Comments for Great Lakes Restoration Conference

Comment on Live from EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson at the Great Lakes Restoration Conference by Mich Enviro Report: Dow Making Solar Shingles & EPA Targeting Saginaw Bay « Mr Great Lakes

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:11:50 +0000

[...] says that over the next two years, her agency will prioritize efforts to reduce phosphorus pollution to Saginaw Bay. Ohio’s Maumee River and the Lower Fox River in Wisconsin also will be [...]

Comment on Offshore Wind in the Great Lakes Session by Frank Szollosi

Frank Szollosi — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:53:02 +0000

Thanks Jennifer…here’s the linkto the powerpoints:

http://conference.healthylakes.org/conference-updates/offshore-wind-balancing-efficiency-and-accountability/session-summary-offshore-wind-balancing-efficiency-and-accountability/

Comment on Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Tour by Great Lakes Restoration: Day 1 in Detroit : Wildlife Promise

Great Lakes Restoration: Day 1 in Detroit : Wildlife Promise — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:55:40 +0000

[...] Unlimited Leads Urban Restoration Tour to Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge—a Model of Successful Partnerships and [...]

Comment on Watch Live! – Great Lakes Now Live Stream by Kathryn McKenzie

Kathryn McKenzie — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:46:46 +0000

Thank you thank you.

I got it on Public TV and the internet and plan to write a letter to the editor

Comment on Watch Live! – Great Lakes Now Live Stream by Great Lakes Restoration: Day 1 in Detroit : Wildlife Promise

Great Lakes Restoration: Day 1 in Detroit : Wildlife Promise — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:35:49 +0000

[...] Feed Recording from the Great Lakes Town Hall, Featuring EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and other U.S. and Canadian [...]

Comment on Live from EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson at the Great Lakes Restoration Conference by Tammie Heazlit

Tammie Heazlit — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:50:36 +0000

I want to applaud all efforts towards restoration. However, I am concerned about variations from the national standard on both SEC and CAFO’s here. That seems counter productive. I believe all participants will enjoy the DIA. But wouldn’t it be more appropriate to take them to all the unmanaged construction sites that are completely void of any BMPs? I think it would be highly productive to allow all these great minds to brainstorm how this should be addressed. There is a serious problem with lack of on the ground compliance with any SEC. The results are clogged and backed up catch basins and pipes that break, pipe sediment and create sinkholes. The results are clogged canals, build up in the historic Mill Pond and others that require dredging. Deteriorating Dams from erosive turbid flows. And a massive issue in our bays and ports that require dredging, now with funding cut in half which will interrupt commerce. All of this carried a muti-billion dollar price tag that gets put back on the taxpayers. Then there is the phosphorus problem in places like Saginaw Bay, again lack of oversite or compliance on CAFOs. How is it that politicians are allowed to create variances from these laws in the first place? And how is it that save for the big names like Pulte homes, there is NO oversite, NO field presence, NO compliance? Lack of compliance and oversite kills inspector jobs, SEC installation jobs, SEC product manufacturing and sales jobs. Programs look good on paper, but I beg of you to take the time to take a tour and examine the SEC, or lack of it, in the SE MI area while you are here. The only sights that have any compliance in the routes I drive, are sights I specifically have called on, and that is not an exaggeration. I know there are numerous issues facing the Great Lakes that are daunting. But the approach in Michigan is reactive, vs proactive. And continuing to pretend that this is not a serious and very costly issue is simply irresponsible. I believe the source of the issue is because SEC frequently is not managed at the local level, but handed off to the county level, already unable to address their work load. This is in direct conflict with the intent of the MS4 program and permit, and the wording on Part1.Section B.5a/b, that declares the SEC program is to be part of the SWMP. On top of this, it is widely understood, based on comments made by Oak Co SEC personnel, that reigning in the Road Commission is not a task to take on. Too much power. I have petitioned continuously in attempt to get this issue addressed, and i rarely get a response. Even when I do, there seems to be agreement that there is a problem, but nothing ever happens. Please examine this issue and move it forward on your priorities list. Money for remediation is not nearly what it needs to be. Prevention or at the very least reduction at the source is more cost effective in a multitude of ways. So while there is much congratulation due to all those involved in this conference, there also needs to be a shifting of attention towards increased compliance and the changes in administration that will accomplish this.
thank you for the opportunity to comment.Respectfully submitted.