1. Great Lakes Funding Opportunities
Recovery Act
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
Great Lakes Legacy Act
David Cowgill
June 19, 2009
Buffalo, NY

2. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act)

3. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

4. Great Lakes Natural Features
Contain 20 percent of world’s fresh surface water
Span more than 750 miles west to east, 10,000 mile coastline
Unique landscape features: sand dunes, coastal wetlands, 20,000 islands, rocky shorelines, prairies, savannas, alvars, and forests.
The Great Lakes are located in North America along the border between the United States and Canada.
They span more than 750 miles from west to east.
The Great Lakes are the largest system of fresh surface water on earth, containing about 20 percent of the world supply of fresh surface water.
These vast inland freshwater seas have provided water for consumption, transportation, power, recreation, and a host of other uses.
42 million people depend on the Great Lakes for their drinking water.
The Great Lakes Basin has many unique landscape features such as sand dunes, coastal wetlands, 20,000 islands, rocky shorelines, prairies, savannas, alvars and forests.

5. Great Lakes Economic Importance
In the Great Lakes Basin:
20% of all U.S. timberland
20% of all U.S. manufacturing
58% of cars made in the U.S. and Canada
$4.5 billion commercial/recreational fishing industry
Recreational boating: $9.4 billion & 60,000 jobs
In the eight Great Lakes States:
One-third of all U.S. registered recreational boats
Generate $18 billion/year in revenue from hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching
The Great Lakes States:
Make up the world’s third largest economy (after the U.S. and Japan)
Would be the eleventh largest country in the world
Land Use in the Great Lakes Basin consists of forestry and mining in the northern part of the basin and agriculture in the southern part of the basin. Urban lands are primarily found in the southern part.
The Great Lakes region is very important commercially:
The basin contains 20% of all U.S. timberland.
20% of all U.S. manufacturing occurs in the basin,
58% of cars made in the U.S. and Canada are made here.
The Lakes support a $4.5 billion commercial/recreational fishing industry.
Great Lakes Recreational Boating: $9.4 billion in expenditures, supports 60,000 jobs
The eight Great Lakes States include one-third of all the registered recreational boats in the United States;
generate $18 billion/year in revenue from hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching;
make up the world’s third largest economy (after the U.S. and Japan), and
would comprise the eleventh largest country in the world.
Because the Great Lakes have only a single outlet, through the St. Lawrence River to the Atlantic Ocean, they are almost a closed system:
The retention time for Lake Superior is nearly 200 years, for Lake Michigan, it’s almost 100 years.
So once pollutants enter the Great Lakes, they stay there for a long time, amplifying the problems with persistent, or long-lasting, toxic chemicals like PCBs.

6. Great Lakes Federal Funding for Environmental Protection
$643 million in FY 2008
$551 million President’s Budget for FY 2009
$475 million in Proposed New Federal Funding for FY 2010, bringing the total to approximately $1 billion annually

7. President’s FY2010 Budget Announcement February 26, 2009
“The 2010 Budget includes a new $475 million inter-agency initiative to address regional issues that affect the Great Lakes, such as invasive species, non-point source pollution, and contaminated sediment. This initiative will use outcome-oriented performance goals and measures to target the most significant problems and track progress in addressing them. EPA and its Federal partners will coordinate State, tribal, local, and industry actions to protect, maintain, and restore the chemical, biological, and physical integrity of the Great Lakes.”

8. Five Focus Areas Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern
Invasive Species
Nearshore Health and Nonpoint Source Pollution
Habitat and Wildlife Protection and Restoration
Accountability, Monitoring, Evaluation, Communication, and Partnerships

9. Agency Proposals to Achieve Goals and Objectives of Plan
Proposals requested from Federal Agencies to achieve objectives for each of Focus Areas
16 Agencies initially submitted 194 proposals requesting $867 million
Extensive coordination and interaction among Agencies

