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Great Lakes Congressional Activities

The House and Senate Great Lakes Task Forces, associated with the Northeast-Midwest Coalitions, promote appropriation and authorization bills to enhance environmental quality and economic development throughout the Great Lakes basin. The bipartisan Task Forces -- co-chaired by Reps. John Dingell (D-MI), Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), Mark Kirk (R-IL), and Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Senators Carl Levin (D-MI) and George Voinovich (R-OH) -- have advanced numerous provisions within the Water Resources Development Act, fought for inclusion of Great Lakes interests in the Conservation and Reinvestment Act and other national environmental legislation, and addressed Great Lakes water diversions. In 2006, the Task Forces advanced passage of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act, which authorizes the Fish & Wildlife Service to undertake regional restoraiton projects, and a Great Lakes tonnage tax, which allows Great Lakes domestic shipping to qualify for an alternative tonnage tax. The Great Lakes Task Forces will remain particularly active on measures to protect against invasive species, to restore the Great Lakes ecosystem, and to provide adequate appropriations for Great Lakes programs.

The Northeast-Midwest Institute organizes periodic Capitol Hill briefings on key issues affecting the Great Lakes, including restoration, nonpoint source pollution, contaminated sediments, lake levels, invasive species, and air deposition. Each year, the Institute hosts a Great Lakes Summit at which the region's leaders share news and discuss cooperative ventures; and, in conjunction with the Great Lakes Commission, it also sponsors the annual Great Lakes Congressional Breakfast.

The Institute publishes the Great Lakes Congressional Report, providing periodic updates about federal legislation, appropriations, and regulations affecting the region's environment. The Institute's Web site also includes more frequent dispatches that report current news about congressional actions affecting the Great Lakes. Great Lakes Task Force members pay particular attention to appropriations.

For more information on Great Lakes Congressional activities contact:
Joy Mulinex, Director, House & Senate Great Lakes Task Forces
269 Russell Senate Building, Washington, DC 20510

The National Aquatic Invasive Species Act of 2007 (S. 725): Amends existing law to: require the Coast Guard to implement ballast water regulations; require ships to take steps to minimize the introduction of invasive species; establishes an early detection and monitoring programs along with state, regional and federal rapid response networks; improves research; authorizes the construction of a second barrier in the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal; and gives the International Joint Commission a reference to coordinate prevention efforts with Canada.

Aquatic Invasive Species Research Act (H.R.260): Requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Smithsonian Institution, and the U.S. Geological Survey to develop a marine and freshwater research program to support efforts to assess introduction rates and patterns of invasive nonnative species and efforts to detect, prevent, and eradicate them. Reauthorizes the ship pathway technology demonstration program. Requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a grant program to fund research, development, demonstration and verification of environmentally sound, cost-effective technologies and methods to control and eradicate such species.

Great Lakes Invasive Species Control Act (H.R.801): Amends current law to require vessels equipped with ballast water tanks but not ballast water on board (NOBOB) to carry out ballast water exchange or alternative ballast water management methods prior to entry into any port within the Great Lakes. Directs the Coast Guard to conduct a study of the effectiveness of alternative ballast water management methods in reducing the threat of invasive species to the Great Lakes.

Prevention of Aquatic Invasive Species Act of 2007 (H.R.889): Amends current law to require vessels to conduct ballast water treatment so that the discharged ballast water will contain no more than a specified level of living organisms or microbes. Urges the Secretary to negotiate with foreign countries to develop and implement an international program for preventing the unintentional introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species.

Great Lakes Asian Carp Barrier Act (H.R. 553/S. 336): This bill authorizes the Corps of Engineers to upgrade Barrier I into a permanent barrier, complete construction of Barrier II, operate and maintain both barriers, and to study additional measures to prevent carp from entering the Great Lakes.

Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act (H.R 83. /S. 726 ): This bill amends the Lacey Act to legislatively list three species of Asian carp as injurious wildlife. A listing under the Lacey Act would prohibit the interstate transport and importation of these fish.

Great Lakes Collaboration Implementation Act (H.R 1350./S. 791): The Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Implementation Act makes many of the necessary legislative changes to implement the policy recommendations made by the Collaboration strategy addressing aquatic invasive species, habitat and species, toxic pollution, and many other issues.

Water Resources and Development Act (S. /H.R. ): This legislation directs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to undertake projects and is normally reauthorized every two years. Regarding the Great Lakes, it authorizes in-kind contributions to count towards the non-federal cost-share requirement of the John Glenn Basin program and the Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration Program. The bill authorizes the Corps of Engineers to convert Barrier I into a permanent facility, to complete construction of Barrier II, and to operate and maintain both dispersal barriers at full federal cost. The legislation also increases the authorization for section 206 (Restoration of the Environment for Protection of Aquatic and Riparian Ecosystems Program) and section 1135 (Environmental Modification of Projects for Improvement and Restoration of Ecosystems Program), two programs that are used frequently throughout the Great Lakes region.

Great Lakes Migratory Bird Research and Management Act (H.R.469): This bill would enable the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to investigate effects of cormorants on stocks of fish of common concern in the Great Lakes.

Great Lakes Short Sea Shipping Enhancement Act of 2007 (H.R.981): Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exempt from the harbor maintenance tax commercial cargo (other than bulk cargo) loaded or unloaded at U.S. ports in the Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway System.

H.R.1842: Amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to prevent acid mine drainage into the Great Lakes.

Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2007 (S.950): Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish within NOAA a Coastal Ocean Observation System to support coastal and fishery management activities and an integrated national ocean observation system, including the Great Lakes. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) designate as a unit of the System any Federal agency or non-Federal entity that operates marine sensors that collect observation data in U.S. ocean and coastal waters; and (2) coordinate such units' activities.

Water Quality Financing Act of 2007 (H.R.720): Amends the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to authorize the EPA to make grants to nonprofit organizations to provide technical assistance to rural and small municipalities for wastewater infrastructure financing. Authorizes appropriations through FY2012 for: (1) state pollution control programs; and (2) watershed pilot projects. Revises: (1) eligibility requirements for grants for sewage collection systems; and (2) state water pollution control revolving fund provisions. Authorizes and increases funding for capitalization grants for state water pollution control revolving funds for FY2008-FY2012. Revises funding allocations for activities serving Indian tribes and reservations. Requires the Comptroller General to study the funding mechanisms and funding sources available to establish a Clean Water Trust Fund. Requires the EPA, in consultation with the State Department and Canadian government, to study wastewater treatment facilities that discharge into the Great Lakes and provide recommendations to improve monitoring, information sharing, and cooperation between the U.S. and Canada.

In 2001, the Northeast-Midwest Institute published Revealing the Economic Value of Protecting the Great Lakes, a guidebook to economic analysis of environmental benefits in the Great Lakes region. The guidebook was the result of a multi-year collaborative effort between NE-MW and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Chief Economist (on behalf of NOAA’s Coastal Ocean Program) to further the economic valuation of Great Lakes environmental benefits. The guidebook authors include leading resource economists from Great Lakes universities and national think-tanks.

The guidebook is designed for policy makers, resource managers, environmental advocates and the public. The publication describes where economic benefits assessment comes into play in environmental regulations and decision-making in the Great Lakes region and nationally, the various methods available for accounting of environmental benefits, and case studies illustrating each method. The book clearly identifies strengths, limitations, and potential uses of resource valuation methods, and explores difficult implementation concerns such as distributional issues (including environmental justice), and risk and uncertainty.

Revealing the Economic Value of Protecting the Great Lakes is the product of a long-term project to better illuminate economic benefits of Great Lakes environmental protection. In 1997, the Institute and NOAA convened a Blue-Ribbon Panel of Economists to collaboratively carry-out the project. In July 1998 and September 1999, the Institute and NOAA organized stakeholders’ forums to discuss with various Great Lakes constituencies the nature of economic valuation techniques, their strengths and limitations, and their place in Great Lakes environmental decision-making.

As a follow-up to the economic valuation guidebook, the Northeast-Midwest Institute in 2003 completed a two-year study with economists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and San Francisco State University to estimate how much the overall value of residential property values in the City of Waukegan and surrounding Lake County community might be influenced by cleanup of contaminated sediments in Waukegan Harbor, IL.

Waukegan Harbor is one of 41 Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes region. Using local data and advanced analytical techniques, the study concluded that full cleanup of the harbor could increase residential property values in the City of Waukegan 10 to 15 percent (equivalent to hundreds of million of dollars), with additional value realized elsewhere in Lake County.

