Here are my recommendations to the GLRI folks. You can give them your ideas at http://greatlakesrestoration.us
- Construct wetlands to filter run-off and address water quality issues from urban and agricultural areas. Use remediated brownfield sites where possible.
- Develop and implement a comprehensive restoration plan for coaster brook trout throughout their historical range (not just Lake Superior).
- Thoroughly regulate the practice of Hydraulic Fracturing in minerals extraction to eliminate both water quality and withdraw quantity issues, and to protect the public’s health, safety and property.
- Work to prohibit metallic sulfide mining near waters tributary to the great lakes. The lakes have no buffering capabilities and leachate washing into the lakes will have devastating effects.
- Develop ballast water discharge and invasive species regulations with real teeth. Develop comprehensive control and eradication plans for invasive alien species in the great lakes. Yes this is a huge job and will cost well into the billions of dollars. Shoulda regulated ballast water and planned for invasion through the Welland canal. Too late to go back and do that, and we do not accept “Woops!” as an acceptable response. RESTORE the lakes. Don’t just work on them, FIX THEM!
I don’t know if anybody is going to read these things, or if they are like the old cartoon of the office suggestion box with a pretty sign and mail-slot on one side of the wall and a paper shredder on the other.
It is such a joke that they are making all this hoopla about a couple hundred million dollars when the task will run into the hundreds of BILLIONS at the least. (Too bad the Great Lakes aren’t as important as Iraq to the well being of our nation, eh?)
If the federal government were a dog owner and the Lakes their dog, it would be as if they refused to feed us or take us to the vet, let us suffer with poisonings and parasites of all kinds, kicked us whenever they felt like it, and let their friends treat us as poorly as they pleased. Then they throw us a Milk Bone from time to time and expect us to be satisfied and the ASPCA to leave them alone.
What jerks.
Dear Sir, Please do not despair over whether anybody reads your opinion, in the fight for national ballast water regulations you should understand that despite the many aspects of America that it will affect and help, it does not matter to main stream media, and they will not talk on air about the issue. I guess you could say they are more interested in dancing with the stars. Most Americans do not realize what ballast water and the carbon footprints associated with our policy of economic globalization is really doing to our way of life through jobs, and our environment. Back in the 1990′s when globalization was being pushed hard as the economic solution for Americas future environmentalist were not happy with President Clintons delegation of ballast water to the clean water act and the EPA, as they new then, it had holes in it.
Mr. Krugman the nobel economics winner suggested the Federal Reserve should follow a policy of slight increase in inflation. Would it not be better for national debt, if the Federal Reserve did nothing and this inflation could be created by legislation to protect our waters? The following excerpt is from a Dec 2009 report for Congress about national legislation and ballast water.
“Although estimates of the costs of ballast treatment may be imprecise and vary from vessel to
vessel, there is some general agreement on average costs.14 For example, it may cost an estimated $400,000 per vessel for modification of container/bulk vessels to use onshore ballast water treatment facilities at California ports. More generally, the cost of retrofitting vessels to treat
ballast water has been estimated at between $200,000 and $310,000 per vessel for mechanical
treatment and around $300,000 for chemical treatment.15 Most of this expense will be borne by
foreign shipping companies, as the U.S. flag fleet is a small percentage of the global fleet,16 and
likely passed along to consumers of products imported on these ships.”
Although this type of legislation may hurt our current largest employers, in the long run it may even help produce jobs that will stay in America, if implemented fast enough. The longer we delay, we are allowing the foreign shipping industry to prepare for “change” while Americans are out of work. Currently the only work being done is another delay for a twenty year Coast Guard phase in with another study and some ships are going towards that direction now, because the life of their investment will be assured despite better technology? It is wrong to offer incentives to foreign ships bringing foreign made goods into our country while Americans are out of work, so they will keep our waters clean. We need legislation with
strict limits for human virus and bacterial pathogens counts, that concentrates on enforcement as the report for Congress states the cost will mostly be borne by foreign shipping.
If this continues on for another six years there will not be much hope for America ever again to become cost competitive manufactures.
Sadly the legislation we needed, for ballast water (H.R.2830) passed the house in 2008 for the change we needed, was killed by one Senator Boxer, over states rights while the three top officials in this administration were Senators. This could very well be America’s last chance, if this administration passes the Law of the Sea treaty before national ballast water legislation is passed, it will be next to impossible to ever have national legislation as we will be committing to the provissions for ballast water in the treaty , which will follow the International Maritime Organization. They are primarily made up of foreign economic interest as the report noted the percentage of American ships in the Global fleet to be small.
please fight never give up the history of our country long after we are gone will depend on it.
Don Mitchel