10. Provisional FY2010 Allocations
 (thousands of dollars)
Agency
Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern
Invasive Species
Nearshore Health and Nonpoint Source Pollution
Habitat and Wildlife Protection and Restoration
Accountability, Monitoring, Evaluation, Communication, and Partnerships
Totals
Percentages
DHS-USCG
$2,850
$4,000
$6,850
1.4%
DOC-NOAA
$2,450
$1,000
$2,720
$15,000
$11,000
$32,170
6.8%
DOD-USACE
$9,996
$3,250
$14,550
$17,600
$500
$45,896
9.7%
DOI-BIA
$3,000
0.6%
DOI-NPS
$2,800
$2,738
$1,550
$2,862
$10,450
2.2%
DOI-USFWS
$5,400
$19,859
$32,242
$57,501
12.1%
DOI-USGS
$2,070
$2,338
$2,562
$3,920
$4,090
$14,980
3.2%
DOS-GLFC
$7,000
1.5%
DOS-IJC
$300
0.1%
DOT-FHWA
$2,500
0.5%
DOT-MARAD
EPA
$113,880
$8,280
$44,807
$18,880
$48,306
$234,153
49.3%
HHS-ATSDR
$5,500
1.2%
USDA-APHIS
USDA-NRCS
$30,642
$2,000
$33,642
7.1%
USDA-USFS
$4,800
$7,258
$15,058
$146,946
$60,265
$97,331
$105,262
$65,196
$475,000
100.0%
31%
13%
20%
22%
14%
100%

11. Where Does the Money Go?
Over $270M for grants, cooperative agreements, or project cooperation agreements that will be awarded by EPA or other Federal agencies to non-Federal partners
45% (>$215M) just for grants and cooperative agreements

12. How Do Funds Get to Projects?
Summer 2009 process will begin to coordinate Request(s) for Proposals by EPA and other Agencies
Utilization of existing funding mechanisms
Intended Result: On-the-ground projects in FY2010

13. Next Steps Congressional Appropriation Request(s) for Proposals
Public/Stakeholder Consultation to develop Great Lakes Restoration Plan Framework (FY )

14. Great Lakes Legacy Act

15. Great Lakes Legacy Act…a new “tool” in the Great Lakes sediment remediation toolbox
Goal: Accelerate the pace of sediment remediation at Areas of Concern (AOCs)
Use partnerships as an innovative approach to conducting sediment remediation
Program administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO)

16. GLLA Project Types Must be in U.S. Areas of Concern (AOCs) and:
Implement a plan to remediate contaminated sediment (highest priority)
Monitor or evaluate contaminated sediment
Prevent further or renewed sediment contamination

17. GLLA Authorization and Appropriation
The Great Lakes Legacy Act yearly authorization (FY2004 through FY2008):
$50M - contaminated sediment “projects”
$3M - research/development of innovative technologies
$1M - public information - contaminated sediment remediation
$10 M appropriated in FY2004
$22 M in FY2005
$29 M in FY2006
$30 M in FY2007
$35 M in FY2008
$37 M in FY2009
Emphasize bi-partisan support
Identify the Influences of Industry Groups (Alternative Evaluation text) and Environmental Groups (Public Outreach funding)

18. What has been achieved
Accelerated the pace of sediment remediation in the Great Lakes
5 sites remediated in 4 years; 3 underway; 1 imminent
6 more sites in development or assessment
Removed 880,000+ cubic yards of sediment containing over 1.7M lb of contaminants
Funded $53 M in cleanup projects and leveraged $44 M in non-federal funding
States, industries, cities, businesses, organizations

19. What has been achieved
Cost sharing has created new partnerships and strong collaborations that result in better projects
Honoring polluter pay principle while maximizing resources to clean up contaminated sediments in the Great Lakes
R2R Remediation to Restoration is underway
GLLA Reauthorized

20. The newly reauthorized GLLA
GLLA Reauthorization ( )
Level Funding Authorization $50 M/year
Allows for habitat restoration in conjunction with remediation
Identify PRPs connected with the site
Site characterization at 100% federal
Emphasize bi-partisan support
Identify the Influences of Industry Groups (Alternative Evaluation text) and Environmental Groups (Public Outreach funding)

21. Economic Impacts of Sediment Contamination
Increased cost to industry if loss of needed navigation depth due to the presence of contamination
Decreased commercial and residential property values due to the presence of contaminated sediments
Economic Benefits
Large-scale remediation projects provide opportunities for jobs and stimulate the local economy
Potential increased property values from proximity to a clean river/harbor
Increased recreational use

22. Contact Information
David Cowgill
Chief, Technical Assistance and Analysis Branch
USEPA-Great Lakes National Program Office
77 W. Jackson Blvd. (G-17J)
Chicago, IL P: F: