Great Lakes restoration - or how to double the benefit of every invested dollar

Yesterday, the White House site unveiled the President's Budget for the fiscal year 2012 with the bold statement that “the President has put forward a plan to rebuild our economy and win the future by out-innovating, out-educating, and out-building our global competitors and creating the jobs and industries of tomorrow.” Great! This sounds very promising. But when I consider the budget allocated to the restoration of the Great Lakes, I cannot help but wonder if the President lacks some sound investment counseling.

For 2010, the President has accorded the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI, the federal Great Lakes restoration program) a tremendous $ 475 millions. However, he has reduced this amount to $ 300 millions for 2012. But keeping funding levels for the GLRI high is crucial to tackle some of the most serious pollution problems facing the Great Lakes such as untreated sewage, industrial pollutants and invasive species.

Restoration projects funded by the federal government are already producing great results.

For Lake Ontario for example, contamination such as PCBs and dioxin from the mouth of the Oswego River has been successfully cleaned up so that now the area is safe for fishing and swimming again. But there is a lot more work to be done, such as upgrading sewage treatment, to protect our health and beaches. And cutting money for these projects will not save money because the problems become more expensive to solve the longer we wait to tackle them.

Restoring our lakes is also a great investment for the future. Restoration projects provide an opportunity to reinvigorate the economy of the region and boost the competitiveness of the nation as a whole. An opportunity not to be missed! A study analyzing the benefits and costs of the Great Lakes restoration strategy shows that for every dollar that goes into Great Lakes restoration, there is $2 of economic benefit. What an easy way to double one’s investment! One would think that this is a compelling reason to act accordingly. And indeed, Democrats and Republicans agree that the GLRI is a priority. What is needed now is the willingness to “walk the talk” and grant continued high levels of federal funding for Great Lakes restoration.

And the solution involves you too. Spread the word that our Great Lakes, source of drinking water for 30 million people, need help. Contact our elected federal officials and let Senators know that cutting back on Great Lakes restoration efforts is unacceptable. For more information and ways to get involved, visit: http://healthylakes.org.