So it was that Biden, who was in Lorain, Ohio last month, announced plans to spend US$1 Billion on what he called “the most significant restoration of the resource” in the history of Great Lakes.
The money is only a small part of the $1.2-trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which the White House promotes throughout 2022 following the pre-Christmas collapse and subsequent failure of what was supposed be the administration’s crowning achievement: The $2-trillion Climate and Social Spending Package known as the Build back Better bill.
Biden stated that this promise was made 30 years ago. There was much talk and much planning, but very little progress. It was slow. It has changed.
The effort will focus on 22 of the 25 problem areas (known as areas of concern) on the U.S. shore of the lakes. This commitment is something experts, advocates, activists and activists have been calling for since the 1990s.
This is a big thing, you know. John Hartig is a U.S.-born conservationist who is currently serving as a visiting scholar in the University of Windsors Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research.
Hartig is widely recognized as one of the most respected experts on Great Lakes remediation. He was born in Detroit and became the first graduate to earn a PhD from the institute over 35 years ago.
Money is the key to making this happen, right? It is not enough to talk about it. These are very significant investments.
Canadians can expect the same. They hope that the U.S.’s latest ambitions will increase pressure on Ontario and federal governments to complete what they started.
It’s already happening: Steven Guilbeault, Environment Minister of Ontario, will be speaking at a news conference Wednesday near Hamilton Harbour with David Piccini and Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger. Marianne Meed Ward, Burlington Mayor, will also be speaking.
Hell is pleased to announce that Randle Reef has been deemed the most dangerous area on the Canadian side. It was once the largest polluted area. Thanks to the combined efforts by the two governments, Randle Reef is now fully contained within a multimillion dollar-engineered containment facility.
Three other areas of concern Collingwood Harbour and Severn Sound were also restored. The necessary remedial actions in Spanish Harbour as well as Jackfish Bay were also completed.
The federal government has a responsibility to protect the lakes under the Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. It dates back to 1972 and was renewed in 2012. There is also a new agreement with Ontario that went into effect last June.
The agreement gives Ottawa and the province until 2026 to address six other areas of concern in Ontario: Nipigon Bay and Peninsula Harbour, Niagara River and Port Hope Harbour, as well as the Bay of Quinte, Port Hope Harbour and the St. Lawrence River.
In addition, the federal government will spend C$17.4 millions over the next two-years to work with Indigenous Peoples, provinces and territories, and other stakeholders in the establishment of a Canada Water Agency that would support the cleanup effort.
These actions will contribute towards the long-term goal to delist the remaining (areas in concern) and ensure that environmental improvements made through the process continue to be sustained, Environment and Climate Change Canada stated.
Hartig cited a 2018 study Biden also mentioned: A University of Michigan study on the impact of cleanup investments made by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative between 2010 and 2016. This multi-agency taskforce was established in 2004 by then-president George W. Bush.
The results? It was well-spent money.
Hartig stated that for every dollar you spend on these projects, you will receive $3.35 in economic activity through 2035, which includes economic redevelopment. That’s a great return on investment for any project.
Hartig stated that Canada has not been behind the U.S. in terms of habitat rehabilitation along the shores Lake Ontario near Toronto.
He stated that the next step was the Action Plan for Protecting the Great Lakes. It is a 10-year-old, billion-dollar effort, to protect the lakes and prevent climate change, pollution, algal blooms, and exposure to toxins.
Hartig said that he hopes that Bidens investment and Canadas progress will make it a priority soon.
Hartig said, “I think this is going be an incentive for you to take a closer look at the plan.”
Investing in the Great Lakes’ protection is investing in their communities. It is a great resource and I think they will be able to take a hard look at it.
Ontario provided $1.9 Million through the Great Lakes Local Action Fund for 44 projects that were led by communities-based organizations, municipalities and conservation authorities. This fund was established to support restoration and protection of the Great Lakes shoreline, nearshore, and coastal areas.
Provincial money will provide another $1.9 million to support local projects that help to protect and improve the Great Lakes and their watersheds for future generations.
This report was published by The Canadian Press on March 9, 2022.
James McCarten, The Canadian Press