[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 187 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 187


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 26, 2007

 Received and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the dumping of industrial 
                      waste into the Great Lakes.

Whereas the Great Lakes are the largest surface freshwater system on the planet;
Whereas the Great Lakes account for 95 percent of the United States' surface 
        fresh water and about 21 percent of the world's supply;
Whereas the Great Lakes provide drinking water for more than 30 million 
        Americans;
Whereas, on May 18, 2004, President George W. Bush said ``the Great Lakes are a 
        national treasure'';
Whereas Congress has expressed its commitment to protecting the Great Lakes from 
        pollutants and contaminants through the Clean Water Act and subsequent 
        legislation;
Whereas the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Environment 
        Canada joined together in promulgating the Great Lakes Binational Toxics 
        Strategy to eliminate the presence of persistent toxic substances in the 
        Great Lakes basin;
Whereas the ``mixing zones'' that dilute toxic chemicals discharged into the 
        Great Lakes system have been controversial as a possible threat to 
        humans, fish and wildlife;
Whereas the Great Lakes are plagued by pollutants such as mercury, PCBs, 
        ammonia, DDT, alkylated lead, hexachlorobenzene, TCDD, toxaphene, and 
        others;
Whereas high amounts of ammonia can cause algae blooms that threaten fish and 
        water quality;
Whereas the Indiana Department of Environmental Management recently issued a 
        permit to BP PLC to allow their facility in Whiting, IN, to release 54 
        percent more ammonia and 35 percent more total suspended solids into 
        Lake Michigan each day;
Whereas the BP Whiting facility will now be allowed to dump an average of 1,584 
        pounds of ammonia and 4,925 pounds of total suspended solids daily into 
        Lake Michigan;
Whereas the Great Lakes already face myriad challenges from chemicals and 
        pollutants, including a steep increase in fish consumption warnings and 
        record numbers of beach closures; and
Whereas Congress has a clear role in protecting the Great Lakes as an entity 
        that spans across State and international boundaries: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) Congress expresses its disapproval of the Indiana 
        Department of Environmental Management's issuance of a permit 
        allowing BP to increase their daily dumping of ammonia and 
        total suspended solids into Lake Michigan;
            (2) Congress urges the State of Indiana to reconsider 
        issuance of a permit allowing BP to increase their daily 
        dumping of ammonia and total suspended solids into Lake 
        Michigan;
            (3) Congress should take action to protect and restore the 
        Great Lakes;
            (4) the United States Environmental Protection Agency's 
        actions in the Great Lakes basin should be consistent with the 
        goal of preserving and restoring the Great Lakes; and
            (5) the United States Environmental Protection Agency 
        should not allow increased dumping of chemicals and pollutants 
        into the Great Lakes.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 25, 2007.

            Attest:

                                            LORRAINE C. MILLER,

                                                                 Clerk.