Biden’s administration is investing a significant amount in the Great Lakes region to repair areas that have suffered severe environmental degradation from human interference.
What You Need to Know
- Thursday’s announcement by the Biden administration that $1 billion of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law would go towards restoration projects in Great Lakes will be made
- The funds aim to address these areas of concern and to reinvigorate environmental and economic benefits for local communities
- There are currently 25 areas that are of concern to the Great Lakes in America, which is down from the 31 were originally identified in 1987
- President Joe Biden called the investment “the most significant restoration to the Great Lakes” during a visit to Cleveland and Lorain, Ohio on Thursday
The $1 billion allocation, announced Thursday by officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, aims to address these areas of concern and to reinvigorate environmental and economic benefits for local communities.
“It’s going to allow the most significant restoration to the Great Lakes in the history of the Great Lakes,” President Joe Biden said during a visit to Ohio on Thursday, one of the states with a number of restoration projects that have yet to be completed. “We’re gonna accelerate cleanup of sites across six states in the Great Lakes Basin, from Duluth, Minnesota, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Gary, Indiana, Buffalo, New York and everywhere in between.”
There are currently 25 areas of concern around the Great Lakes within the United States, down from the 31 originally identified1987; thanks to the $1 billion announced Thursday, which comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and funds from outside sources, the administration believes work on 22 of those sites can be completed by 2030.
Biden on Thursday traveled to Lorain, Ohio, where restoration and cleanup work at the nearby Black River one area of concern has already been completed. Once known as the “The infamous Black River,” Biden visited Lorain, Ohio on Thursday. River of fish tumorsDue to the negative effects of nearby toxins upon the river’s animal population and habitat, it is now cleaner than ever before. However, it will still be monitored until it is removed from the areas of concern, which is expected to happen between 2022 and 2026.
Biden stated that “what you’ve done here is Lorain shows what’s achievable.” “You’ve reclaimed the waterfront, cleaned your drinking waters, and restored the wetlands. This will help protect you from flooding from extreme weather and storms.
Michael Regan, EPA Administrator, joined him aboard Air Force One during the trip.
Regan said to reporters that “this is a shot in our arm” and highlighted the jobs these projects would create.
He said, “This, at its core, is an infrastructure initiative.” “You don’t have to choose between a healthy ecosystem and economic prosperity. The president has shown that they go hand in hand.”
Over the next eight years, the administration plans to remove 16 sites on the areas of concern. Despite the fact that the project is complete, nine of the larger areas such as the Milawukee or Detroit Rivers will not be removed from the area of concern list before 2030. Officials noted that it takes approximately five years for an area to heal sufficiently.
At least 11 of these projects will directly benefit from the funding provided by the infrastructure law.
Senior administration officials stated that there will be three areas of concern left for EPA and our partner to complete remediation. This level of progress is unimaginable just a few decades ago. We have the financial resources necessary to make this happen thanks to the bipartisan funding of the infrastructure law.
Projects in Kalamazoo River (the Saginaw River) and St. Lawrence River (the St. Lawrence River) will likely be still ongoing by 2030.
The Great Lakes, the largest natural source of freshwater in the world, are surrounded by Minnesota and Wisconsin. On Thursday, EPA Administrator Michael Regan called the area a vital economic engine as well as an irreplaceable environment wonder. The Great Lakes provide drinking water for more that 40 million people, support nearly 1.5 million jobs, sustain life for thousands of animals, and are a source of freshwater for over 1.5 million people.
The projects also extend into New York’s Niagara River. Each project will have a distinct focus, officials stated. They will also have their own funding allocations and time projections.
One of the biggest cleanups will take place in Milwaukee, where officials stated that there will be a huge amount of sediment contaminated that must be remedied.
The more sediment remediation that you do, the more expensive it will be. Milwaukee will cost in the hundreds of billions, but in the low hundreds or millions of dollars. Officials added that other projects will likely cost less.
A combination of factors has thoroughly polluted the environment. Milwaukee EstuaryIncluding waste from historical industrial plants, overflows from sewers, wastewater treatment runsoff, and other toxins that are emitted from surrounding areas and cities.
The funds will also be used to fund habitat restoration, water supply, and remediation of hazardous wastes sites.
“Generations upon generations of families have relied on…” [the Great Lakes’]This region offers everything that you could need, including boating, fishing, hunting and swimming. [and]Biden stated that many people visit the area to see it. “They are the homes of countless national and cultural treasures that should be preserved for everyone to enjoy today, tomorrow, and for future generations.”
NOTE: An earlier version of this article stated that the Black River project would be funded by federal funds. This article has been updated with the information that the Black River project has been completed and will be removed from the “areas to concern” in 2022-2026.
