WASHINGTON (PRESS RELEASE) – Following Congress’ appropriation of an additional $20 million in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funding for FY2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it anticipates using the increase to further its efforts to address persistent challenges affecting the Great Lakes including Areas of Concern (AOCs), invasive species control and prevention, excess nutrients, and habitat restoration.
“Eliminating water pollution and boosting restoration of the Great Lakes is a priority for me as Administrator at EPA,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “With this additional $20 million, we will be able to target many harder-to-solve challenge areas like invasive species and high nutrient loads.”
“Thanks to this boost in GLRI funding we can expect to see even more progress in protecting and restoring the Great Lakes,” said Region 5 Administrator and Great Lakes National Program Manager Kurt Thiede. “EPA looks forward to working with our partners on ballast water research, cleaning up Areas of Concern and keeping trash and litter out of the Great Lakes.”
The GLRI program represents a concerted coordination of federal agency resources to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Each year, Congress appropriates GLRI funding to EPA, which then transfers a significant portion of the GLRI funds to other federal agencies. The funds are used to implement projects that address the most important Great Lakes priorities. When contemplating how best to use the additional $20 million, EPA considered the GLRI Action Plan III, the traditional targets of GLRI funding, statutory and congressional directives, and current agency priorities.
EPA plans to use the additional $20 million as follows:
- Accelerate the Cleanup and Restoration of Great Lakes AOCs ($7.5 million): The additional funds will be targeted to significant sediment remediation and habitat restoration projects to help meet the aggressive goals in GLRI Action Plan III to remediate, restore and delist U.S. AOCs.
- Fund Research and Development of Ballast Water Treatment Systems ($5 million): The additional funds will support further invasive species prevention by funding research and development of ballast water treatment systems for cargo vessels that operate primarily, but not exclusively, within the Great Lakes.
- Support the Great Lakes Trash Free Waters Grant Program ($2 million): The additional funds will continue efforts to provide healthy habitat for fish and wildlife by keeping trash out of the Great Lakes.
- Support Great Lakes states activities to reduce excess nutrient loads, restore habitat, and control and prevent invasive species ($5 million): The additional funds will be targeted for the highest priorities of the Great Lakes states to reduce excess nutrient loads, protect or restore habitat, and prevent and control aquatic invasive species such as Asian carp.
- Support Great Lakes National Program Office operations ($500,000): Additional funds are needed to support operations in the Great Lakes National Program Office.
For more information about the GLRI, please visit: https://glri.us
