Congressman Sander Levin

Dear Doug:

I am writing to update you on several matters that may be of interest to the Water Quality Board.

On October 29, the House and Senate approved the annual funding bill for the Department of the Interior and Environmental Protection Agency.  I am pleased to report that the Interior/EPA bill included the full $475 million requested by President Obama for a new Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI).  This initiative will begin to address longstanding problems in the Great Lakes, including invasive species, non-point pollution, habitat and fisheries loss, and contaminated sediment.

The Michigan Delegation has been working for years to win this kind of restoration money; at the same time, it is clear that the long term restoration of the Lakes will require a sustained effort at the federal, state and local level.  The Obama Administration has indicated that it intends to seek additional GLRI funding next year and this will be a top priority for the Delegation.   
 
The Interior/EPA funding bill also includes $2.1 billion in federal assistance to help states and localities finance and build clean water infrastructure projects through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.  This is a significant increase in federal clean water assistance to states.  Michigan’s share is expected to be in the neighborhood of $100 million.  The legislation stipulates that at least 30 percent of each state’s federal allocation be used for eligible projects in the form of a grant, negative interest loan, or principal forgiveness, saving localities money at a time when budgets are already stretched thin.
 
In another important development for our area, the Army Corps of Engineers recently completed the Implementation Guidance for Section 3089 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which lays out the path for obtaining federal assistance for restoration projects consistent with the 2004 St. Clair River and Lake St. Clair Management Plan that fall within the Corps mission areas.  Before the adoption of Section 3089, the Corps had no congressional authority to participate in the implementation of most of the recommendations contained in the Management Plan.  The completion of the Section 3089 Implementation Guidance is an important milestone in the process of obtaining Corps assistance for restoration projects and activities that are developed based on the Management Plan.

I hope this information is useful.  I look forward to continuing to work with the Water Quality Board to protect our waterways. 

Sincerely,

Sander Levin
Member of Congress

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