AG Cox carps about Obama's stance on fish

A bighead carp, from the Asian Carp Management website. Click here to learn more.

LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox today said he is extremely disappointed by President Obama's choice to protect the narrow interests of his home state of Illinois while ignoring the pleas of Michigan and at least four other Great Lakes states which have asked the United States Supreme Court for the immediate closure of Chicago-area waterways containing Asian carp. Cox called on Obama to immediately meet with him, Governor Jennifer Granholm, and others to hear first-hand the concerns Great Lakes states have due to the immediate threat posed by the aggressive invasive species.

"I am extremely disappointed that President Obama sided with his home state while ignoring the concerns of the millions of families in Michigan, New York, Ohio, Wisconsin and Minnesota, whose jobs and way of life depends on protecting the Great Lakes from this economic and ecological disaster," said Cox. "I am hopeful, however, that by sitting down with us and listening to our concerns, he will come to recognize the urgency of protecting the jobs and ecology of the entire Great Lakes region."

Ask Stupak:

Press release

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak will hold town hall meetings in Ironwood, Ontonagon and Houghton during the first week of January. The meetings are open to the public and will provide an update on the health care bill, jobs and the economy, and other issues pending before Congress. Stupak will take questions. For a schedule, click the read more.

Senate bill to limit phosphorus use

WASHINGTON, DC – Legislation to limit domestic cleaning products, such as laundry detergents and dish washer soap, from containing more than 0.5 percent phosphorus has been introduced by U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak. H.R. 3946 would help protect the Great Lakes by requiring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide congress with recommendations on how to address the problem of high levels of phosphorus in the water system.

At the proper levels, nutrients including phosphorus are essential to aquatic ecosystems. However, excessive amounts of phosphorus are currently entering the Great Lakes from a number of sources. When too much phosphorus enters the waterways it causes excessive growth of algae, which in turn robs the water of the oxygen aquatic life needs to survive.

H.R. 3946 would require the EPA to analyze all of the accumulated data from federal agencies researching harmful algae blooms and send congress a set of recommendations on how to address the problem in the Great Lakes. This information is critical to understanding how to combat algae blooms caused by excessive nutrient dumping in the Great Lakes.

The bill would also amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to limit domestic cleaning products, such as laundry detergents and dish washer soap, from containing more than 0.5 percent phosphorus. While several states have already enacted similar bans with success, Stupak’s legislation is necessary to ensure comprehensive protection of the Great Lakes.

Reports on water quality conditions indicate that phosphorus and nitrogen are the leading causes of impairment in lakes, ponds and reservoirs and the second leading cause of impairment to bays and estuaries. In the Great Lakes, states have indentified nutrient contamination as a major cause of water impairment.

“Evidence shows efforts to reduce the flow of excessive nutrients into the Great Lakes can be successful,” Stupak said. “Efforts to date have been piecemeal, but this legislation will allow the federal government to do more to helps states combat this problem in a comprehensive manner.”

Congresswoman Candice Miller (R-MI) is a co-sponsor of H.R. 3946. Michigan Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) introduced a companion bill to H.R. 3946 in the U.S. Senate.

Bookmark with:

              

Grant expands rural health care

Mid Michigan Visiting Nurses Association: Michigan Home Care has been awarded $461,212 to purchase equipment for a mobile telemedicine system. The system will allow home care providers to transmit and monitor the health status of 740 cardiac post surgical patients and hospice patients over a rural 12-county area, including Arenac, Bay, Gladwin and Ogemaw Counties.

The funds were awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant program. The  program provides access to education, training and health care resources in rural areas.

The announcement came in a press release from U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak on Friday. Marquette General Health System also received $272,555 for video conferencing equipment to connect six rural hospitals and clinics to the health system. Totaling $733,767, the two grants expand health care services across Northern Michigan. 

Bookmark with: