[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9463]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  GREAT LAKES WATER QUALITY AGREEMENT

  (Mr. HIGGINS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Speaker, the Great Lakes are our most threatened 
national assets, yet they are the largest source of fresh water in the 
world, and account for $7 billion in economic activity annually. In my 
western New York community, the resurgence of our Inner and Outer 
Harbors along Lake Erie is an important reminder of the relationship 
between the health of the Great Lakes and our region's economic future.
  The State Department is finalizing a revision to the Great Lakes 
Water Quality Agreement with Canada. This important agreement expresses 
a joint commitment to protecting and restoring the Great Lakes 
ecosystem.
  Madam Speaker, I recently joined my congressional colleagues in the 
Great Lakes region in asking the State Department for the status of 
this agreement and have offered to host a signing ceremony between the 
United States and Canada in Buffalo, New York. It is more important 
than ever before to affirm our commitment to protecting the health of 
the Great Lakes.

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