TAFT JOINS GREAT LAKES MAYORS IN SUPPORT OF GREAT LAKES
COLUMBUS (December 12, 2003) - Governor Bob Taft today joined Great Lakes mayors and members of Congress to push for federal legislation to protect and restore the Great Lakes. The Governor spoke at the winter meeting of the Great Lakes Cities Initiative, a group of Great Lakes mayors chaired by Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.
"If we believe as a nation in environmental protection, we must protect the Great Lakes," said Taft. "Our lakes are in trouble, and our own future depends on how successfully we work together to restore them. We can and must harness the Great Lakes' power to bring commerce to the regional and national economy for today's families, while safeguarding the ecosystem for future generations."
Taft, chairman of the Council of Great Lakes Governors, outlined efforts by Ohio and other Great Lakes states and provinces to secure and preserve the environmental well-being of lake and coastal resources. Calling for a coordinated effort, the Governor reinforced the commitment of the Council of Great Lakes Governors to work with the Great Lakes Cities Initiative mayors to push for enactment of federal legislation for the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes.
Taft also spoke in support of pending legislation in the U.S. Senate, and thanked bill sponsors Senator Mike DeWine of Ohio and Senator Carl Levin of Michigan. The legislation would provide federal support for the preservation and restoration of the Great Lakes.
In a recent speech at the Toledo Water Conference on November 14, Governor Taft addressed these issues and called upon President Bush to support passage of legislation to restore the Great Lakes.
Formed by Mayor Daley, the Great Lakes Cities Initiative is composed of U.S. and Canadian mayors. The Initiative has members from more than 40 cities in the United States and Canada, and aims to give mayors a stronger, unified voice into policies affecting the Great Lakes, and to share ideas and programs that affect Great Lakes ecology.
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For information on the Council of Great Lakes Governors, visit http://www.cglg.org.
Contact: Orest Holubec, press secretary, at (614) 644-0957.