[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=42833.33

Pelath: Congress should protect Great Lakes

From Staff Reports

INDIANAPOLIS - State Rep. Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, has joined other lawmakers across the Midwest in asking members of Congress to include protections for the Great Lakes in any package to boost the nation's economic recovery.

Pelath is a member of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators from the Great Lakes states, which sent a letter to leaders in the U.S. House and Senate asking that Congress provide funding for the Great Lakes Legacy Act, the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act. The caucus includes state legislators from seven Midwestern states.

In a letter to Congressional leadership, they wrote, "These investments will put people to work cleaning up toxic sediments in our region's rivers and harbors, ending decades of sewer overflows into 95 percent of our nation's fresh surface water, and restoring hundreds of acres of vital wetlands and habitat."

Since 2002, cleanups funded under the Great Lakes Legacy Act have removed nearly a million cubic yards of toxic sediments from rivers and harbors in the Great Lakes. These cleanups - a priority under the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration plan - are creating thousands of jobs and opportunities for additional economic development in Detroit, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Buffalo, Gary, Duluth and other Midwest urban areas, the letter said.

"By investing $262 million in 2009 and an additional $240 million in 2010 for toxic sediment cleanup projects, which were identified by our states, we can put thousands of people to work in struggling urban areas throughout our region. According to our state agencies, these projects are ready to go and spending these funds can immediately begin to create jobs and economic activity in our region, with lasting impacts," the letter said.

The letter went on, "Another job-generating opportunity is investing in the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. By investing in clean water infrastructure, we can put people to work tackling an important challenge of our times: aging water infrastructure and associated environmental, public health, and economic costs. It is estimated that for each $1 billion invested in clean water infrastructure, 47,000 jobs are generated. We recommend that the recovery package invest $10 billion in the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, resulting in 470,000 jobs nationally. ..."

[Southsider2k12]

Here are the full press releases from Rep Pelath's office.

STATE REP. SCOTT PELATH JOINS CALL FOR CONGRESS TO PROTECT GREAT LAKES

INDIANAPOLIS ... State Rep. Scott Pelath (D-Michigan City) and other lawmakers across the Midwest have asked members of Congress to include protections for the Great Lakes in any package to boost the nation's economic recovery.

Pelath is a member of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators from the Great Lakes states, which sent a letter to leaders in the U.S. House and Senate asking that Congress provide funding for the Great Lakes Legacy Act, the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act. The caucus includes state legislators from seven Midwestern states.

Note to editors and reporters: The full text of Rep. Pelath's letter follows. The letter was addressed to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Cal.), House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.):


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Madam Speaker, Senator Reid, Representative Boehner, and Senator McConnell:

As you move forward with an economic recovery package for our nation, my colleagues and I, who are members of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators from the Great Lakes states, strongly urge that you include funding that will protect and promote jobs by restoring and protecting one of our most important natural resources: the Great Lakes. In particular, we urge you to provide funding for the Great Lakes Legacy Act, the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, and the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act. These investments will put people to work cleaning up toxic sediments in our region's rivers and harbors, ending decades of sewer overflows into 95 percent of our nation's fresh surface water, and restoring hundreds of acres of vital wetlands and habitat.

Since 2002, cleanups funded under the Great Lakes Legacy Act have removed nearly a million cubic yards of toxic sediments from rivers and harbors in the Great Lakes. These cleanups—a priority under the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration plan—are creating thousands of jobs and opportunities for additional economic development in Detroit, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Buffalo, Gary, Duluth and other Midwest urban areas. By investing $262.0 million in 2009 and an additional $240.0 million in 2010 for toxic sediment cleanup projects, which were identified by our states, we can put thousands of people to work in struggling urban areas throughout our region. According to our state agencies, these projects are ready to go and spending these funds can immediately begin to create jobs and economic activity in our region, with lasting impacts.

Another job-generating opportunity is investing in the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. By investing in clean water infrastructure, we can put people to work tackling an important challenge of our times: aging water infrastructure and associated environmental, public health, and economic costs. It is estimated that for each $1 billion invested in clean water infrastructure, 47,000 jobs are generated. We recommend that the recovery package invest $10 billion in the Clean Water State Revolving Fund—resulting in 470,000 jobs nationally. In the Great Lakes region alone, a $10 billion national investment translates into $3.7 billion for the region and over 170,000 jobs that can establish a modern and environmentally sound water infrastructure system.

The negative economic impacts of aging infrastructure are well documented throughout the region and nation: from sewage-related closures every summer at Great Lakes beaches and water-borne illnesses and deaths to road damage, such as sinkholes caused by breaking water infrastructure. Old and ailing waste water treatment facilities are the cause of more than 23 billion gallons of raw sewage entering the Great Lakes in 2006. Stresses on our aging infrastructure are further compounded—until Congress acts—by reduced stream and wetland protections under the Clean Water Act as a result of recent Supreme Court decisions, further taxing water infrastructure that must compensate for lost natural filtration and water storage functions, for example. Also, climate change is expected to bring heavier rains that will inundate overtaxed waste water systems and lead to increased untreated sewage overflows in the Great Lakes.

Addressing all of these threats will ensure the economic vitality of the Great Lakes and the nation's resources, which we all depend on for jobs, drinking water, and quality of life.

We also support investing in ecosystem restoration programs, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act program, to fund wetlands and habitat projects. Restoring habitat, aquatic ecosystems, and wetlands not only can reduce the overall cost of water infrastructure projects and mitigate the environmental and economic damages from flooding, they also contribute to our state's hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching economies. These projects will also immediately generate jobs on par with other infrastructure pursuits—a $130 million dollar investment in ready-to-go restoration projects in the Great Lakes region will generate nearly 3,000 jobs.

We look forward to Congress building economic opportunity and putting people back to work while enhancing environmental quality. Investing in clean water infrastructure, toxic sediment remediation, and habitat restoration accomplishes all three goals. We urge you to include these investments in the recovery package that Congress will consider next year.

PELATH: STATE REVENUE DROP MAKES BUDGETING DIFFICULT

INDIANAPOLIS ... As officials predicted state revenue collections over the next two years would be "dismal," State Rep. Scott Pelath (D-Michigan City), vice chairman of the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee, said lawmakers must be aggressive in creating jobs and protecting taxpayers.

"One thing is clear," said Pelath. "We have to address the economy first. Until people start drawing wages, purchasing consumer goods and paying taxes, state resources will not improve."

At the Statehouse recently, the nonpartisan Revenue Technical Forecast Committee presented its most recent predictions for state revenue over the next two years. The official forecast, which estimates future tax collections based on expected economic activity, is a primary tool in planning state expenditures.

"We do not know how long—or how deep—this national recession may become," said Pelath. "Unfortunately, it also comes at a time when the Governor led the state to assume hundreds of millions of dollars in school and local government costs. This year's sales tax increase will not raise what he hoped, and won't be nearly enough to cover the cost of all the promises."

While the state will have to marshall its resources intelligently, Pelath said the next state budget must be about more than simple belt-tightening. He declared that in a recession, government must also work to prevent layoffs, help displaced workers, and jump start job creation.

"As the Federal Reserve and the national government try to stimulate job growth, it does no good for state government to turn around and raise taxes or decimate vital services," said Pelath. "Getting the economy moving is job one."

According to the administration, a recent snapshot of state funds showed that Indiana has approximately $1.4 billion in financial reserves. However, the state already has taken in $70 million less than expected in the current fiscal year. After combining all major categories of revenue—sales tax, gaming revenue and individual and corporate income taxes—the state was down over $54 million in November alone.

"Indiana has a rainy day fund," said Pelath. "It may be raining."