The good news first, the questions second.
Most everyone agrees the Great Lakes are in sore need of more federal attention, but some have criticized the restoration movement's focus on dollars without a parallel focus on laws and regulations to protect the world's largest freshwater system from ongoing pollution problems.
For example, the plan calls for spending more than $60 million to combat invasive species, but it does not demand that the oceangoing vessels that are responsible for most of the new species introductions stop dumping their contaminated ballast.
And some have complained that the plan calls for spending more money on evaluating its own effectiveness than fighting the invasive species problem.
I don't think you can win against the shipping industry-these problems all started with the St. Lawrence Seaway opening, I believe. The shippers are a short sighted lot.
Posted by: "Freighter Fan" | November 01, 2009 at 11:43 AM