mentormarsh.jpeg

Federal money from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is being used to remove invasive reeds from the Mentor Marsh and the Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve.

(Tom Ondrey/Plain Dealer file photo)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Ohio's two U.S. senators and five of the state's members of the House of Representatives played key rolls in Great Lakes water legislation passed by Congress in the early morning hours Saturday.

The Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act contains three provisions vital to Lake Erie that:

Require the

Create a harmful algal bloom coordinator within the U.S. EPA;

Solidify the

The legislation is now headed to President Obama for his signature.

"Today is a great day for our Great Lakes," said Kristy Meyer, director of Natural Resources for the Ohio Environmental Council. "Amidst all the partisan gridlock in Congress, Republicans and Democrats came together for something we can all support -- a vibrant and healthy Lake Erie."

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, also joined a bipartisan compromise with three other senators to provide $170 million for Ohio and other states to address lead in drinking water, to improve water infrastructure, and to fund health programs to treat lead exposure.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, co-sponsored a provision of the bill to create a new federal grant program to help daycare centers and school districts test their drinking water for potential lead contamination. It includes requirements for public alerts in cases of lead contamination, federal aid to communities facing lead crises, and funding for water infrastructure projects and lead-prevention public health programs.

Portman and Brown also assisted in passage of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act, which will provide funding to help conserve and restore fish and wildlife populations in the Great Lakes.

"This landmark bill will help ensure children have clean drinking water and our families have a place to swim and fish," Meyer said.