Congress OKs 5-year extension of Great Lakes cleanup program
By John Flesher - AP Environmental Writer
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — A program that has pumped $2.7 billion into healing long-term injuries to the Great Lakes environment has received authorization from Congress to continue another five years.
The U.S. Senate voted unanimously Sunday to extend the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, as the House did earlier this year. The bill, which requires President Donald Trump’s signature to take effect, calls for gradually boosting the program’s annual funding from $300 million to $475 million by 2026.
The measure doesn’t guarantee the money, which lawmakers will need to provide in annual spending bills. But authorizing the program for multiple years is an important step.