[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 149 (Thursday, September 18, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             GREAT LAKES LEGACY REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2008

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CANDICE S. MILLER

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 17, 2008

  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Madam Speaker, as we all know, the Great 
Lakes have suffered as a result of years of industrial pollution that 
entered their waters. Through the Clean Water Act and other important 
measures we have begun the work necessary to reverse that trend.
  However, much work needs to be done. The 2007 State of the Great 
Lakes report recorded the status of the Great Lakes ecosystem as mixed. 
In other words, the ecosystem displays both good and degraded features. 
Stopping pollution from entering the water is one thing. Beginning the 
efforts to restore the ecosystem from the damage it incurred is 
another.
  Undoing that damage will require an extensive amount of work. One of 
the best tools in our arsenal to achieve that goal is the Great Lakes 
Legacy Act. This act, which authorizes funds to clean up contaminated 
sediment sites in U.S. Areas of Concern (AOCs), was spearheaded by my 
Great Lakes State colleague, Mr. Ehlers.
  The projects that are funded under this act are devoted to prevention 
and remediation of contaminated sediment. As a result of projects done 
under this act, nearly 800,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediments 
have been removed from AOCs. It is clear that this program has been 
successful and that is why it has been endorsed by numerous Great Lakes 
groups.
  This program has been very good for the Great Lakes and we need to 
build on those successes to meet the challenges. While some great work 
has been done so far, we have only seen one spot de-listed as an Area 
of Concern; 31 Areas of Concern remain in the U.S. alone and 5 more are 
split between the U.S. and Canada. For these areas to be dealt with, it 
will take an incredible investment at the Federal level.
  This legislation increases the authorization for this program up to 
$150 million annually. While I support that, I think we must also do 
our due diligence on the appropriations side of the ledger. Over the 
past few years, we seem to have settled at around the $30-35 million 
level, even though we are currently authorized at $50 million per year.
  We also need to make sure that there is sufficient participation at 
the State and local level to complement Federal efforts. With the 
economy in Michigan being what it is, State and local governments are 
barely able in many cases to perform their basic functions, let alone 
take on ambitious restoration projects. This bill makes some 
improvements which will help in meeting the non-Federal requirements.
  In closing, Madam Speaker, this has been a very successful program. I 
am glad to see that we are reauthorizing it at a higher level. I urge 
my colleagues to support this legislation.

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