Kirk Secures Funding For The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Press Release

U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) today applauded the Senate Appropriations Committee's passage of the fiscal year 2017 Interior Appropriations Bill which directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement Senator Kirk's public notice requirement for sewage dumping into the Great Lakes. The Kirk-authored provision requires immediate public notification by the municipal treatment works when they dump inadequately treated sewage into the Great Lakes. It now heads to the Senate floor for passage.

An estimated 24 billion gallons of combined untreated sewage and storm water are dumped into the Great Lakes each year. This sewage contributes to hundreds of beach closures, threatens the source of drinking water for more than 30 million Americans, and endangers the entire environmental wellbeing of the Great Lakes ecosystem.

"Immediate public notification of sewage dumping in the Great Lakes will help to protect the crown jewel of the Midwest's ecosystem and a source of drinking water for millions," said Senator Kirk. "By addressing sewage dumping and increasing funds for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, we will continue to work towards solutions to the environmental and public health hazards the Great Lakes faces."

"The Great Lakes are an invaluable and globally unique resource 40 million Americans and Canadians rely upon for clean drinking water and are home to more than 3,500 plant and animal species," said Aislinn Gauchay, Assistant Director of Great Lakes and Sustainability at Shedd Aquarium. "We applaud Senator Kirk in his efforts to protect and preserve the Great Lakes via FY17 Interior Bill's provisions to support the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and strides to ensure the region's residents continue to have access to clean water and safe beaches."

As Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, a bipartisan Senate Caucus developed to enhance the economic and environmental health of the Great Lakes, Senator Kirk has championed policies and initiatives that work to keep the Lakes clean for future generations.

Other Kirk-backed provisions in the FY17 Interior Appropriations Bill:

Funds The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) At $300 Million:

* GLRI is funded $50 million above the President's request. Environmental restoration work through the GLRI led to delisting four formerly contaminated sites along the Great Lakes and helped to fund the contamination cleanup effort at Waukegan Harbor.

* GLRI funding also helped launch the Calumet Invasive Species Conservation Corps, an initiative started by the Friends of the Forest Preserves in Cook County for the cleanup and removal of invasive species and plants within Cook County and since 2011 more than 220 acres have been restored.

* In January, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works passed Kirk-authored legislation to authorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) through 2021 and address some of the most serious issues that threaten the ecological and economic well-being of the entire Great Lakes basin.

Provides $2.35 Billion To Address Infrastructure Needs And Reduce High Lead Levels In Drinking Water:

* State Water Infrastructure and Revolving Funds receive $350 million above the administration's request for a total of $2.35 billion. The FY17 appropriations bill provides Clean Water funding to protect our drinking water and address infrastructure needs as highlighted by the crisis in Flint, Michigan.

* For the first time, the bill capitalizes the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program to provide new financing mechanisms for up to $1 billion of water infrastructure projects.

Combats Serious Threat of Asian Carp To Ecosystem:

* The FY17 appropriations bill provides $7.9 million to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to combat the serious threat of Asian Carp to the ecosystem and fisheries of the Great Lakes. The Aquatic Invasive Species program will create a dedicated funding source to increase the intensity and geographic scope of efforts to combat Asian Carp to prevent them from entering the Great Lakes.

* An additional $5.6 million will be used to address these invasive species in the Great Lakes and Upper Mississippi River through the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Provides $15 Million For Rural Water And Waste Systems Technical Assistance:

* Rural communities of 10,000 people or less in Illinois are in need of funds to maintain their water infrastructures systems. This FY17 appropriations bill provides rural communities in Illinois and around the country with $15 million from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to increase coordination and enable continued access to safe water.

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