March 19, 2007

Racine (WI) Mayor Gary Becker appeared March 7 before the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment as Vice Chair of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative. The subcommittee of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is chaired by Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX).

Following are highlights of Becker’s testimony:

Good afternoon Madam Chairwoman and members of the Subcommittee. My name is Gary Becker and I am the Mayor of Racine, Wisconsin. I also serve as Vice Chair of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, a coalition of mayors from 39 member cities and 50 participating cites from the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region in the United States and Canada. Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago is our Founding Chair and Mayor David Miller of Toronto is our current Chair.

Great Lakes Mayors are extremely fortunate to be managing cities and towns located along a resource as incredible as the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes bring tremendous local and regional benefits in terms of economic development, trade, recreation, tourism and drinking water. At the same time, however, Great Lakes Mayors must deal with the problems of the Great Lakes on a daily basis. Whether it is making sure the water intakes are clear from zebra mussels, dealing with beach closings and unreliable water quality standards, operating wastewater treatment plants properly, or managing storm water, the people who work for me, just like those for all the other mayors across the basin, must make sure things are done right 24/7. These are very real issues for me, my fellow mayors, and the people who live in our cities.

Invasive species are a key issue for Great Lakes Mayors, causing extensive biological damage and resulting in billions of dollars of costs across the country and in the Great Lakes Basin. Over 180 different species have come in to the Great Lakes already, and they continue to arrive at the rate of one every six or seven months. Some of the most notable are the sea lamprey and zebra mussels.

Others very close to entering the Great Lakes are several varieties of Asian carp, already in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship canal less than 50 miles from Lake Michigan. Ballast water in ships is the most common pathway for entry into the system.

Cities have dealt with the zebra mussel problem for many years, with the clogging of drinking water intake structures being the primary concern. In my own City of Racine, we spent almost $1.4 million in 1995 for a new chemical feed system, chemical lines, and diffusers to address the situation. In operating expenses for chemicals and energy to fight the zebra mussels, the Racine Water Utility spends $30,000 to $40,000 annually.

The tragedy of this situation is that much of the invasive species problem could have been prevented. If action is not taken quickly, things will get worse. Many of the issues we deal with on the Great Lakes are the result of mistakes we made in the past, and now must pay the price. Rarely do we have the opportunity to prevent future damage by taking action now. This is one situation where we have that opportunity, and it would be a mistake not to take full advantage of it.

Comprehensive invasive species legislation on a national level is essential if we want to deal with the problem effectively. In fact, it is something we need to coordinate closely with our Canadian neighbors and make sure coverage includes the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence.

This legislation does not need to cost taxpayers a large amount of money. In fact, the lack of strong laws is costing the taxpayers much more already. The Federal government needs a strong program to restrict ballast water discharges and control the other pathways for invasive species. Costs incurred in controlling the flow of invasive species should be absorbed by the responsible businesses and the consumers of the products they produce and transport.

An additional problem with not having comprehensive federal laws is that states and local governments are finding it necessary to move ahead with their own efforts.

Chicago has passed an ordinance to prohibit the sale of live Asian carp as another means of dealing with the problem. Although this is helpful, it cannot solve the problem we are facing with invasive species on a broader scale.

Although the focus of today’s hearing is on invasive species, it is important to recognize that there are many other serious threats to the Great Lakes. Discharges of untreated or inadequately treated sewage from combined and sanitary sewer overflows are a major problem across the Basin. The infrastructure investments needed are in the billions of dollars, and only with significantly increased investments by Federal, state, and local governments will this problem be solved.

Great Lakes Mayors appreciate the recent action by this Subcommittee and the full Committee to advance three key water infrastructure bills (H.R. 569, H.R. 700 and H.R. 720). We are hopeful that the House will pass these bills.

Other key issues highlighted in the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy, which the Great Lakes region perceives as the blueprint for moving forward, were toxics, habitat and wetland protection, and contaminated sediments. These are the priority issues from the perspective of the Great Lakes Mayors.