Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama said today he would create a $5 billion trust fund to restore and protect the Great Lakes, the Detroit Free Press reported.
The fund would pay for efforts to prevent and control invasive species entering the lakes, clean up polluted sediments and help pay for sewer system repairs throughout the area. The program would also create a Great Lakes coordinator position in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Funding for Obama’s Great Lakes plan would come from reversing some existing tax cuts and incentives for oil companies.
Protecting the Great Lakes has taken on growing importance as many parts of the U.S. face record-breaking droughts and water shortages. Past talk about diverting fresh water to parched places like Arizona and beyond have inspired the eight states around the lakes to draft a Great Lakes Water Resources Compact aimed at keeping their water in its existing watershed.
The Great Lakes hold 22 percent of the world’s fresh surface water.
The compact is expected to pass when it comes up for a vote in Congress next week.
See the Detroit Free Press to read more about Obama’s Great Lakes proposal.
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