| Fresh Water-Healthy Lives Engaging Everyone in Preventing a Great Lakes Crisis |
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| To learn more see Published Articles Continued Copyright 2006 Mary E. McKinney Schmidt |
October 8, 2007 Make Candidates Take Stand On Lakes Cleanup I have a question for those presidential candidates wooing my vote in 2008. How do you plan on funding the Great Lakes Implementation Act pending in the U.S. Congress? It is a $13.75 billion dollar question. The federal government is not paying the total cost of the Great Lakes cleanup. State and local governments and tribes must contribute almost half of the $26 billion price tag. But according to a report recently released by the Brookings Institution, the restoration efforts will generate over $50 billion in benefits to the country. “Anytime the government can get a two-to-one-return, it is worth the investment,” said economist Robert Litan, Brookings Senior Fellow and one of the report’s authors. The legislation implements the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy, a plan that addresses issues that threaten the Great Lakes ecosystem. Included are sewage system overflows, invasive species, declining wetlands, non- point contamination sources, the highly toxic sediments in 43 Areas of Concern identified by the U.S. and Canadian governments in 1987, and other pollutants that contaminate the region’s waterways. Tackling these issues will boost property values, the report documents. It protects key growth industries like tourism, fishing, boating, and outdoor recreation. In addition, the infusion of federal money will create hundreds of thousands of construction jobs in the short term and provide opportunities for scientists, engineers, technicians. This legislation assists a struggling industrial region in transition, a region that is home to almost one third of the nation’ s population. And in a highly competitive global arena, the United States economy depends on the prosperity of all its regions, the report explains. I think of it as seed money, money invested to generate long- term gains. But there is another reason I am making this my number one issue in 2008. These waters define Michigan, literally and figuratively. The Great Lakes provide our drinking water, create a quality of life, transport supplies to manufacturers, water to our farms, and tourists to our shoreline communities. They also offer Michigan an opportunity to redefine its role in the global economy, to create a new platform for economic prosperity. In a world where fresh water is the scarcest natural resource, there is a need for leadership in the restoration, treatment and conservation of fresh water. Who better to take the lead in understanding the science and creating solutions than “The Great Lakes State?” With its network of world-class colleges and universities, its rich history in manufacturing, its entrepreneurial culture that created new markets in the automotive, furniture, and agriculture industries and its focus on outdoor recreation, Michigan is uniquely positioned to become the leader in the science, technology and industry of clean, fresh water management. That is why my vote has a $13.75 billion price tag. Michigan must leverage its position as a “swing state” in the 2008 elections. The state must use the ammunition provided by the Brookings report to insist every Presidential candidate outline a plan to fund the Great Lakes restoration legislation. It is up to Michigan’s Republican and Democratic Party Chairs to make sure it happens. That’s why I’m mailing them a copy of this column. You should do the same. Our votes can make a difference in 2008. We must not give them away.
520 Seymour St. Lansing, MI 48933 Democrat Party Chair Mark Brewer 606 Townsend Lansing, MI 48933 |
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Lighthouse photographs on this page courtesy of Greg Holcombe.
Contact the Democratic and Republican Chairs for your state. Ask that all 2008 Presidential candidates outline a plan to fund the restoration of the Great Lakes. These waters represent 20% of the world's freshwater, 90% of the surface freshwater for the United States. The longer we wait, the more expensive and difficult the job of clean-up, |
- The Holland Sentinel
November 11, 2007
The Pollutants in Your Medicine Cabinet
Tucked back in the loneliest corner of my medicine cabinet is a stack of expired
and unused medications.
Until several weeks ago, I had given the plastic containers little thought. But what
becomes of those medications is an issue plaguing scientists as they research
the increasing levels of pharmaceuticals found in our rivers, lakes and
groundwater.
There are no consistent guidelines on how best to dispose of unwanted
medications, Ted Smith of the Environmental Protection Agency told a group of
scientists gathered in Traverse City last month to discuss the health of Lake
Michigan.
Most people flush the medications down the toilet or toss them in the trash. Both
methods wreak havoc with the environment, contaminating our waters and
affecting fish, flora and other aquatic wildlife.
“Our sewage treatment facilities are not designed to treat the substances
contained in medications,” he explained. “Whether medications are flushed down
the toilet or end up in landfill waters treated by municipal facilities, the result is the
same. Most of the chemicals pass through the facility and end up in our
watershed.”
But hording unused medications around the house is not the answer, according to
Joe Starinchak of the Department of U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife. That invites
trouble like theft, abuse or misuse, he warned.
With the U.S. Center for Disease Control reporting significant increases in
medication consumption, particularly by the elderly, proper disposal of
medications is a growing concern.
Other countries have initiated take-back programs. In Canada, the pharmaceutical
industry voluntarily established a program allowing citizens to return unused
medications directly to their pharmacy. Eleven of the European countries have a
similar program, half financed by municipalities, half funded by the pharmaceutical
industry.
Unfortunately, in this country the spider web of local, state and federal government
regulations make a national program impossible. It is up to each community to
develop its own solution.
As one of Money Magazine’s top five places to retire, Holland needs an easy-to-use
medication disposal program. And while government agencies like the Drug
Enforcement Agency must be involved, they do not have to be the initiators.
In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, it was a coalition of religious organizations called
“Earth Keepers” that decided to make medication disposal a priority for the
community. Working with the EPA, the group launched an Earth Day collection
program that spanned 14 counties and drew participation from over 2,000 people
Residents of our community can and should find a creative solution to disposing of
unwanted and unused medications.
According to Scott Schroeder, waste management supervisor for the Ottawa
County Public Health Department, the county will complete its fourth household
hazardous waste drop-off center by year-end. And while the centers do not
currently handle medications, that is a possibility, he says.
Meanwhile, I am told, there is a better solution than stacking my unused
prescriptions in my cabinet.
“First, follow any special disposal instructions outlined on the container,”
Starinchak told me. “Scratch out all identifying personal information. Crush or
dissolve medications in water (same applies to liquids) and mix with kitty litter.
Place the kitty litter in a sealed plastic bag and dispose of it in the trash. Call your
pharmacist with questions.”
The back corner of my cabinet is now empty. Yours can be as well.
At a minimum, follow the recommendations of the Department of U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife. Diispose of your unused and unwanted medications by dissolving them in water and mixing with kitty litter prior to placing them in the trash. Consider initiating a community-wide medication disposal program with a civic or religious organization in your area. Working closely with the Drug Enforcement Agency, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and local governments, interested private organizations can become the catalyst for developing an easy- to-use medication disposal program to the community. |