Great Lakes Funding Opportunities

1. Great Lakes Funding Opportunities • Recovery Act • Great Lakes Restoration Initiative • Great Lakes Legacy Act David Cowgill June 19, 2009 Buffalo, NY

2. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) • http://www.epa.gov/recovery/

3. Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

4. Great Lakes Natural Features • Contain 20 percent of world’s fresh surface water • Span more than 750 miles west to east, 10,000 mile coastline • Unique landscape features: sand dunes, coastal wetlands, 20,000 islands, rocky shorelines, prairies, savannas, alvars, and forests.

5. Great Lakes Economic Importance • In the Great Lakes Basin: • 20% of all U.S. timberland • 20% of all U.S. manufacturing • 58% of cars made in the U.S. and Canada • $4.5 billion commercial/recreational fishing industry • Recreational boating: $9.4 billion & 60,000 jobs • In the eight Great Lakes States: • One-third of all U.S. registered recreational boats • Generate $18 billion/year in revenue from hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching • The Great Lakes States: • Make up the world’s third largest economy (after the U.S. and Japan) • Would be the eleventh largest country in the world

6. Great Lakes Federal Funding for Environmental Protection • $643 million in FY 2008 • $551 million President’s Budget for FY 2009 • $475 million in Proposed New Federal Funding for FY 2010, bringing the total to approximately $1 billion annually

7. President’s FY2010 Budget AnnouncementFebruary 26, 2009 “The 2010 Budget includes a new $475 million inter-agency initiative to address regional issues that affect the Great Lakes, such as invasive species, non-point source pollution, and contaminated sediment. This initiative will use outcome-oriented performance goals and measures to target the most significant problems and track progress in addressing them. EPA and its Federal partners will coordinate State, tribal, local, and industry actions to protect, maintain, and restore the chemical, biological, and physical integrity of the Great Lakes.”

8. Five Focus Areas • Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern • Invasive Species • Nearshore Health and Nonpoint Source Pollution • Habitat and Wildlife Protection and Restoration • Accountability, Monitoring, Evaluation, Communication, and Partnerships

9. Agency Proposals to Achieve Goals and Objectives of Plan • Proposals requested from Federal Agencies to achieve objectives for each of Focus Areas • 16 Agencies initially submitted 194 proposals requesting $867 million • Extensive coordination and interaction among Agencies

10. Provisional FY2010 Allocations

11. Where Does the Money Go? • Over $270M for grants, cooperative agreements, or project cooperation agreements that will be awarded by EPA or other Federal agencies to non-Federal partners • 45% (>$215M) just for grants and cooperative agreements

12. How Do Funds Get to Projects? • Summer 2009 process will begin to coordinate Request(s) for Proposals by EPA and other Agencies • Utilization of existing funding mechanisms • Intended Result: On-the-ground projects in FY2010

13. Next Steps • Congressional Appropriation • Request(s) for Proposals • Public/Stakeholder Consultation to develop Great Lakes Restoration Plan Framework (FY2010-2014)

14. Great Lakes Legacy Act

15. Great Lakes Legacy Act…a new “tool” in the Great Lakes sediment remediation toolbox • Goal: Accelerate the pace of sediment remediation at Areas of Concern (AOCs) • Use partnerships as an innovative approach to conducting sediment remediation • Program administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO)

16. GLLA Project Types Must be in U.S. Areas of Concern (AOCs) and: • Implement a plan to remediate contaminated sediment (highest priority) • Monitor or evaluate contaminated sediment • Prevent further or renewed sediment contamination

17. GLLA Authorization and Appropriation • The Great Lakes Legacy Act yearly authorization (FY2004 through FY2008): • $50M - contaminated sediment “projects” • $3M - research/development of innovative technologies • $1M - public information - contaminated sediment remediation $10 M appropriated in FY2004 $22 M in FY2005 $29 M in FY2006 $30 M in FY2007 $35 M in FY2008 $37 M in FY2009

18. What has been achieved • Accelerated the pace of sediment remediation in the Great Lakes • 5 sites remediated in 4 years; 3 underway; 1 imminent • 6 more sites in development or assessment • Removed 880,000+ cubic yards of sediment containing over 1.7M lb of contaminants • Funded $53 M in cleanup projects and leveraged $44 M in non-federal funding • States, industries, cities, businesses, organizations

19. What has been achieved • Cost sharing has created new partnerships and strong collaborations that result in better projects • Honoring polluter pay principle while maximizing resources to clean up contaminated sediments in the Great Lakes • R2R Remediation to Restoration is underway • GLLA Reauthorized

20. The newly reauthorized GLLA GLLA Reauthorization (2009-2010) • Level Funding Authorization $50 M/year • Allows for habitat restoration in conjunction with remediation • Identify PRPs connected with the site • Site characterization at 100% federal

21. Economic Impacts of Sediment Contamination • Economic Impacts • Increased cost to industry if loss of needed navigation depth due to the presence of contamination • Decreased commercial and residential property values due to the presence of contaminated sediments • Economic Benefits • Large-scale remediation projects provide opportunities for jobs and stimulate the local economy • Potential increased property values from proximity to a clean river/harbor • Increased recreational use

22. Contact Information David Cowgill Chief, Technical Assistance and Analysis Branch USEPA-Great Lakes National Program Office 77 W. Jackson Blvd. (G-17J) Chicago, IL 60604 P: 312-353-3576 F: 312-353-2018 email: cowgill.david@epa.gov www.epa.gov/greatlakes/glla