[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 67 (Wednesday, May 22, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4710-S4711]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. Levin (for himself and Mr. DeWine):
  S. 2544. A bill to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to 
authorize the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to 
make grants for remediation of sediment contamination in areas of 
concern, to authorize assistance for research an development of 
innovative technologies for such remediation, and for other purposes; 
to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, the General Accounting Office has recently 
completed a study on the cleanup of Contaminated Areas in the Great 
Lakes. While it is no surprise to those of us who live in the Great 
Lakes region, GAO found that there has been ``slow progress of cleanup 
efforts''.
  For those of you who live outside the Great Lakes region, Areas of 
Concern are sites in the Great Lakes that do not meet the water quality 
goals established by the United States and Canada in the Great Lakes 
Water Quality Agreement. The primary reason that these areas fail to 
meet water quality goals is the result of contaminated sediments, a 
result of the industrialization of the mid-west. In order to meet the 
water quality goals, the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement binds us 
to an identified cleanup process focused around Remdial Action Plans, 
RAPs.
  RAPs define the environmental problem, evaluate remedial measures, 
and identify a process for moving forward with cleanup. The RAP process 
relies on State and public involvement, and RAPs need the financial 
support of the Federal Government.
  The GAO reports that the RAP process is often disregarded by the 
states and EPA. The progress that is being made to cleanup the Areas of 
Concern is being made not under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement 
but under other laws such as Superfund. EPA has failed to provide 
oversight responsibility for RAPs and does not provide nearly enough 
financial resources for RAPs. In addition to these problems associated 
with EPA, there is no way to implement RAPs because there is no pot of 
money to do so and no established procedure to follow.
  There are 13 areas of concern in the State of Michigan which result 
in fish advisories, degradation of fish and wildlife populations, taste 
and odor problems with drinking water, beach closures, and bird and 
animal deformities or reproductive problems. These environmental 
problems are too grave considering the fact that the Great Lakes holds 
one-fifth of the world's freshwater, supplies drinking water to 33 
million people, and provides a $2 billion fishery.
  So today, with my colleague from Ohio, Senator DeWine, I am 
introducing the Great Lakes Legacy Act to authorize $50 million per 
year in grants to States to cleanup Areas of Concern and implement 
RAPs. This legislation will also require EPA to report to Congress 
within 1 year on how it plans to provide the oversight needed to make 
sure that the Areas of Concern will meet water quality goals.
  The problem of contaminated sediments in the Great Lakes has been 
known for decades, and I hope that my colleagues will support this 
legislation to hopefully cleanup Areas of Concern.
  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss a very important 
environmental issue, not just to my home State of Ohio, but to our 
entire Nation, and that issue is the protection of our Great Lakes. 
These lakes are a natural treasure that hold one-fifth of the world's 
freshwater, produce $2 billion per year in fish, and provide drinking 
water to 33 million people.
  Yesterday, the GAO released a report on the progress of cleanup in 
polluted Areas of Concern. These Areas of Concern, or AOCs, are sites 
in the Great Lakes that do not meet water quality goals. Many years 
ago, the United States and Canada identified 44 AOCs in the Great Lakes 
and agreed to a cleanup process.
  In my home State of Ohio, there are four AOCs, the Maumee River, the 
Ashtabula River, the Black River, and the Cuyahoga River. These areas 
suffer fish and wildlife consumption restrictions, fish and wildlife 
reproductive problems and deformities, algal blooms, restrictions on 
drinking water consumption, and beach closings. These environmental 
problems need to be addressed as quickly as possible.
  Unfortunately, cleanup has been very slow. The GAO report found that 
the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, has failed to take oversight 
responsibility, Federal funding has declined steadily over the years, 
and States have abandoned the cleanup process.
  These results are disturbing to say the least. This is why Senator 
Levin and I, as Co-Chairs of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, are 
introducing a bill today that would authorize $50 million per year in 
grants to States for the cleanup of Areas of Concern. Cleanup work 
includes monitoring and evaluating sites, remediating sediment, and 
preventing further contamination. This legislation would authorize the 
EPA to conduct research and development of innovative approaches, 
technologies, and techniques for the remediation of sediment in the 
Great Lakes and would authorize the Great Lakes National Program Office 
to carry out a public information grant program to provide information 
about the contaminated sediments, as well as activities to clean-up the 
site. Finally, as the GAO report recommends, our bill would require the 
EPA to submit a report to

[[Page S4711]]

Congress on the actions, time periods, and resources that are necessary 
for the EPA to oversee the Remedial Action Plans at Areas of Concern.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and honor an 
international commitment to protect a truly great natural resource. We 
must honor our commitment to future generations and do all we can to 
protect the Lakes for our children and grandchildren. We owe it to 
them.
                                 ______