SCR-13, As Adopted by Senate, October 8, 2003

            Senators Van Woerkom, Cropsey, Garcia, Bernero, Gilbert, Allen, Kuipers, Goschka and Birkholz offered the following concurrent resolution:

            Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 13.

A concurrent resolution to memorialize the Congress of the United States to fund fully the Great Lakes Legacy Act and to urge the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and other parties to make every effort to expedite cleanup efforts in Michigan’s designated Areas of Concern.

            Whereas, The United States‑Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 1972, as amended, provided for the designation of Areas of Concern in need of remedial actions to address documented pollution problems; and

            Whereas, Fourteen Areas of Concern (AOC) have been designated in Michigan under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, each with a Remedial Action Plan that coordinates and focuses the efforts of multiple levels of government and other stakeholders; and

            Whereas, Substantial progress has been made in characterizing the sources and causes of beneficial use impairments, identifying necessary remediation activities, and generating broad stakeholder involvement in and support for the Remedial Action Plan process; and

            Whereas, Substantial resources are needed to remediate contaminated sediments, which are a persistent source of toxic pollution to the Great Lakes from each AOC and contribute to 11 of the 14 beneficial use impairments identified in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement; and

            Whereas, Congress has enacted the Great Lakes Legacy Act, authorizing $270 million for monitoring, assessing, and cleaning up contaminated sediments in Great Lakes Areas of Concern; and

            Whereas, Substantial funds under the Clean Michigan Initiative environmental bond program remain earmarked for cleanup efforts in Michigan’s 14 Areas of Concern; and

            Whereas, The United States Environmental Protection Agency is reorienting its programs to expedite progress in restoring the Areas of Concern, has finalized guidelines for removing communities from the list of toxic hot spots and has committed to a new Great Lakes Strategy that calls for completing restoration and “delisting” of 10 Areas of Concern by 2010; and

            Whereas, The Senate Great Lakes Conservation Task Force has called for a more aggressive state role in supporting Area of Concern cleanup efforts and greater use of federal resources toward this end; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That we memorialize the Congress of the United States to fund the Great Lakes Legacy Act at its authorized level of $54 million in Fiscal Year 2004; and be it further

            Resolved, That we urge the Department of Environmental Quality, in collaboration with local advisory councils in the Areas of Concern, to utilize funds remaining in the Clean Michigan Initiative to leverage funding under the Great Lakes Legacy Act to implement sediment cleanup projects in the state’s Areas of Concern; and be it further

            Resolved, That we urge the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Environmental Quality to monitor and report on progress in achieving cleanup goals in the Areas of Concern, including the documentation needed to remove the affected communities from the list of Areas of Concern and to consult with and empower local advisory groups established to represent the Area of Concern communities in the development and implementation of cleanup plans; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the EPA Region 5 office, the EPA Great Lakes National Program Office, the International Joint Commission, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the members of the Michigan congressional delegation, and the director of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.