EPA Great Lakes Resoration Plan

: Image via Wikipedia

Being a resident from one of the great lake states the news from the EPA is really important to me. Some of you from outside the area may not have gotten to witness the beauty and awesomeness of the great lakes. The enormous naturally formed lakes were carved from the upper midwestern bedrock during the last ice age and as the glaciers retreated the melting ice created the largest freshwater lakes in the land, the impressive Niagara Falls and natural road for commerce that helped settle these lands from fur traders to iron ore miners. I’ve witnessed sunsets on the Pacific and sunrise in the Atlantic but those memories pale in comparison to watching the sunset from the dune beaches in lower Michigan or the awesome force of a storm on Lake Superior. While I know no east or west coaster may agree with me and that’s alright but I believe some of the best water in the nation is unsalted and located in the midwest, the north coast of the US. I am pleased to hear the EPA takes value in this natural resource and look forward to hearing some of what is planned to help these magnificent lakes.

From LA Times

Reporting from Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency on Sunday unveiled a five-year, $475-million plan to revitalize the Great Lakes, including cleaning up polluted water and beaches, restoring wetlands and fighting invasive species such as Asian carp.

Federal and state officials call the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan “historically unprecedented” in size, funding and coordination between branches of government.

The plan calls itself light on study and heavy on action, seeking to heal the Great Lakes ecosystem from “150 years of abuse” and to ensure that “fish are safe to eat; the water is safe to drink; the beaches and waters are safe for swimming, surfing, boating and recreating; native species and habitats are protected and thriving; no community suffers disproportionately from the impacts of pollution; and the Great Lakes are a healthy place for people and wildlife to live.”