U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-1st, has announced that the recently passed Fiscal Year 2010 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill invests $475 million in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

According to a statement released on Monday by Visclosky’s office, the “funding represents a landmark investment in the interagency initiative, which will target the most significant problems in the region, including invasive aquatic species, non-point source pollution, and contaminated sediment.”

“The Great Lakes are our most precious natural resource,” Visclosky said. “I have always been committed to protecting and preserving the lakes, and I am proud to commit these new funds for their restoration. A healthy and vibrant Lake Michigan means a better quality of life in Northwest Indiana.”

“The Great Lake Restoration Initiative will use outcome-oriented performance goals and measures to target the most significant problems and track progress in addressing them,” the statement said. “The interagency initiative will work with state and local governments, as well as industry, to protect, maintain, and restore the chemical, biological, and physical integrity of the Great Lakes. The initiative’s long-term goals include increasing recreational activity on the lakes, assuring safe drinking water, and providing a healthy ecosystem for fish and wildlife.”

The Fiscal Year 2010 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill must be approved by the Senate before it can be signed into law by President Obama.

Posted 6/30/2009