Issue Position: Protecting our Great Lakes
Issue Position
The Great Lakes are Michigan's greatest natural resources and are vital to our economy and our way of life. It is critically important that we protect them. The first bill Debbie Stabenow passed into law in the Senate was a ban on oil and gas drilling in the Great Lakes, and she is leading efforts to stop the spread of invasive species, like Asian Carp.
Asian Carp
Debbie has been at the forefront of the fight to stop Asian Carp from invading the Great Lakes, authoring bipartisan measures to close shipping locks near Chicago that could provide access to Lake Michigan for the Asian Carp. Debbie has also called for permanently separating the Mississippi Basin from Michigan's waters, preventing the spread of Asian Carp and other invasive species into the Great Lakes.
Stopping drilling in the Great Lakes
The first bill that Debbie Stabenow passed into law as a U.S. Senator was a ban on oil and gas drilling in the Great Lakes. She successfully led the effort to make that ban permanent in 2005. Debbie continues to fight to keep the Great Lakes drilling ban in place.
Protecting our Lakes for the next generation
Debbie Stabenow has been a leader in conservation, making sure Michigan's lakes, waterways, lands and wildlife are preserved and protected. She authored provisions in the 2008 Farm Bill that have protected the Great Lakes, restored fish and wildlife habitats, and cleaned up polluted waterways. She also helped pass legislation to help preserve and protect natural resources and improve parks and trails in Michigan. As a member of the Senate Budget Committee, she spearheaded the effort to pass the historic Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a major, multi-year federal commitment to restore and preserve the Great Lakes.
Stopping Canadian Trash
When Ontario announced it would close its landfills and turn Michigan into Canada's dumping ground, Debbie Stabenow immediately started working to stop the trash shipments. When bills in Congress were stalled by partisan bickering, Debbie rose above it, and negotiated an historic agreement with Ontario that stopped over 40,000 trucks full of Canadian trash from coming into Michigan every year. She continues to lead efforts to put an end to all of the remaining Canadian trash shipments to Michigan.
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