IV

107TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 361

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the

restoration and protection of the Great Lakes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 6, 2002

Mr. CAMP (for himself, Mr. BARCIA, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, Mr. EHLERS,

Mr. HOEKSTRA, Mr. SMITH of Michigan, Mr. KNOLLENBERG, and Mr.

UPTON) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the

Committees on International Relations, Resources, and Science, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives

regarding the restoration and protection of the Great Lakes.

Whereas the Great Lakes is the largest freshwater system on

Earth;

Whereas over 90 percent of the 29,000,000 United States

residents of the Great Lakes basin rely on the Great

Lakes for drinking water;

Whereas scientists have detected more than 360 contaminants in the Great Lakes ecosystem, many of which may

have a negative impact on plant, animal, and human life;
2

•HRES 361 IH

Whereas section 1109(b)(2) of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (42 U.S.C. 1962d–20(b)(2)) encourages the Great Lakes States, in consultation with the Canadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec, to develop and

implement a mechanism that provides a common conservation standard embodying the principles of water conservation and resource improvement for making decisions

concerning the withdrawal and use of water from the

Great Lakes Basin;

Whereas annual combined sewer overflow discharges are estimated at 1,260,000,000 gallons per year and a heavy

concentration of combined sewer overflows are found in

the Great Lakes region;

Whereas $450,000,000 for combined sewer overflow control

programs has been requested by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in its previous year’s budget, but to date funds for such purposes have not been appropriated; and

Whereas more than 130 invasive species have been introduced

in the Great Lakes and costs of controlling these invasive

species are estimated to be as high as $5,000,000,000

over a 10-year period: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved,

2 SECTION 1. BALLAST WATER TREATMENT REGULATIONS

3 REQUIRED.

4 It is the sense of the House of Representatives that

5 the Secretary of Transportation should issue under the

6 Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control

7 Act of 1990 (16 U.S.C. 4701 et seq.) regulations to pre-
3

•HRES 361 IH

1 vent the introduction and spread of aquatic nuisance spe2 cies within the Great Lakes.

3 SEC. 2. EXPORT OF WATER FROM GREAT LAKES.

4 It is the sense of the House of Representatives that—

5 (1) the Great Lakes States, in consultation with

6 the Canadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec,

7 should develop and implement a mechanism that

8 provides a common conservation standard embodying

9 the principles of water conservation and resource im10 provement for making decisions concerning the with11 drawal and use of water from the Great Lakes

12 Basin; and

13 (2) the Secretary of State should work with the

14 Canadian Government to encourage and support the

15 Provinces in the development and implementation of

16 a mechanism and standard concerning the with17 drawal and use of water from the Great Lakes

18 Basin consistent with those mechanisms and stand19 ards developed by the Great Lakes States.

20 SEC. 3. POLICY REGARDING OFF-SHORE DRILLING IN THE

21 GREAT LAKES.

22 The House of Representatives encourages—

23 (1) the States of Illinois, Michigan, New York,

24 Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin to continue to prohibit

25 off-shore drilling in the Great Lakes for oil and gas;
4

•HRES 361 IH

1 (2) the States of Indiana, Minnesota, and Ohio

2 and the Canadian Province of Ontario to enact a

3 prohibition of such drilling; and

4 (3) the Canadian Province of Ontario to require

5 the cessation of any such drilling and any production

6 resulting from such drilling.

7 SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR THE REMEDIATION OF SEDIMENT

8 CONTAMINATION IN AREAS OF CONCERN.

9 It is the sense of the House of Representatives that

10 the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agen11 cy should make grants to States, Indian tribes, regional

12 agencies, and local governments to carry out projects in

13 areas of concern located wholly or in part in the United

14 States—

15 (1) to monitor or evaluate contaminated sedi16 ment;

17 (2) to remediate contaminated sediment; and

18 (3) to prevent further or renewed contamination

19 of sediment.

20 SEC. 5. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

21 It is the sense of the House of Representatives that

22 the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agen23 cy should conduct research on the development and use

24 of innovative approaches, technologies, and techniques for
5

•HRES 361 IH

1 the remediation of sediment contamination in areas of

2 concern in the Great Lakes.

3 SEC. 6. SEWER OVERFLOW CONTROL GRANTS.

4 It is the sense of the House of Representatives that

5 appropriations for carrying out section 221 of Federal

6 Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1301) for fiscal

7 year 2004 should be increased by $450,000,000 from the

8 amount appropriated to carry out such section for fiscal

9 year 2003.

Æ