Jordan Lubetkin

The bipartisan infrastructure package released last week contains $1 billion for Great Lakes restoration efforts through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to restore fish and wildlife habitat, reduce farm runoff pollution, clean up toxic contamination, and manage invasive species. The “Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act” also contains billions more for other clean water priorities, such as updating drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. If passed, the bill would distribute funds over five years. The $1 billion in supplemental Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding represents substantial new resources for that program. The U.S. Congress has funded the Great Lakes Restoration Initiate at around $300 million to $340 million per year over the last several years.

Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, said:

“This funding will be a shot in the arm to make our Great Lakes and our communities healthier. Federal investments to restore the lakes have been producing results, yet serious threats remain. Poisoned drinking water, closed beaches, contaminated fish, and unaffordable water bills continue to impact people in cities and towns across the region, which underscores the need to address these urgent problems now, before they get worse and more costly to solve.

“The $1 billion for Great Lakes restoration and protection in this bill is a big step forward in helping to confront these serious threats. We appreciate the leadership of U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Debbie Stabenow (R-Mich.) for helping advance Great Lakes restoration priorities as part of the bipartisan Senate infrastructure negotiations. Boosting funding will accelerate clean-up efforts, protect our drinking water, spur local job creation, and safeguard our public health.

“We thank the region’s congressional delegation for continuing to make the health of the Great Lakes and our communities a priority, and we look forward to working with members of Congress and the Biden Administration on this and future bills to ensure that every person has access to clean, safe, and affordable drinking water.”

Since 2004, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has been harnessing the collective power of more than 160 groups representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at HealthyLakes.org or follow us on Twitter @HealthyLakes.

The post Coalition: $1 Billion for Great Lakes in Senate Infrastructure Package will be “Shot in the Arm” appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/coalition-1-billion-for-great-lakes-in-senate-infrastructure-package-will-be-shot-in-the-arm/

Jordan Lubetkin

Proposed White House budget and complementary American Jobs Plan boosts funding to restore Great Lakes, fix water infrastructure, and protect the health of millions in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (June 3, 2021) – The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition welcomes the newly proposed Biden Administration budget that, taken in tandem with the American Jobs Plan, presents a historic opportunity to secure sizeable federal investments to accelerate progress to restore the Great Lakes, protect the health of communities, and reverse environmental justices that have harmed vulnerable communities.

“The Biden Administration’s proposed budget and complementary investments in the American Jobs Plan can be a game-changer in the effort to restore and protect the Great Lakes, confront the climate crisis, and help communities that have disproportionately borne the brunt of pollution and environmental harm for far too long,” said Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Water-Great Lakes Coalition. “The table has been set for a once-in-a-generation investment to help ensure that every person in this country has access to safe and affordable drinking water, and we need the Biden Administration and U.S. Congress to seize the day.”

The Biden Administration’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2022, which begins Oct. 1, includes increased funding levels to advance water infrastructure improvement efforts for community water systems, schools, and households. (Specific funding levels below.) The administration is also proposing an additional $111 billion in the American Jobs Plan to boost water infrastructure spending to fix sewers and drinking water infrastructure, replace lead service lines, and address toxic PFAS pollution. Taken together, these investments provide a substantial increase in the federal government’s investment to provide clean water to communities.

“Millions of people in our country do not have access to clean, safe and affordable water for themselves, their families, and their children,” said Monica Lewis-Patrick, president and CEO of We the People of Detroit. “The Biden Administration’s proposed budget and supplemental funding in the American Jobs Plan is a recognition that the status quo is not acceptable and that the federal government can and should be doing more. That is welcome news. If the White House and Congress can deliver on this level of funding, it will be a huge help in addressing the water affordability crisis in which more and more Americans are having difficulty paying their water bills.”

Michigan State University researchers estimate that by 2022, more than 1-in-3 Americans will have a hard time paying their water bills. The water affordability crisis can be partly attributed to the decades-long disinvestment in water infrastructure by the federal government leading to an immense backlog of work. The Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin need more than $188 billion over 20 years to meet clean water objectives and to protect the health of local communities, according to the U.S. EPA. Further, between 6 million and 10 million homes nationwide continue to receive their drinking water through lead service lines, posing a serious risk to their health.

