Senator Mark Kirk’s (R- Ill) bipartisan bill to protect the Great Lakes could save jobs in key industries in Illinois and surrounding states. The Great Lakes Clean Water Bill (S. 1586) and its partner bill in the House, the Great Lakes Water Protection Act (GLWPA), calls for an end to sewage dumping into our beautiful Great Lakes.
Senator Kirk’s office emphasizes the devastating current treatment of many states’ crucial water resource in a press release:
“An estimated 24 billion gallons of combined untreated sewage and storm water are dumped into the Great Lakes each year. This sewage contributes to hundreds of beach closure, … and endangers the environmental wellbeing of the Great Lakes ecosystem.”
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the fresh water from the Great Lakes accounts for 90% of the United States’ water supply and provides 40 million people with drinking water.
The Great Lakes area also contributes to a massive tourism industry. Tourism and recreation contributes 72.2 percent of employment and 27.6 percent of GDP alone for the surrounding states (according to NOAA).
The bill has overwhelming support from many organizations including The Alliance for the Great Lakes. Vice President of Policy, Molly Flanagan, said:
“The Alliance for the Great Lakes supports The Great Lakes Water Protection Act, sponsored by Senator Kirk. The Act is an important step forward in improving public notification about sewage overflows by setting uniform reporting guidelines for all eight Great Lakes states. The legislation also tackles the long-term need to eliminate sewage overflows altogether by setting a deadline for all Great Lakes states to stop overflows by 2035, which would ensure that our lakes are clean and safe for people and wildlife.”
Senator Kirk is taking the initiative to protect the environment as well as millions of jobs that rely on a healthy ecosystem. His office reports that beach closures from Lake contaminants cost taxpayers up to $2.4 million annually. Support for Senator Kirk’s environmental protection bill is crucial to sustain an unpolluted state and robust economy.
The Republican Majority is working to protect jobs throughout the country and is committed to meet every challenge to keep our economy strong, American jobs flourishing, and our ecosystems intact.