Great Lakes Safeguards Proposed
Lawmakers seek $4 billion to help restore system

BY GAYLE WORLAND
Tribune staff reporter

Two Chicago-area congressmen Wednesday unveiled a proposal for a five-year, $4 billion Great Lakes Restoration Fund they said will create a comprehensive management plan for the largest freshwater system on earth. U.S. Reps.

Rahm Emanuel, a Democrat, and Mark Kirk, a Republican, have rounded up a dozen co-sponsors from Great Lakes states to support legislation for their plan, which they said also has garnered interest from the White House.

The bill would establish a fund for block grants to be used in Great Lakes restoration projects. A total of $800 million each year for five years would be allocated to states under a formula based on population, exposure to the Great Lakes watershed, polluted areas and critical animal habitats.

Unveiled during a news conference at North Avenue Beach as sunbathers looked on, the proposal was likened to the $8 billion program Congress approved to restore Florida's Everglades.

The Great Lakes effort would target toxic hot spots, combat invasive species, work to control urban and agricultural runoff, among other goals, the legislators said.

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