“Failing water infrastructure threatens our health, economy, and environment. Sewage overflows are contaminating local waterways and families are being exposed to lead in the drinking water that comes out of their taps,” said Brian Smith, Associate Executive Director at Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE). “We have solutions to these problems, and now is the time to use them. The Biden Administration’s proposed budget, along with the American Jobs Plan, provide a historic opportunity to upgrade our aging wastewater and drinking water infrastructure. We are counting on Congress to act and take advantage of this opportunity.”

Boosting federal clean water investments is a top priority for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition.

“Federal investments to restore the Great Lakes have been producing results for communities, but serious threats remain,” said Chad Lord, policy director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “With so many cities and town living with unsafe drinking water, we need to be doing more—and we need to do it now, before the problems get worse and more expensive to solve. Our nation can do great things if our leaders come together. We encourage them to not shy away from this moment and to get the job done.”

The Biden Administration’s proposed budget:

• Increases federal investments in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative from $330 million to $340 million, an increase of $10 million;
• Boosts federal investments in the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, which help communities repair wastewater and drinking water infrastructure, by $232 million each (or, $464 million total);
• Includes more than $930 million in funding across new and existing programs under a new environmental justice initiative, cementing environmental justice as a core feature of the EPA’s mission;
• Increases grants from $40 million to $60 million to help communities reduce sewage overflows;
• Boosts funding for programs to reduce lead in drinking water from $48 million to $118 million;
• Fully funds work to do pre-engineering and design for the Brandon Road Lock and Dam to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes; and,
• Increases budgets for federal agencies substantially. For example, the White House is recommending a $2 billion boost to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, enhancing capacity and ability to do science and research, community engagement, and enforcement.

Since 2004, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has been harnessing the collective power of more than 160 groups representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at HealthyLakes.org or follow us on Twitter @HealthyLakes

###

CONTACT:

Jordan Lubetkin, LubetkinJ@nwf.org, (734) 904-1589

Lindsey Bacigal, BacigalL@nwf.org, (734) 887-7113

The post Biden Budget Presents Historic Opportunity to Support Great Lakes appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/biden-budget-presents-historic-opportunity-to-support-great-lakes/

Jordan Lubetkin

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (April 29, 2021) — The U.S. Senate passed legislation to boost the nation’s investment in water infrastructure to get at the vexing and ongoing problems of toxic lead in people’s drinking water, sewage contamination, and unaffordable water bills that are impacting millions of people in the Great Lakes region and across the country. These problems stem from the decades-long disinvestment in these essential services by the federal government. The Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021 provides new investment to upgrade drinking water and wastewater infrastructure and provides mechanisms to help target investment to communities that have been most impacted by insufficient infrastructure.

“This bill is a good step in addressing the nation’s inadequate drinking water and wastewater infrastructure that threaten the health of communities and residents,” said Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “The decades-long disinvestment in our nation’s water infrastructure by the federal government has put communities in an untenable and inhumane situation, saddling them with skyrocketing water bills and leaving millions of citizens without clean drinking water. The federal government can and should provide support in the form of new, robust investment to fix our water infrastructure before the problem gets worse and more expensive to solve. We support the Senate’s action today – especially provisions that help the communities most harmed by inadequate water infrastructure – and hope that it sets the stage for finally getting a strong bill across the finish line that can be signed into law by President Biden.”

The Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021 (S.914) invests more than $35 billion over 5 years to fix and update the nation’s inadequate water infrastructure. More than 40 percent can be directly used to benefit small, disadvantaged, rural, and tribal communities through additional subsidization or direct grant programs. This bill includes:

• $14.65 billion over 5 years for drinking water infrastructure investments through the EPA’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund;
• $14.65 billion over 5 years for wastewater infrastructure investments through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund;
• $1.4 billion over 5 years to cities to capture, treat, or reuse sewer overflows or stormwater.
• $700 million over 5 years for grants to reduce lead in drinking water and directly address lead contamination in schools.

The Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin face more than $188 billion in needed repairs and upgrades for their water infrastructure over 20 years to meet the clean water needs of communities. Earlier this month, the American Society of Civil Engineers released its infrastructure report card, handing out scathing grades for the nation’s water infrastructure, with drinking water earning a “C-,” stormwater a “D,” and wastewater a “D+.”

The House of Representatives is also considering sweeping legislation to address the nation’s drinking water and wastewater crisis. President Biden has also put forward a national infrastructure plan.

