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| Lake Superior - Duluth, MN |
What is the issue?
The Great Lakes are becoming extremely polluted. They provide drinking water for 30 million people, swimming, recreation, food. Businesses depend on the lakes having water that can be made potable for citizens in the United States and Canada.
What current Legislation is proposed to address this issue?
H.R.425 TITLE: Great Lakes Water Protection Act.
"prohibit publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) from intentionally diverting waste streams to bypass any portion of the treatment facility if the diversion results in a discharge into the Great Lakes"
go to http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.php
Search for "water" and then control/find "H.R.425"
Who is affected the most? What is to be lost? Gained?
Passing the bill means water sewage plants would accrue fines after the 20 years given to upgrade their facilities if they did not meet the legal levels. Fines currently in place are capped at $37,500/day and would increase up to $100,000. This bill would make it easier to assess fines for those not meeting current set levels.
Not passing the bill; the fish, animal and plant life and the whole eco system will continue to be drastically affected. There are already signs in places along the lakes warning of water pollution and to avoid all contact. We who drink that water may feel it is us that are most effected, especially as water become more expensive and harder to filter.
What is gained by not passing this bill? Status quo. Waste continues to be dumped. There will be less planning for upgrading systems and spending money to do so at treatment facilities.
What is gained by passing the bill? Our water supply has a longer life. Money is saved for filtering the drinking water. Animals and the ecosystem continue, and perhaps do some healing. Money is gained in fines going to “generate financial resources for the Great Lakes states to improve wastewater treatment options, habitat protection and wastewater treatment systems.”
Consequences for individuals most effected, families and society?
Cost of drinking water filtration would increase for water treatment plants and citizens affecting us on an individual, family and societal level. Currently many illnesses arise each year from sewage in our drinking water; this would get worse. Lake Superior, being the largest Great, takes longer for contaminants to be noticed. There will be continued costs to society to cleaning the lake waters. jobs and businesses will be lost as people making their living working on the lake as fisherpersons, and eventually, recreation as those activities are not safe. Families may have struggles and this effects economy and society.
What is the economic Impact? To whom?
If the bill passes, treatment facilities will spend money upgrading to meet standards. There will be fines for those facilities not meeting standards in time. Economic costs if the bill does not pass are going to be costs keeping water clean enough to drink. We currently pay for that process and will, mostlikely continue. There is lost revenue from those whos livelihood depend on the lake in fishing or recreation. Chicago says that swim bans alone cost them 2.4 million each year in revenue. If illnesses arise from untreated water, that is another potential economic burden.
What are economic benefits? To whom?
Benefits, as it stands now, are gained by publicly owned treatment works that handle sewage not having to make changes in how they handle and route waste saving them money.
What are the social costs? Who bears them?
We all bear the cost if this does not pass. We may bear it no matter what, but the speed of the water toxicity will be much faster as a whole and certainly in particular areas. We need water to live. This not only affects our actual life, but water scarcity creates higher prices, fear and physical discomfort or illness. These things do not bring out the best in mankind. Who knows what chaos could occur out of desperation. Perhaps that is a long way down the road, or seems extreme, but if water can only be had by those who can afford it, that could set up very dangerous scenarios. If you add issues with diseases that can come with untreated sewage, that leads to a whole new set of challenges socially as well.
Where do we go for water if the lakes are not filterable? Looking at the information on this website that shows potential water shortages for various reasons, in the U.S.
http://www.global-warming-forecasts.com/water-supply-shortage-water-scarcity-climate.php
We see that going somewhere else to provide water isn't a very feasible option.
What are the social benefits? Who benefits?
Social benefits if the bill is passed will probably go unnoticed. We will have water and all the other benefits the Great Lakes bring us and, for society, this will be uneventful. We will still have concerns over the water because even with the change, we have work to do to clean and keep the lakes clean. The thirty Million people who utilize the Great Lakes for drinking water will benefit greatly.
What are the barriers? How can they be overcome?
The barriers are the sewage treatment plants not wanting to spend money to upgrade, perhaps not having the money to upgrade. My guess is that other industries around the Great Lakes not wanting to do their part effects the treatment facilities in justifying their stance on not spending funds to upgrade. For instance, The Coast Guard resists forcing shore disposal for the shipping industry causing two million pounds of cargo residue to be tossed in the lake each year saving $35 million each year for the shipping industry. Legislation has been relaxed for shipping, the treatment plants may want to get the same benefits. Citizens groups don’t have the money and man power to do as much education is needed.
I’m not sure how these hurdles can be overcome. Senator Durbin who is involved in the bill says “the bi-partisan legislative efforts reflected the public’s desire to keep the Great Lakes clean”. Hopefully that means that if people keep making their voice heard action will be more easily taken.
What resources are needed to address this Issue?
Money is always a helpful to use it to educate about the issue or as a tool to get people and government to do what we want. People need to keep speaking, sharing the facts, and working for this. Perhaps we can have some sway the treatment plants by pointing out it is 20 years and technology will have changed by then making some of these things easier. We can support and promote treatment plants and companies that are on board and following the guide lines even if the only real result is creating awareness about the issue.
What is the history on this issue?
The Clean Water Act has been in effect for 30 years and the amount of untreated sewage released into rivers and lakes is astounding. 1.3 trillion gallons according to Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat News. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed relaxations allowing more untreated waste to be dumped. This bill is looking to tighten some restrictions back up.
Who would support and oppose this issue?
Supporting this issue would be people living on the lake or in the area who use the lake for water, food and recreation. Waste treatment plants on the path to improve. People that believe the lakes are a precious resource and that scarcity of clean water is a potential. Native American people who believe in taking care of mother earth now and for future generations. The rest of the U.S. as time goes and less clean or just less water is available to other parts of the country.
Opposing this issue would be publicly owned treatment works that don’t have the funds to make the changes.
How can you involve allies and opponents in advocacy efforts?
These are publicly funded plants. We need to continue helping them and politicians understand the big picture of consequences to our drinking water, economy, health, revenue lost, etc. We can point out the 20 year window to make changes. Making the commitment to changes now may take away mandatory changes with less warning if things get worse rapidly. Those voting live in areas around the Great Lakes and these issues effect us all. According to the Buffalo News, these improvements will stimulate the economy which tends to be something they are interested in hearing about.
What do I recommend?
The eco system of the lakes are very complex; it's easy for us take them for granted by not understanding the intricacies of the balance and chain of events that happen when that balance is stressed. This issue isn’t in our drinking glass at the moment: we need to think to the future. Vote yes for this policy.
References
H.R.425 Great Lakes Water Protection Act
