U.S. Water News Online
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- A proposed restoration of the Great Lakes would generate at least $50 billion in economic gains -- twice as much as the cleanup would cost, according to a report issued recently.
The analysis by the Brookings Institution said healing the ecologically ailing lakes would help industries such as tourism and outdoor recreation. It also would boost property values, reduce wastewater treatment costs and attract new residents.
In addition to such long-term benefits, pumping government money into the region for the cleanup would have a temporary ripple effect worth $30 billion to $50 billion as contractors pay workers and make purchases, said economists with the research and policy institute in Washington, D.C.
"These restoration activities are not just nice things to do for the environment," said John Austin, a senior fellow with Brookings' Metropolitan Policy Program. Cleaning up the Great Lakes, he said, "will be a jobs engine."
Aside from showing that environmental protection doesn't necessarily require economic sacrifice, the report illustrates how government spending on improved water quality is worth the initial price, said Andy Buchsbaum, co-chairman of Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition.
"This investment pays off and it pays off quickly," he said.
Scientists have warned that the Great Lakes, which make up 90 percent of the nation's surface fresh water and nearly 20 percent of the worldwide supply, are verging on ecological breakdown. They are suffering from centuries of toxic pollution, wildlife habitat loss and other human-caused stresses.
The Great Lakes Regional Collaboration -- a partnership of government agencies, business and environmental groups, Indian tribes and other interests -- developed a wide-ranging restoration blueprint in 2005. Its estimated price tag was $20 billion, which the Brookings report said has since increased to $26 billion.
Nearly half the money would pay to upgrade wastewater treatment facilities blamed for dumping untreated sewage into the lakes, prompting beach closures in some cities.
Among other proposals: cleansing heavily polluted sites; restoring wetlands; preventing release of toxic chemicals; restoring habitat; and halting exotic species invasions.
Return to the U.S. Water News' archives page Or Return to the U.S. Water News Homepage
Editor@uswaternews.com
*Your Name:
*Your Email:
*Friend's Email:
Use a comma to separate e-mail addresses:
*Your Comments:
Hi, I thought you might like to read this article.
*Required Fields