Earth Equity News

Obama Proposes Plan to Help Restore Great Lakes. By Kari Lydersen, WashPost, September 17, 2008. "The Obama campaign is likely hoping his proposal Tuesday for a $5 billion Great Lakes restoration program will help some votes flow his way [in Michigan] and in Ohio... Dependence on and affection for the Great Lakes runs high [in Michigan and] across party lines. Ohio sits on Lake Erie, which -- like the other lakes -- is plagued by pollution and invasive foreign species. Great Lakes states Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Minnesota are considered blue-leaning, but still could be in play come November... Because support for Great Lakes protection and restoration bills in Congress has usually been unanimous, McCain and Obama have similar voting records.... An Obama campaign release yesterday chided McCain for voting against funding for the Asian carp barrier, a controversial and problem-plagued electric barrier meant to keep the voracious invasive fish out of Lake Michigan... Obama's plan calls for full implementation of the [Great Lakes] Compact along with $5 billion in new federal funds for sewage repairs, toxic cleanups and wetlands restoration, with a focus on mercury pollution and the control and prevention of invasive species... [Jordan] Lubetkin, [spokesman for the Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition,] notes that the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration, a sweeping plan for restoration, was created by President Bush's executive order in May 2004 -- but funding was never passed to carry it out. 'Bush... turned his back on it,' said Lubetkin. 'There will be a lot of promises made... but we want to make sure both John McCain and Barack Obama carry water on their promises to the Great Lakes.'"