By Staff
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, a member of the Great Lakes Caucus, took to the House floor Wednesday to voice his strong support of legislation tripling federal funding available to clean up the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Legacy Reauthorization Act of 2008, H.R. 6460, authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with private entities, to carry out projects targeted at cleaning up areas of the Great Lakes where contamination has settled into sediments at the bottom of the lakes. The bill authorizes $150 million annually from 2009-2013 for cleanup and also authorizes an additional $5 million annually for EPA to conduct research.