U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown discussed issues pertaining to the Cleveland Harbor in a meeting yesterday with officials from the Army Corps of Engineers’ Buffalo District, which encompasses northern Ohio. Brown met with Deputy District Commander Martin Lewton, Deputy for Programs, Planning, and Project Management Thomas Switala, Chief of Programs and Project Management Ron Kozlowski, and Chief of Planning Major Martin Wargo.
“T he Cleveland Harbor is critical to the commercial, historical, and recreational life of Northeast Ohio, ” Brown said. “ That’s why it’s so important to maintain the Corps’ dredging of the Harbor every year, so that shipping and other port-related activities can continue without interruption.
“ We must also continue to be vigilant about preventing Asian carp’s spread to the Great Lakes and Lake Erie ,” Brown added. “ That means stepping up efforts to prevent the migration of Asian carp into Lake Erie—separating the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes if necessary—to preserve our lake for future generations of Ohioans.”
As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Brown has fought to fully fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). The GLRI is an interagency effort to target the most significant problems in the region and jumpstart restoration efforts to protect, maintain, and restore the chemical, biological, and physical integrity of the Great Lakes. GLRI funding has helped support the removal of invasive species and plants in Ohio, funded the Toledo Harbor Sediment Management Plan, and provided resources for a comprehensive monitoring program to assess the nearshore Lake Erie water quality.
Brown is also the original cosponsor of the Harbor Maintenance Act of 2011, a bipartisan bill that would help fund and maintain the nation’s harbors, including Cleveland’s.
[mappress]
Source: senate, November 4, 2011