Reps. Acciavatti, Palmer, Brandenburg, Drolet, Taub, Hager, Adamini, Rocca, Gieleghem, Bieda, Farhat, Accavitti, Amos, DeRossett, Ehardt, Gaffney, Kooiman, Meyer, Murphy, Pappageorge, Pastor, Shaffer, Stahl, Tobocman, Vagnozzi, Waters and Wojno offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 128.

            A resolution to memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact the Great Lakes Controlled Data Collection and Monitoring Act.

            Whereas, The Great Lakes constitute a critically important resource for our nation.  The long-term health of this vast and complicated freshwater network is fundamental to the quality of life through its impact on public health, commerce, transportation, and recreation; and

            Whereas, The ongoing challenge of protecting the Great Lakes is complicated by the many threats the lakes face, the number of units of government within its basin, and inconsistencies in how data on the water is gathered, assessed, and acted upon; and

            Whereas, In spite of the efforts of many public entities committed to protecting the Great Lakes, there is insufficient and inconsistent data on the impact that restoration efforts are having on water quality.  The lack of data was confirmed by the General Accounting Office in a May 2003 report.  Without reliable information, it is impossible to determine to what extent the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between our nation and Canada is progressing or whether federal and state water quality standards and programs are effective; and

            Whereas, Legislation is pending in Congress that would directly address the issue of how data on the Great Lakes is collected and assessed.  The Great Lakes Controlled Data Collection and Monitoring Act, H.R. 2668, would direct the Great Lakes National Program Office of the Environmental Protection Agency to develop, implement, monitor, and report on indicators of water quality and related environmental factors in the Great Lakes.  The legislation also authorizes appropriations to carry out this much-needed work; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we memorialize the Congress of the United States to enact the Great Lakes Controlled Data Collection and Monitoring Act; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.