Since 2004, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has been harnessing the collective power of more than 160 groups representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at www.healthylakes.org or follow us on Twitter @healthylakes.

The post Senate Passes Water Infrastructure Bill, Boosting Federal Funding appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/senate-passes-water-infrastructure-bill-boosting-federal-funding/

Jordan Lubetkin

Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition urges Congress, Biden Administration to act to protect drinking water and halt harmful pollution – including toxic lead, sewage, and other chemicals – from harming people, communities.

ANN AROBR, MICH. (April 7, 2021)—Lead pipes that poison drinking water and threaten the health of people and families. Sewage contamination that closes beaches and hurts local economies. Skyrocketing water bills that makes water unaffordable for millions of people. The problems stemming from our nation’s inadequate and crumbling water infrastructure are well-known. Over the last few weeks, several approaches have been proposed by the Biden Administration and leaders in the U.S. House and Senate to boost federal investment in the nation’s drinking water and sewage treatment infrastructure.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition and its allies are urging federal elected officials to invest at least $30 billion this fiscal year in the nation’s water infrastructure to protect the drinking water and health of local communities, as well as the health of iconic waters like the Great Lakes.

“Millions of people in the Great Lakes region and across the country are counting on the U.S. Congress and the Biden Administration to act with urgency to protect our communities from the serious threats posed by toxic lead, sewage, and other serious pollution,” said Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “We have solutions, and it is time to use them before the problems get worse and more expensive to solve.”

For each Great Lakes state—Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—see how much money is needed to fix drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in this chart. (link)

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition and its partners are asking for:

• $10 billion per year to fix drinking water infrastructure to provide safe drinking water, prioritizing grants to disadvantaged communities to make water more affordable;
• $10 billion per year to fix wastewater and stormwater treatment infrastructure to prevent sewage contamination and overflows, prioritizing grants to vulnerable communities and promoting the use of resilient natural infrastructure;
• $4.5 billion per year to replace lead service lines that transport water into homes to protect the health of people and communities;
• $500 million per year to help states and tribes prevent pollution into local waters;
• $400 million per year to reduce sewage overflows;
• $250 million per year to help states and tribes maintain and enforce safe drinking water standards;
• $200 million per year to help reduce polluted runoff from farms and cities; and,
• $60 million in targeted funding to help small and disadvantaged communities to provide safe drinking water.

“From the Great Lakes to Long Island Sound, New York’s aging and failing water infrastructure is endangering our drinking water, health, and economic well-being,” said Brian Smith, associate executive director at Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “As President Biden and Congress take steps to invest in America’s infrastructure, it is imperative that we seize this opportunity to boost investments in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. These federal investments will protect our communities from dangerous pollution, ensure affordable drinking water, and create good jobs when we need it most.”

“Now is the time to make a significant investment in our water infrastructure to protect our drinking water, public health, jobs, and prosperity,” said Erma Leaphart, conservation organizer for the Sierra Club Great Lakes Program. “A thriving society must have well-functioning infrastructure.  Our lives and way of life depend on it.”

“This is a good start to address the massive water infrastructure deficit we face in Minnesota and the Great Lakes region,” said Deanna White, state director of Clean Water Action Minnesota. “We are excited to see the $45 billion to replace all lead service lines. These pipes are the largest source of lead poisoning in drinking water, and we need to ensure that all communities, especially those left out in the past, can access the funding to help ensure safe and affordable drinking water for everyone.”

“Lead poison causes many cognitive and health issues,” said Stephan Witherspoon, northeast Minnesota organizer, Minnesota Environmental Partnership. “Youth, marginalized, and people-of-color communities are most impacted. Dealing with this major issue can save lives and ensure this silent killer does not affect future generations.”

“Across the nation there is an urgent need for federal leadership to equitably fund the repair and enhancement of water infrastructure,” said Brenda Coley, co-executive director of Milwaukee Water Commons. “It is not enough just to write the check when we talk about equity. We must be intentional to include actions that focus on addressing environmental injustice and that eliminate systemic barriers to accessing water sector employment. These elements should not be construed as add-ons to infrastructure financing. Rather, they must be understood as investments in overcoming nationwide segregation and marginalization from wealth building, environmental health, and public health that would otherwise limit the impact of this funding. These actions must be measurable and data driven and they should have the ability to be tracked and reported on.”

