A Senate panel discussed the future of a Great Lakes restoration program at a Wednesday hearing that highlighted the region’s risks from pollution, algal blooms and invasive species.
The Environment and Public Works Committee hearing was dominated by questions from Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), who is backing legislation to reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and other EPA water programs for another five years.
Husted, a first-term senator who is up for reelection this year, described the Great Lakes initiative as critical for drinking water supplies, tourism and fisheries in the Midwest.
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“Healthy fisheries mean healthy ecosystems, and healthy ecosystems mean healthy economies,” Husted said.
