Great Lakes Issues

Read more »

Members of Michigan’s congressional delegation in Washington introduced the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2019 on Friday, July 26. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, D-Michigan, along with Reps. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, and Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, and others in Michigan’s delegation introduced the act, which is co-sponsored by a litany of other senators and representatives on bo... Read more »

On Friday, members of the Michigan congressional delegation introduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize and expand funding for the Great Lakes. House Great Lakes Task Force Co-Chairs Congressman Bill Huizenga and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) joined U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters and U.S. Representatives Jack Bergman (MI-01), John Moolenaar (MI-04), Dan Kildee (MI-05), F... Read more »

The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced a $2 million grant program to clean up the shorelines and waters of the Great Lakes. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler during an appearance Friday in Cleveland said the grants will be available to state and local governments, nonprofit groups, and universities for cleanup programs. He said removing trash from U.S. waterways is an EP... Read more »

Today, Congressman Bill Huizenga (MI-02), Republican Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, released the following statement after the EPA announced a “first-of-its-kind” Great Lakes trash clean up initiative: “This announcement by the EPA demonstrates how the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative can play an even greater role in protecting and preserving the Great Lakes,” said Congressman Huizenga.... Read more »

Today, Congressman Bill Huizenga (MI-02) and Congressman Fred Upton (MI-06) issued the following joint statement after writing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to discuss their concern over the lack of funding for dredging Holland Harbor in the FY 2020 Budget. “The Holland Harbor serves as a major regional port on the Great Lakes, generating nearly $68 million in business and supporting over 400 j... Read more »

As passengers boarded the SS Badger Friday morning, officials gathered beside the carferry for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the completion of the project that rebuilt the Lake Michigan Carferry (LMC) docks. The project overhauled the SS Badger’s docks in Ludington and Manitowoc, Wisconsin, enabling the carferry to continue its operations. Sections of the docks were more than 70 or 80 y... Read more »

The head of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has sent Congress a $778 million plan to fortify an Illinois waterway with noisemakers, electric cables and other devices in the hope that they will prevent Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes, where the aggressive invaders could leave other fish with too little to eat. Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite on Thursday approved the plan to install defenses at the... Read more »

Last night, Congressman Bill Huizenga, Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, released the following statement on the Army Corps of Engineers issuing the final Chief's Report on the Brandon Road Lock and Dam. Brandon Road is the established and determined pinch point for stopping Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes and decimating the ecosystem. "With the recent discovery of Asian carp DNA wi... Read more »

Zeeland Republican Congressman Bill Huizenga and St. Joseph Republican Fred Upton each issued statements saying they're pleased with an the agreement made between the United States, Canada, and Mexico to lift tariffs on steel and aluminum. Huizenga's statement: “The elimination of steel and aluminum tariffs between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico is welcome news and a very positive step that will ha... Read more »