“Aging infrastructure threatens the health and safety of the very water resources Ohioans depend on for their drinking water, recreational enjoyment, and economic livelihoods,” said Pete Bucher, managing director of water policy for the Ohio Environmental Council. “We applaud the Biden Administration’s proposed investments in our nation’s drinking water and sewage treatment infrastructure. And we call on our elected leaders to ensure Ohio communities—especially low-income and communities of color—have the resources they need to improve water infrastructure across the state. Everyone deserves access to clean, safe, and affordable water. No exceptions.”

“The American Jobs Plan is a historic opportunity for the country to invest in resilient communities and natural resources,” said Marnie Urso, senior policy director, Audubon Great Lakes. “Restoring the Great Lakes will help bolster the regional economy and investing in resilient water infrastructure is needed as climate change drives extreme flooding and sea-level rise. Audubon is encouraged that Great Lakes restoration is recognized as a smart investment, with diverse stakeholder support, the will benefit birds, wildlife, and the communities that depend on these critical resources.”

Background:

The Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin face more than $188 billion in water infrastructure repairs and upgrades over the next 20 years to meet clean water objectives and to protect the health of local communities, according to the U.S. EPA. Further, between 6 million and 10 million homes continue to receive their drinking water through lead service lines, posing a serious risk to their health. Last month, in a scathing assessment of the nation’s infrastructure, the American Society of Civil Engineers issued its national scorecard, granting a “C-” for drinking water infrastructure, “D” for stormwater infrastructure, and “D+” for wastewater infrastructure.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has long championed a much more robust federal investment in our nation’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructure to protect the health of people and to make water more affordable. Researchers estimate that by 2022, 1-in-3 Americans will have a difficult time paying their water bills. The growing water affordability crisis can be directly tied to a decades-long disinvestment by the federal government in water infrastructure. In 1977, investments from the federal government made up 63 percent of total spending on water infrastructure. By 2014, the federal government’s contribution had dropped to 9 percent.

With this lack of federal investment, local communities have been unable to keep up with the large maintenance costs for ageing systems. Many projects get delayed, and, in other cases, the costs of large infrastructure projects are passed on to rate-payers—leading to skyrocketing water bills. In some communities, water bills have tripled over the last 10 years, and when individuals cannot pay their water bills they face water shutoffs, which jeopardizes their health and the health of their families.

Since 2004, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has been harnessing the collective power of more than 160 groups representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at www.healthylakes.org or follow us on Twitter @healthylakes.

The post Coalition Pushes $30 Billion in Water Infrastructure Funding to Protect Public Health, Reduce Pollution appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/coalition-pushes-30-billion-in-water-infrastructure-funding-to-protect-public-health-reduce-pollution/

Jordan Lubetkin

Plan recognizes importance of investing in Great Lakes restoration to protect communities from storms, flooding and other impacts from climate change.

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (March 31, 2021)—The Biden Administration is releasing a sweeping national infrastructure plan today, drawing praise from the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition for its robust investment in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure that can help protect the health of communities and confront the worsening water affordability crisis in which millions of Americans are finding it difficult to pay for the essential service of water in their homes. The plan also emphasizes the importance of restoring aquatic and terrestrial habitats like the Great Lakes to help make our infrastructure and communities more resilient to flooding and other impacts from climate change.

“The Biden Administration’s plan will help millions of people in the Great Lakes region and across the country who are struggling to pay for higher and higher water bills and whose health is jeopardized by serious threats such as toxic lead contamination and sewage pollution,” said Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “The plan recognizes that healthy and resilient waters pave the way for healthy and resilient communities. We look forward to working with the Biden Administration and U.S. Congress to provide the level of federal investment that is needed to restore the Great Lakes and fix the nation’s inadequate water infrastructure so that we can protect our drinking water, Great Lakes, public health, jobs, and quality of life. We need to take action now, because these problems will only get worse and more expensive to solve the longer we wait.”

The Biden Administration’s American Jobs Plan seeks to invest $111 billion to ensure clean, safe water is available to all communities. The plan prioritizes the replacement of all the nation’s lead pipes and service lines, addresses the growing threat of toxic contaminants like PFAS, and provides grants and flexible loans to our most vulnerable communities.

The Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin need more than $188 billion over 20 years to meet clean water objectives and to protect the health of local communities, according to the U.S. EPA. Further, between 6 million and 10 million homes nationwide continue to receive their drinking water through lead service lines, posing a serious risk to their health.

The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has long championed a much more robust federal investment in our nation’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructure to protect the health of people and to make water more affordable. Researchers estimate that by 2022, 1-in-3 Americans will have a difficult time paying their water bills. The growing water affordability crisis can be directly tied to a decades-long disinvestment by the federal government in water infrastructure. In 1977, investments from the federal government made up 63 percent of total spending on water infrastructure. By 2014, the federal government’s contribution had dropped to 9 percent.

With this lack of federal investment, local communities have been unable to keep up with the large maintenance costs for ageing systems. Many projects get delayed, and, in other cases, the costs of large infrastructure projects are passed on to rate-payers—leading to skyrocketing water bills. In some communities, water bills have tripled over the last 10 years, and when individuals cannot pay their water bills they face water shutoffs, which jeopardize their health and the health of their families.

Since 2004, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has been harnessing the collective power of more than 160 groups representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at www.healthylakes.org or follow us on Twitter @healthylakes.

The post Biden Infrastructure Plan Will Help Millions of People Struggling to Pay Water Bills, Threatened by Pollution appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/biden-infrastructure-plan-will-help-millions-of-people-struggling-to-pay-water-bills-threatened-by-pollution/

Jordan Lubetkin

Coalition: ‘Bill a good step’ in addressing inadequate drinking water and wastewater infrastructure that threatens the health of communities.

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (March 24, 2021)—The Senate Environment and Public Works committee advanced a bill today to ramp up federal investment in the nation’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, confront toxic lead contamination, build water system resiliency, and prioritize help to disadvantaged communities that have been most impacted by pollution. The Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021 now heads to the full Senate for a vote. The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition supports a robust federal investment in the nation’s water infrastructure and sent a letter to Senate leaders supporting swift action.

“This bill is a good step in addressing the nation’s inadequate drinking water and wastewater infrastructure that continues to threaten the health of communities and residents,” said Laura Rubin, director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “The decades-long disinvestment in our nation’s water infrastructure by the federal government has put communities in an untenable and inhumane situation, saddling them with skyrocketing water bills and leaving millions of citizens without clean drinking water. The federal government can and should provide support in the form of new, robust investment to fix our water infrastructure before the problem gets worse and more expensive to solve. We look forward to working with the leaders in the Senate to pass and fund legislation to protect the health of our communities and our Great Lakes.”

The Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin face more than $188 billion in needed repairs and upgrades for their water infrastructure over the next 20 years to meet the clean water needs of communities. Earlier this month, the American Society of Civil Engineers released its infrastructure report card, handing out scathing grades for the nation’s water infrastructure, with drinking water earning a “C-,” stormwater a “D,” and wastewater a “D+.”

The House of Representatives is also considering sweeping legislation to address the nation’s drinking water and wastewater crisis.

Since 2004, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition has been harnessing the collective power of more than 160 groups representing millions of people, whose common goal is to restore and protect the Great Lakes. Learn more at www.healthylakes.org or follow us on Twitter @healthylakes.

The post Senate Committee Advances Water Infrastructure Bill appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/senate-committee-advances-water-infrastructure-bill/

Jordan Lubetkin

• $863 million for the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund to help communities pay for drinking water infrastructure – almost $266 million less than fiscal year 2020 (the current fiscal year).
• $1.12 billion for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to help communities pay for sewer upgrades and repairs – almost $500 million less than fiscal year 2020.
• An elimination of $171 million for non-point source pollution grants that the administration is replacing with a new $15 million program to combat toxic algal blooms.
• An elimination of the $25 million EPA grant for small and disadvantaged communities
• An overall 27 percent cut to U.S. EPA budget.
• $320 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to clean up toxic pollution, restore fish and wildlife habitat, and fight invasive species – the current funding in the budget.

The post Press Briefing: Trump Budget Undermines Drinking Water, Great Lakes Priorities appeared first on Healing Our Waters Coalition.

Original Article

Healing Our Waters Coalition

Healing Our Waters Coalition

https://healthylakes.org/trump-budget-undermines-drinking-water-great-lakes-priorities/

Jordan Lubetkin