WASHINGTON, D.C.-- U.S. Senator Carl Levin and six other Great Lakes state Senators have written a letter asking for no more cuts to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
The letter was directed to acting Office of Management and Budget Director Jeffrey Zients concerning the President’s 2014 budget request.
The letter says the GLRI is vital not only to keeping the environment healthy and free of toxins—investing in cleanup efforts also directly benefits local governments and businesses. The Democratic senators cite a 2007 study which found that every dollar spent on restoring the Great Lakes will yield a $2 to $3 return.
The Democratic Senators are asking the program not be cut below its current $300 million level. They say further cuts to the GLRI would endanger critical restoration projects that in the end would cost more to correct.
