Last week's fanfare over the $20 billion draft plan to restore the Great Lakes -- now out for public comment -- has yielded to a closer scrutiny of what's proposed.
While acknowledging the harm posed by invasive aquatic species, the plan calls for full control of ballast water, their major source, six years from now. That could allow another half dozen species to enter the Lakes.
And then there's the approach to toxic substances. Not even a serious mention of the new chemicals that are showing up in the Lakes at alarming levels, like the fire retardant PBDEs. Or, as one advocate recently said, "I feel like I'm time-warped back to the 70's when reading the Great Lakes Toxics Strategy. Have we really not moved on?"
The advocate added, "There is no mention of working with industry sectors to promote cleaner chemical use in cars, textiles, plastics, etc and to hold companies responsible to a safer chemicals policy...In short, I feel that unless the advocacy community presents an alternative vision we are following the same old tired path."
Posted by Dave at July 13, 2005 09:19 AM