Political Quotes

“as someone concerned with the health of the Great Lakes, I rise in support of H.R. 1856, the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research Amendments Act. I would also like to thank my distinguished colleague from Michigan for offering this bill as well as for his leadership on this and other issues of importance to the Great Lakes. As has been noted, harmful algal blooms are dense patches of toxic algae, which can poison marine life. Harmful algal blooms can also become airborne and cause respiratory problems in humans. Worse still, when the toxic algae decays, it can cause hypoxia, or a condition where all the oxygen in the water surrounding the algal bloom is consumed, resulting in a 'dead zone' where no living thing can survive. These algal blooms plague the Gulf of Mexico, the Chesapeake Bay and many of the Great Lakes, notably Lake Erie. In fact, a recent report estimates that more than half of the Nation's estuaries experience hypoxic conditions at some time each year. Economic impact of harmful algal blooms in United States average annually $50 million, but individual outbreaks can cause economic damage that far exceed the annual average. Total public health impacts due to shellfish poisoning from harmful algal blooms averaged $22 million between 1987-1992. H.R. 1856 will help us to better understand harmful algal blooms by increasing and updating research programs at NOAA.”