Great Lakes Legacy Reauthorization Act of 2008

Floor Speech

GREAT LAKES LEGACY REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2008 -- (House of Representatives - September 17, 2008)

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Mr. STUPAK. I thank the chairwoman for yielding me time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6460, the Great Lakes Legacy Reauthorization Act of 2008.

Since coming to Congress, I have made it my mission to protect and promote one of the Nation's most precious resources, the Great Lakes. I am a cosponsor of the Great Lakes Legacy Act and can speak personally on the positive impact it has had on my district.

Tannery Bay, located in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, suffered from pollution from byproducts left behind by the Northwestern Leather Company, which operated in the area from 1900 to 1958. On September, 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency, through the Great Lakes Legacy Act program, completed remediation of the Tannery Bay industrial site. In total, the clean-up removed 880,000 pounds of chromium and more than 70 pounds of mercury from the bay and the wetland on Tannery Point.

Success stories such as these demonstrate the need for continued support for the Great Lakes Legacy Act. The Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that more than 850,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment has been removed since 2004. However, an estimated 75 million cubic yards of contaminated sediment remain in the Great Lakes.

This legislation would reauthorize the Great Lakes Legacy Act for an additional 5 years and triple the authorized funding levels for remediation in the Great Lakes up to $150 million per year.

I strongly support H.R. 6460 and look forward to the continued success of this program.

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