{"id":349988,"date":"2010-02-22T15:12:35","date_gmt":"2010-02-22T20:12:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.greenrightnow.com\/?p=9304"},"modified":"2010-02-22T15:12:35","modified_gmt":"2010-02-22T20:12:35","slug":"epa-announces-plan-to-clean-up-great-lakes-and-fight-those-ginormous-invading-fish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/349988","title":{"rendered":"EPA announces plan to clean up Great Lakes and fight those ginormous invading fish"},"content":{"rendered":"

From Green Right Now Reports<\/strong><\/p>\n

Even after monumental clean-ups that rescued the Great Lakes from acid rain and industrial dumping in the 20th Century, these national water resources continue to suffer environmental assaults.<\/p>\n

Sewage overflows into the lakes — some 25 billion gallons of untreated sewage from 20 cities in 2008 — have resulted in waters that periodically test positive for dangerous levels of E coli in 2008, according to a report<\/a> by the Natural Resources Defense Council.<\/p>\n

\"Asian<\/p>\n

Asian Carp (Photo: US Fish and Wildlife Service.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Lately, too, the lakes are under threat from the large and destructive Asian carp<\/a>, an invasive species that has been making its way up rivers to Lake Michigan, where scientists say it could annihilate whole populations of native fish, creating havoc in the Great Lakes, and depleting food and fishing jobs. (The carp were imported decades ago by catfish farmers to clean their stock ponds; they escaped during Midwestern floods.)<\/p>\n

Today, the EPA officially unveiled a five-year plan<\/a> to help restore the Great Lakes, which supply 30 million people with water and support billions in fishing and recreational businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have an historic opportunity to restore and protect these waters. This action plan outlines our strategy to protect the environmental, human health, and economic interests of the millions of people who rely on the Great Lakes,\u201d said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. \u201cWe\u2019re committed to creating a new standard of care that will leave the Great Lakes better for the next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n

State governors were, predictably, pleased. Said Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, co-chair of the Council of Great Lakes Governors, \u201cWisconsin is defined by the Great Lakes, and one of our greatest responsibilities is to preserve this important freshwater resource for future generations. This action plan sets a strong course of action as we confront tremendous challenges to not only protect, but also restore the Great Lakes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must protect and preserve our lakes for our families and outdoors enthusiasts, as well as the industries that rely on the waterways to transport their goods around the world,” added CGLC co-chair\u00a0 Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, in the same news release.<\/p>\n

The five-year action plan was developed by 16 federal groups on an inter-agency task force headed by Jackson. It will have five areas of focus, according to an EPA news release:<\/p>\n