GOP Stops McCollum Amendment to Protect Great Lakes; Republicans Continue Assault on Environment

For Immediate Release: September 23, 2011
Contact: Maria Reppas, (202) 225-6631 / (202) 527-0149 maria.reppas@mail.house.gov

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) offered an amendment to the Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation or TRAIN Act (H.R. 2401). Her amendment to protect the Great Lakes from toxic air and water pollution was defeated. All 232 Republicans in the House voted against protecting the Great Lakes. Given that Lake Superior is one of Minnesota's finest treasures and is of significant economic importance, Congresswoman McCollum was very disappointed that Representatives Chip Cravaack (MN-08), John Kline (MN-02), and Erik Paulsen (MN-03) voted against protecting the Great Lakes.

During the House's consideration of this legislation, Congresswoman McCollum delivered the following statement on the floor of the House of Representatives.

"Mr. Speaker, let me be clear, this amendment does not kill the bill or send the bill back to committee. If this amendment is adopted, the bill will immediately be voted on for final passage.

"This amendment is about protecting the Great Lakes – one of America's greatest treasures and most important natural resources. Those of us who represent states adjacent to the Great Lakes know and understand that any harm done to our Lakes threatens our economy and the health of our citizens.

"Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario make up the largest freshwater system in the entire world. Our Great Lakes hold 95 percent of America's freshwater and 20 percent of all the freshwater on the planet. Over 30 million people – about 10 percent of all Americans – rely on the Great Lakes for their drinking water. An estimated 1.5 million jobs are directly connected to the Great Lakes – and these jobs generate $62 billion in wages.

"Over 40 years ago, this critical ecosystem and economic engine was on the verge of collapse. Time Magazine reported in August 1969 that, 'Lake Erie is in danger of dying by suffocation.' Now, the days are over when polluters dump toxic chemicals into the air and water without consequence because of responsible clean up policies like the Clean Air Act, the health of the Great Lakes has improved.

"But threats to the Great Lakes have not disappeared. Air pollutants like mercury that are emitted from power plants, continue to fall to the ground, wash into the water, and build up in quantities that threatened the brain development of young children and adults. Rising mercury levels was one of the mounting threats that motivated an unprecedented coalition to action.

"The Governors of the eight Great Lakes states – Republicans and Democrats – along with local government officials and leaders from Tribes, nonprofits and the private sector came together to save the Great Lakes. Early in last decade, they created a plan for the environmental restoration and economic recovery of the Great Lakes. In 2004, President Bush responded to this bipartisan effort by issuing an executive order that called the Great Lakes a "national treasure" and directed his cabinet to establish an interagency task force to support these state and local efforts.

"Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin and Governor Mark Dayton of Minnesota never agree about politics. And they certainly never agree on football. But as members of the Council of Great Lakes Governors, they do agree on the need to reduce air and water pollution in the Great Lakes.

"Years of planning and partnership in the Great Lakes region – and in Washington – are now making a difference on the ground through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The Initiative is protecting drinking water, restoring fish and wildlife habitat and supporting the growth of small businesses that depend on healthy waters. Work is underway on over 300 projects across the region. My role as a legislator from the Great Lakes region is to do no harm to this effort.

"The TRAIN Act will make the enforcement of many environmental protections uncertain and will create confusion in the EPA about which public health efforts they can pursue. This amendment does not give the EPA any new authority. Instead, it directs the EPA to use its existing authority to do what Republican and Democratic governors, mayors, state legislators and other elected officials in Great Lakes states agreed must be done – protect drinking water quality and public health.

"Our job in Congress is to protect the Great Lakes, not to undo the hard work of all these Governors and industry leaders. My amendment makes it clear that the TRAIN Act won't prohibit this work from moving forward.

"Let me be clear – this amendment does not kill the bill or send the bill back to committee. If this amendment is adopted, the bill will immediately be voted on for final passage.

"Regardless of your position on the TRAIN Act – this amendment makes the bill stronger. Regardless of how you feel about the TRAIN Act, I'm sure you agree that Congress should protect the safety of drinking water and continue to ensure the viability of economic interests dependent upon a healthy Great Lakes.

"Again, let me be clear, this amendment does not kill the bill or send the bill back to committee. If this amendment is adopted, the bill will immediately be voted on for final passage.

"Colleagues, especially my Democratic and Republican colleagues from Great Lakes states, let us pass this amendment and fulfill our responsibility to protect the American people and the health of our Great Lakes."

Congresswoman Betty McCollum serves on the House Appropriations and Budget Committees.

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