Environmental groups: Proposed cuts pose major threat to Great Lakes

July 24, 2013

Proposed funding cuts to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative introduced this week represent the greatest threat yet to the 4-year-old program, some environmental groups charged Tuesday.

And a failure to restore funding levels could mean the loss of a host of programs that have benefited the Great Lakes region, they added.

On Monday, a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee introduced a bill that would reduce 2014 spending on the Great Lakes initiative from an expected $285 million to $60 million. In addition, the bill proposes a more than 80 percent cut in the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which helps communities upgrade sewer systems. If passed, the bill would drop support for the fund from $1 billion to $250 million next year.

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