It is hoped results of the study will encourage contaminated sediment remediation in the Waukegan Harbor area, as well as provide leverage for the use of economic benefits analysis in Area of Concern decision-making, generally.

A public forum was held September 22, 2003 in Waukegan to inform the community of the study's outcome. Speakers at the event included Representative Mark Kirk (R-IL); Mayor Richard Hyde; Mr. Tom Skinner, Regional Administrator of EPA; Mr. Ron Burke, Associate Director, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency; Dr. John Braden, economist, from the University of Illinois; Ms. Rosa Reyes-Prosen, College of Lake County; Ms. Susie Schreiber of the Waukegan Harbor Citizens Advisory Group; and Mr. David Ullrich of the Great Lakes Cities Initiative.

The February 2005 issue of the Journal of Great Lakes Research -- J. Great Lakes Res. 30(4) -- contains an article describing the results of this study in greater detail.

Economic benefit of Remediating Contaminated Sediments from the Buffalo River AOC, NY

With economists from the University of Illinois, the Northeast-Midwest Institute is nearing completion of a two-year study to estimate how much the overall value of residential property values in the City of Buffalo and surrounding Erie County community might be influenced by cleanup of contaminated sediments in the Buffalo River Area of Concern (AOC).

The Buffalo River AOC is one of 41 Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes region. The AOC's Remedial Action Plan has made progress on several factors limiting beneficial uses, but the continuing presence of toxic contaminants in the sediments impedes further recovery.

A public forum hosted by the Northeast-Midwest Institute and featuring a presentation by Dr. John Braden (University of Illinois) concerning the results of the economic study was held at the Adam's Mark Hotel, Buffalo on September 15, 2006. The forum also included speeches by community, city, state and federal stakeholders.

It is hoped results of this study will catalyze contaminated sediment remediation in the Buffalo River AOC, as well as provide leverage for the use of economic benefits analysis in AOC decision-making, generally.

Economic benefit of Remediating Contaminated Sediments from the Sheboygan River AOC, WI

With economists from the University of Illinois, the Northeast-Midwest Institute is nearing completion of a two-year study to estimate how much the overall value of residential property values in the City of Sheboygan and surrounding Sheboygan County community might be influenced by cleanup of contaminated sediments in the Sheboygan River Area of Concern (AOC).

The Sheboygan River AOC is one of 41 Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes region. The AOC's Remedial Action Plan has made progress on several factors limiting beneficial uses, but the continuing presence of toxic contaminants in the sediments impedes further recovery.

A public forum hosted by the Northeast-Midwest Institute and featuring a presentation by Dr. John Braden (University of Illinois) concerning the results of the economic study was held at the Blue Harbor Resort and Conference Center, Sheboygan on September 21, 2006. The forum also included speeches by community, city, state and federal stakeholders.

It is hoped results of this study will catalyze contaminated sediment remediation in the Sheboygan River AOC, as well as provide leverage for the use of economic benefits analysis in AOC decision-making, generally.

The 30,000 or more islands in the Laurentian Great Lakes are the largest collection of freshwater islands in the world. Islands are of ecological significance and interest, particularly as living laboratories of natural selection. Great Lakes islands are of particular importance due to the global significance of their biological diversity. For example, the islands contain globally rare elements such as alvars and freshwater sand dunes. Great Lakes islands also make a unique contribution to the basin's flora and fauna. For example, Lake Michigan's 600 islands harbor up to seven times higher-than-expected occurrences of rare, endangered, and threatened species. Great Lakes islands are rich with distinctive communities, as well as endemic and disjunct species and subspecies, such as the threatened Lake Erie Watersnake and the endangered Great Lakes piping plover. Great Lakes islands also support ecological functions of high importance, including stopover sites for migratory birds, fish spawning, and nursery habitat, and critical breeding habitat for 17 species of colonial waterbirds. In addition, islands may provide an important buffer against climate change and serve as critical refugia for sensitive species and habitats.

Threats to the biological diversity of Great Lakes islands have been dramatically increasing over the past several decades. Steps need to be taken soon to address the most signfiicant concerns while protection of biodiversity is still an option. With funding from the Great Lakes National Program Office and in cooperation with numerous U.S. and Canadian partners, the Northeast-Midwest Institute has been gathering information and creating tools to assess the biological significance of the islands. (More info)