Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am very happy today to rise in support of S. 1342, the Great Lakes Environmental Sensitivity Index Act. I commend my colleagues, Senators Peters and Young and Representatives Kildee and Joyce, for their bipartisan, bicameral efforts on this legislation. The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater system by area in the world and are home to highly productive commercial and recreational fisheries, thriving coastal communities, and unique aquatic and terrestrial species. This legislation ensures that the Great Lakes are not left behind in environmental planning. The bill requires that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, update at least once every 7 years its environmental sensitivity index products for each coastal area of the Great Lakes. These environmental sensitivity indexes, or ESI maps, are crucial tools used in identifying sensitive coastal shorelines, biological resources, and human-use resources prior to a disaster like an oil spill. In emergencies, coastal managers and responders can then use these ESI maps to properly assess the situation, allocate and prioritize resources, and plan cleanups. The last time the Great Lakes environmental sensitivity indexes were updated was in the 1980s. As we all know, between the climate crisis and human development, our environment has changed dramatically across our country and world in that time.…”