Great Lakes Discharge
The House approved a proposal that would require study of wastewater treatment plants that discharge into the Great Lakes. The measure, introduced by Rep. Bart Stupak, Democrat of Michigan, was included in a larger bill on paying for wastewater and sewage treatment programs to encourage cooperation between the United States and Canada on monitoring water quality.
The proposal would require the Environmental Protection Agency to study wastewater treatment facilities that discharge into the Great Lakes and offer ideas to improve monitoring of the problem and cooperation between the United States and Canada.
The EPA also would be required to consult with the State Department, the Canadian government and the International Joint Commission, the organization charged with protecting the boundary waters between the two countries.
The proposal was attached to a House bill that authorized $14 billion during the next four years for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which provides low-interest loans not offered for more than a decade, partially because of a labor dispute.
March 12, 2007 6:52 AM | Category: Great Lakes