POLICY AGENDA for 2018-2022
In 2018-2022, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus will focus its work on five key issue areas that affect the environmental health and economic vitality of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region:
Water Consumption • Assure the availability of safe, clean, affordable drinking water • Monitor the implementation of the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement Aquatic Invasive Species • Strengthen and harmonize state and provincial laws on ballast water • Monitor and support efforts to prevent the introduction of Asian carp into the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Toxic Substances • Support full federal funding in the U.S. and Canada for Great Lakes and St. Lawrence restoration and protection initiatives • Endorse each other’s efforts to obtain funding for cleaning up Areas of Concern (AOCs) • Identify the potential health effects of emerging contaminants in the water supply and best practices for protecting the public • Encourage public and private efforts to prevent oil spills and other industrial pollution Nutrient Pollution • Work with agricultural organizations to encourage the use of best practices for reducing nutrient runoff from agricultural land into the lakes and their tributaries • Encourage infrastructure improvements to reduce nutrient runoff, including the installation of green infrastructure Coastal Communities • Support the sustainable economic development of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence coastal communities, including the restoration and preservation of habitat • Support efforts to maintain the region’s locks and ports and to replace infrastructure when necessary to ensure the movement of cargo on the Great Lakes Annual meetings, quarterly web-meetings, Patricia Birkholz Institutes on Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Policy, regional legislative activity, and other advocacy efforts will focus on these issue areas. Should the need arise, emerging issues may be addressed as resources allow and as determined by the GLLC officers and Executive Committee.
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