Schakowsky Introduces Bill to Stop Companies from Polluting the Great Lakes

SCHAKOWSKY INTRODUCES BILL TO STOP COMPANIES FROM POLLUTING THE GREAT LAKES

Washington, D.C.–U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) introduced the Great Lakes Pollution Prevention Act, H.R. 3360, after British Petroleum (BP) received a waiver to dump increased levels of ammonia and suspending particles into Lake Michigan. Congresswoman Schakowsky's bill would change current law by requiring the approval of every state that borders a Great Lake before a permit can be issued to increase the amount of pollution that can be discharged into a Great Lake.

"The decision by BP, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (DEM), and the U.S. EPA is unacceptable and potentially devastating to the region,... said U.S. Representative Schakowsky. "While my colleagues and I will continue to work on a solution to resolve the BP situation, I believe we should act immediately to change existing law to make sure that this type of situation never happens again. My bill will put safeguards in place to prohibit one state from polluting a shared Great Lake without the consent of all the bordering states....

The Great Lakes Pollution Prevention Act would require that before a state government grants a company a waiver to increase the amount of pollution it dumps into any of the Great Lakes, it must not only receive approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) but from each state that borders the affected lake. Under current law, bordering states are limited to comment only. The bill would amend the Clean Water Act and stipulates that if any bordering state objects, the waiver will not be granted.

"The Great Lakes, including Lake Michigan, provide 20 percent of all the surface water in the world,... said Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL). "Lake Michigan is, without question, the most treasured resource to residents in states that border it and is our 'Grand Canyon,' something in which we take enormous pride. Dumping more toxic metals threatens the Lake and those who rely on it for not only their drinking water, but for recreation and commerce as well....

On July 25, 2007, Congress passed H. Con. Res. 187, which expressed its disapproval at Indiana DEM's for issuing a permit to allow BP to increase their daily dumping into Lake Michigan. The resolution also urged the State of Indiana to reconsider the permit and condemned the U.S. EPA for allowing increased dumping of pollution into the Great Lakes.

Last month, the U.S EPA granted a waiver to British Petroleum (BP) to allow it dump ammonia and suspended particulate matter into the Great Lakes. The waiver reverses progress made in cleaning up Lake Michigan and allows BP to dump an additional 1,584 pounds of ammonia, an increase of 54 percent over the current level, into the lake each day. The waiver also allows BP to discharge up to an additional 4,925 pounds of suspended solids into the lake each day, an increase of 35 percent.