Obama Wants to Give Great Lakes a Good Scrubbin'

By Marcus Gilmer in News on May 15, 2009 5:35PM

If President Obama gets his way, the Great Lakes could be in for a nice clean-up come next year. The President's 2010 budget, released in February asked for an additional $475 million in funds to clean the Lakes; if the funding were approved, it would put the yearly cost of funding for the Great Lakes at over $1 billion per year. Per the Associated Press (via WBBM):

Much of the 2010 money would be funneled through state, local and tribal agencies. The biggest chunk - about $147 million - would clean up toxic spots in rivers and streams.

Other spending would include $105 million for habitat and wildlife protection and restoration; $97 million for prevention of near-shore pollution such as farm runoff and erosion; $60 million to battle and prevent invasive species; and $65 million to evaluate and monitor the initiative's progress.

Some of the specific goals include: restoring 23,000 acres of coastal, wetland, shoreline and upland habitat for wildlife and 1,000 miles of streams for fish passage; removing up to 1 million cubic yards of contaminated sediments; and cleaning up sources of contaminants at over 100 beaches that were closed five or more days in 2007.

Other measuring sticks include the extent and severity of algae blooms that suck oxygen from the lakes and kill fish.

Supporters of the funding also insist that the money will help to boost the economy by providing more jobs.