Biden’s billion-dollar cleanup promise puts Great Lakes in the spotlight for their environment efforts

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WASHINGTON WASHINGTON Before climate change became a global issue, when the environment was struggling for political traction and the Great Lakes of North America served as a dumpground, a toxic monument to industrial excesses on either side the Canada-U.S. border.

Three decades later, North America’s largest source of freshwater has returned to the public eye. This is largely due to the political woes and actions of a certain U.S. president.

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Joe Biden, who is facing a Republican reckoning during November’s midterm elections. He marked one year of his inauguration by vowing to get out the White House and bragging a bit about his legislative wins.

Biden said that he was going to get out more often from this place. I will make the case for what we’ve done, why it’s important, and what will happen to me if they support what I want to do.

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.

After the pre-Christmas collapse, the White House promoted the $1.2-trillion Bipartisan infrastructure Law that the White House has been pushing throughout 2022. It is the first part of the $2-trillion climate- and social spending package known under the Build Back Better bill.

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Biden stated that this promise was made 30 years ago. There was much talk and much planning, but very little progress. It was slow. Today, it has changed.

22 of the 25 problem areas on the U.S. side are known as areas of concern. This is a level of commitment experts, advocates, and activists have been demanding since the 1990s.

This is a big thing, you know. John Hartig, a U.S-born conservation scientist, is currently a visiting scholar at University of Windsor’s 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.

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This is what money does, right? You need resources to accomplish it. You can’t just talk about this. These are very significant investments.

Canadians are also affected by the same trend. There is hope that the new American ambitions will put more pressure on the federal government and the Ontario government to finish 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 announced that Randle Reef is now completely contained in a multimillion-dollar designed containment facility. This is a result of the combined efforts of both governments.

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Three other areas of concern, Collingwood Harbour, Severn Sound, and Wheatley Harbour, have all been fully restored. Additionally, necessary remedial actions have been taken in Spanish Harbour and Jackfish Bay.

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.

This agreement gives Ottawa and Ontario until 2026 to shore up six other areas of concern within Ontario, including Nipigon Bay (Peninsula Harbour), Peninsula Harbour Niagara River, Port Hope Harbour Harbour, the Bay of Quinte as well the St. Lawrence River.

The federal government will also spend C$17.4million over the next 2 years to work together with Indigenous Peoples, Canadian provinces and territories and other stakeholders in establishing a Canada Water Agency, which would help with the cleanup efforts.

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These actions will contribute to the long term goal of delisting remaining (areas that are of concern) and ensuring that environmental improvement achieved through the process are sustained. Environment and Climate Change Canada stated in a statement.

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.

These are the results. Money well spent.

Hartig stated that each dollar spent on these projects will result in $3.35 of economic activity up to 2035, including economic development. This is a great return on investment for any project.

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Hartig said that Canada has not been trailing the U.S., citing the Randle Reef project of $139 million and the $80 million spent on habitat rehabilitation along Lake Ontario near Toronto since 1987.

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 stated that this will be an incentive to look more closely at the action 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.

Additional $1.9 million in provincial funds will be available to support local projects to protect and enhance the health of the Great Lakes, their watersheds, and future generations.

This report was published by The Canadian Press on March 9, 2022.