WASHINGTON  The federal government plans to spend $2.2 billion to clean up pollution in the Great Lakes and halt the spread of invasive species over the next five years. That plan, announced Sunday, marks a "significant investment" in fighting some of the biggest environmental threats to the nation's largest freshwater lakes, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson said. The EPA will use the money to prevent beach pollution, clean up toxic hot spots, and fight Asian carp and other invasive species. That effort "will leave the Great Lakes better for the next generation than the condition in which we inherited them," Jackson said. WILDLIFE OFFICIALS: Invasive carp threatens Great Lakes ASIAN CARP ADVANCE: Feds pass on surest battle solution The Great Lakes — spanning from Minnesota to New York— have faced environmental threats for decades, ranging from a legacy of industrial pollution to disappearing wetlands and invasive species that threaten local fish populations. State and federal agencies have attempted in the past to fix some of those problems, though most of the efforts have been modest. "We're on track today to do something the Great Lakes have been crying out for for years, and that's comprehensive restoration," said Joel Brammeier, president of the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Among the EPA's priorities is cleaning up long-polluted sections of the lakes. In the 1980s, the U.S. and Canadian governments identified 31 toxic hot spots on the U.S. side; since then, only one has been fully cleaned up. The EPA now plans to finish work at four others by 2014, though spokesman Brendan Gilfillan said the agency hasn't figured out which. The plan also takes a "zero tolerance" approach to invasive species such as Asian carp, which could crowd out native fish and imperil the Great Lakes fishing industry if they reach Lake Michigan. Congress has approved $475 million for the Great Lakes cleanup plan, though Jackson said little of the money has been spent. President Obama asked Congress for $300 million this year, and Jackson said he will seek even more in the years ahead. The EPA's plan announced Sunday will determine how the money is spent. Jackson announced the plan at a meeting of the nation's governors. Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, a Democrat, called the cleanup "extraordinarily important." Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, said it will "leave these bodies of water improved and protected." Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more