens, organizations and businesses are working together on efforts to restore the Great Lakes shoreline. By expanding these efforts we can more effectively educate students, teachers and members of the public about the steps they can take to cleanup and improve the lakes.

The Great Lakes are the largest single source of fresh surface water in the world. They hold 90 percent of America's fresh surface water and 20 percent of the world's fresh surface water. Approximately 42 million people and rely on the Great Lakes for clean, safe water. Unfortunately, trash and debris litter the shorelines of the Great Lakes causing one of the most pervasive pollution problems affecting America's waterways. Debris detracts from the beauty of the nation's coasts, threatens freshwater life, poses public health and safety concerns and interferes with commercial and recreational boats and ships.

Last weekend, Durbin worked alongside hundreds of volunteers gathered to comb Chicago's beaches for trash and debris as part of International Costal Cleanup day. Every fall for the last six years, the Alliance for the Great Lakes—the oldest citizens' organization in the U.S. or Canada—has led the Adopt-A-Beach program to clean up the lakes' beaches. This year, they were joined by the Shedd Aquarium. The Shedd documented the clean-up efforts and will use the data on the quantity and types of pollution that are found in the lake as a tool to educate the public about preserving and protecting the water basin and its ecosystem.

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