Joyce Secures GLRI Funding Authorization
Press Release
U.S. Rep. David P. Joyce (OH-14) today announced that the House of Representatives has approved his legislation formally authorizing the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative for five years.
The five Great Lakes contain one fifth of the world's fresh water supply and GLRI is a group of programs to make sure this environmental and economic treasure is protected.
Joyce's legislation -- H.R. 5764, The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2014 - passed Tuesday by voice vote. It formally authorizes funding of GLRI at $300 million annually for fiscal years 2015-2019 and does not add any debt to the federal budget.
"This is a huge victory for the Great Lakes," Joyce said. "The Great Lakes continue to be a treasure of the world, and there's going to come a time when water is the new oil, so we have to make investments to secure this important resource."
"GLRI is the most significant restoration effort to date for the Great Lakes and it is crucial that it be authorized into law, so that these programs can continue. The passing of this legislation sends a clear message that the Great Lakes are worth protecting," Joyce declared.
GLRI is an action-oriented, results-driven initiative targeting the most significant problems within the basin, including
Cleaning up Great Lakes Areas of Concern
Preventing and controlling invasive species, like Asian carp
Reducing nutrient runoff that contributes to harmful and nuisance algal blooms
Habitat and wildlife protection and restoration.
"This program allowed us to finish the cleanup of Ashtabula Harbor and remove decades of toxic sludge," said Joyce, pointing to one of the many programs that have impacted Ohio's 14th Congressional District over the years.
GLRI funds played a crucial role in the cleanup of 630,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment that contained 25,000 pounds of hazardous compounds from the Ashtabula River. Because of these efforts, water quality improved and the river channel was deepened, making the Ashtabula River once again suitable for maritime commerce, fishing, and recreational boating. As a result, in September of 2014 Ashtabula River was taken off the Environmental Protection Agency's list of designated "Areas of Concern". GLRI funds have no helped delist 5 five of these areas in recent years, a far cry from the 25 years before these programs started, when only one Area was cleaned up and delisted.
"Clearly these programs and working and this success story in Ashtabula demonstrates why we must ensure that the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative receives the funding it needs," Joyce said.
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative was launched in 2010, and since it's inception over $1.2 billion has been spent funding 2,215 different projects across eight states. Many Northeast Ohio projects have been aided by GLRI funds, including the successful conservation of the Lake Erie Bluffs, part of the Lake Metroparks System in Perry, Ohio.
"Making sure we do this right requires planning, cooperation, and execution from Great Lakes state and local governments, in addition to federal agencies such as EPA, Fish & Wildlife Service and Army Corps of Engineers," Joyce said. "We need GLRI to synchronize and coordinate to make sure everyone is working together toward the same goal -- we cannot afford not to."
The Great Lakes contain about 85% of North America's fresh surface water and over 20% of fresh water worldwide and is home to more than 3,500 species of plants and animals. More than 40 million people receive their drinking water from the Great Lakes and studies have shown that more than 1.5 million jobs are directly connected to these five lakes, generating $62 billion in wages.
Rep. Dave Joyce is a Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior where he has been a dedicated advocate for the Great Lakes. He has successfully secured appropriations of $300 million for GLRI in each of the past two years and hopes the passage of H.R. 5764 will ensure this important program never is in jeopardy of losing funds.
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