Letter to Barbara Boxer, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, and David Vitter, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works - Regarding Plan to Restore Great Lakes

Letter

The Honorable Barbara Boxer
Chairman
Committee on Environment & Public Works
410 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable David Vitter
Ranking Member
Committee on Environment & Public Works
456 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Boxer and Ranking Member Vitter:

We respectfully request that the Committee on Environment and Public Works take action on S. 1232, the Great Lakes Ecological and Economic Protection Act (GLEEPA), which would formally authorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to clean up and restore the Great Lakes.

The GLRI, which was implemented in 2010 and based on a collaborative strategy developed in 2004, targets the most significant problems within the Great Lakes basin. The result-driven projects under this initiative include cleanup of toxics and contaminated sediment, prevention of aquatic invasive species, and habitat protection and restoration. While the GLRI is authorized under the Clean Water Act, GLEEPA would provide clearer direction to the EPA, along with improved accountability and results.

The Great Lakes are a magnificent resource and unique in the world. These bodies of water, formed during the last ten thousand years, are the largest source of surface freshwater on the planet. As temporary stewards of this invaluable resource, we must do all we can to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Taking action on this legislation would help ensure that we are wisely targeting taxpayer dollars to address the most serious problems facing the Great Lakes.

Thank you for your consideration of our request. We look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,
Mark Kirk Carl Levin
Tammy Baldwin Rob Portman
Kirsten E. Gillibrand Al Franken
Debbie Stabenow Sherrod Brown
Amy Klobuchar Robert P. Casey Jr.