NYT: Billions Needed to Improve Great Lakes, Coalition Says

[DeepModem Mom]

Billions Needed to Improve Great Lakes, Coalition Says
By FELICITY BARRINGER
Published: July 8, 2005


WASHINGTON, July 7 - A coalition of government agencies, businesses and environmental groups on Thursday offered a blueprint for improving the deteriorating health of the Great Lakes, including spending $13.75 billion over five years to stop untreated sewage from overflowing into the lakes from aging wastewater treatment plants.

An executive order by President Bush brought the group together in the latest and most broad-based effort to address the lakes' condition.

The plan, which also contemplates reducing agricultural runoff, protecting 550,000 acres of wetlands and controlling foreign species that are disrupting the aquatic food chain, could cost up to $20 billion in federal, state and local money over five years, environmental groups said....

***

The coalition is inviting public comment on the plan, which is now a draft, and hearings will be held around the region before the end of the year, when the final version is scheduled to be released. It will ultimately be up to Congress to decide how much to spend on the projects.

The Great Lakes touch eight states and remain a hub of oceangoing commerce and a vacation destination for millions of people. But they are rapidly losing whatever environmental gains were made in the past two decades, the coalition's report said....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/08/politics/08lakes.html

[bullimiami]

1. too bad. all spent between iraq and defense contractors.

oh well.

[Career Prole]

2. They say "improve" when they should say "repair".

In their original condition I'll bet they were pretty damned fine.

I'm reminded of all those doctor appointments when I'm asked "Did you quit smoking yet?", you know?

[Kokonoe]

3. Sorry, we don't have that kind of money.

Not with spending the same amount in Iraq in five days. Spread over five years.

[kestrel91316]

4. But, but, but ...............

spending all that money on something silly and useless like the environment will cut into corporate PROFITS. We can't be doing that, now, can we?

[Bozita]

5. If you think the world is ending soon, why try to preserve it?

Spend the money on Iraq.

Isn't that what Jesus would do?

[saigon68]

6. Who would Jesus Kill ?

The Bush Criminals answered that question in their actions, by killing thousands of innocent children.

FREEDOM IS ON THE MARCH


"SORRY KIDS HAVE A NICE LONG DIRT NAP", the chimp.

[NorthernSpy]

7. for best results, shouldn't this be a coordinated bi-national effort?

Of the five Great Lakes, the northern portions of four of them are in Canada. And they've got the same industries and shipping and cities and assorted crap clustered around them as you'll find on the American side.

[mbperrin]

8. Hmmm. Wonder how much Halliburtorn or Grace or other

"chimptractor" will be paid for the feasibility studies? My guess? About $13.75 billion over five years.

Then they'll need more, of course....

How about we just throw dollar bills on the lakes and soak up all the crap and then burn them? Be cheaper and more effective in the long run, I promise, even if we use hundred dollar bills...AND something would actually get done besides lining the pockets of the current kleptocracy.

[meganmonkey]

9. Water? Who needs clean water?

Why aren't we happy drinking pesticide-infested Coke, like India?