Thursday, September 24, 2009

Deb Price / Detroit News Washington Bureau

Washington — The Senate easily passed legislation tonight containing $400 million for Great Lakes restoration by deterring invasive species, cleaning up highly polluted sites and expanding wetlands.

The funding level for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative falls short of the $475 million passed by the House in June and supported by President Barack Obama.

Michigan Sens. Carl Levin, D-Detroit, and Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, voted for the bill.

Andy Buchsbaum, the Great Lakes project director at the National Wildlife Federation, said environmentalists will work with House-Senate conferees to try to ensure the final bill has the $475 million funding level.

“This is an unprecedented funding level for cleanup of the Great Lakes, and absolutely critical to bringing the lakes back to health,” Buchsbaum said.

Read entire article:   www.detnews.com/article/20090924/LIFESTYLE14/909240476/1409/METRO