Congress signs off on water bill with projects to help Lake Erie (via Cleveland.com)
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Senate on Wednesday signed off on legislation that authorizes federal spending for water projects and demands that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers promptly release a long-awaited final report on keeping Asian carp out of the Great Lakes.
The legislation, which was previously approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, contains language that would require the Corps to "make every effort" to comply with a February deadline to release its Brandon Road Study on how to keep Asian Carp from entering the Great Lakes and threatening its $7 billion fishing industry.
It also authorizes funding for a Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study (GLCRS) to protect and manage the Great Lakes coastline, and an increase in funds to modernize the Soo Locks in Michigan, which iron ore from Minnesota must traverse to reach Ohio's steel mills...read more.