Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

After doing more research on the Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011, I have decided it is not something that I fully support.  So, instead I have turned my attention to the Great Lakes Water Protection Act.  I wanted to do something that deals with a local issue and also with water so this seemed like the appropriate act to support.  The bill summary is as follows:

Title: Great Lakes Water Protection Act  Summary: Prohibit’s publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) from intentionally diverting waste streams to bypass any portion of the treatment facility if the diversion results in a discharge into the Great Lakes unless: (1) the bypass is unavoidable to prevent loss of life, personal injury, or severe property damage; (2) there is no feasible alternative; and (3) the treatment works provides notice; or (4) the bypass does not cause effluent limitations to be exceeded and is for essential maintenance to ensure efficient operation of the treatment facility.

Sponsor: Representative Dold, Robert J. (IL-10) (introduced 1/25/2011)

Cosponsors (1)

Latest Major Action: 1/26/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. 

Status: Referred to the subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.

Recommendation: Vote Yes for H.R. 425 Great Lakes Water Protection Act

Over the years the preserving of the Great Lakes has gotten somewhat better but there’s always room for improvement.  People have been working at cleaning them up and protecting them from pollution, habitat destruction, and a loss of species.  The people most affected by this act would be the people in surrounding states of the Great Lakes.  They are the ones most affected if nothing is done to pass this act, as well.  The communities/families in the surrounding states would lose clean water if not for this act being passed, but they would also gain the most if it were passed.  Their water would be clean and more accessible.  Nearly 40 million people rely on the lakes for drinking water, food, work, and for recreation (Protection of the Waters of the Great Lakes).  The lakes are taking a toll for what people do to them.  There has been a reduction in groundwater flow, dewatering of tributaries, and destruction of habitat (Protection of the Waters of the Great Lakes).

Climate change may occur in the Great Lakes if it is not preserved correctly.  Some economic effects of the climate change may be increasing temperature, more storms, and changes in the lake levels.  People in surrounding areas of the lakes would notice these effects the most.  Some social costs would be people wouldn’t be able to do as many recreational activities in the lakes such as boating.  People would have to be more careful in preserving them, for example they would need to be careful with fertilizer run off from their lawns, gas spills, garbage, overusing of the water, not destroying habitats, and killing of invasive species.  Benefits of better preserving the lakes would be more bountiful water, cleaner water, habitat renewal, and possibly higher lake levels. 

Barriers to preserving the lakes would be time and money.  It takes the cooperation and time of a lot of people working together to preserve them.  It also, takes a lot of money to clean up the lakes and to make sure they are being preserved how they should be.  These barriers can be overcome by people volunteering to help and donations of money.  Also, from getting money from organizations wanting to help in keeping the lakes clean. 

To get the issue of this problem out to the public it needs to more talked about and in the news, newspaper, radio, etc.  People need to know what the problems are and what they can do to help.  Everyone needs to contribute their small part to the larger picture to make a difference.

                            Contaminants that cause fish advisories in Canada and the United States.

Some measures to sustain the Great Lakes were taken from governments, industries, and organizations in the 1980’s and 1990’s to try and solve Great Lakes problems.  Chemical pollution was reduced but non-invasive species continued to invade the lakes (Our Great Lakes).  In the late 1980’s an agreement to cover airborne fallout and contaminated runoff from land was made.  There were plans to clean up polluted areas and develop indicators of ecosystem health. 

Not only people in surrounding states to the Great Lakes would support this act to preserve the lakes but people who get food and water from them, as well.  People who would be in opposition to this act may wish to save money and not support it or they may just not have enough time to change their daily habits.  In order to create a alliance between allies and opponents you would have to find a common ground that both agree on.  Once both realize they have something in common they would be more willing to change and work together to find a solution that is overall good for everyone involved.  I want policy makers to vote Yes for the Great Lakes Water Protection Act. 

Sources:

International Joint Commission. (2004). Protection of the Waters of the Great Lakes.

            Retrieved from www.ijc.org/php/publications/pdf/ID1560.pdf

The Library of Congress THOMAS. (2011). Bill Summary & Status. Retrieved from

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d112:4:./temp/~bd7rEa:@@@L&summ2=m&|/home/LegislativeData.php|

United States Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Our Great Lakes. Retrieved

            from binational.net/ourgreatlakes/ourgreatlakes.pdf