ENVIRONMENT

Michigan is endowed with incredible natural wealth. Over 90 percent of the Upper Peninsula is forested, and our state is home to more than five and a half million acres of state and national forest. No matter where you are in the state, you'll never be farther than six miles from a stream or lake, and the Great Lakes, which provide Michigan with the longest freshwater coastline in the nation, contain over a fifth of the world's fresh water.

Throughout his career, Senator Levin has worked to address a number of issues that threaten the integrity of Michigan’s environment, including water pollution, Canadian trash, urban sprawl, and global warming.

Global climate change is occurring and swift action is needed to protect our planet for future generations.  While the U.S. should take a leading role in addressing climate change, developing countries such as China and India, which are polluting more and more every year, and have surpassed U.S. emissions, must be part of an international solution to address global climate change. 

Senator Levin has supported legislation that offers an international approach to curbing the growing threat of global warming, and is committed to tackling national legislation aimed at this global problem in a meaningful and comprehensive manner that does not harm our economy.  To address global warming, Senator Levin has also supported efforts to invest in leap-ahead technologies, like hybrid and hydrogen vehicles, advanced biofuels, and renewable electricity generation that will dramatically lower our greenhouse gas emissions and reduce our dependence on non-sustainable sources of energy.

While it is best known for the beauty of its surrounding Great Lakes, Michigan also contains more than 11,000 inland lakes along with countless other streams, rivers and waterways.  Throughout his career, Senator Levin has prioritized his efforts to restore and protect these precious water resources.  Even though the Clean Water Act passed over 30 years ago, Senator Levin believes more can be done to protect Michigan’s lakes, rivers, and streams from environmental degradation.  That is why he is a sponsor of the Clean Water Restoration Act, which would strengthen the Clean Water Act by defining the waters that are subject to federal regulation in broader and more inclusive terms. 

Senator Levin has also long worked to secure funding for clean drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects throughout Michigan.  Municipal sewage discharges, urban storm sewer overflows and other forms of non-point source pollution threaten to dump massive amounts of pollutants into our waters.  During the most recent Water Resources Development Act (WRDA, H.R.1495), Senator Levin worked to successfully obtain an authorization of $35 million for a statewide environmental infrastructure project to correct combined sewer overflows (CSOs) in Michigan.  He also has consistently supported funding increases for the Clean Water, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF), and the USDA Rural Drinking Water programs.  Senator Levin is committed to making the necessary investments in water infrastructure to ensure the prevention of further contamination of Michigan’s precious water resources.

Senator Levin has also been a consistent advocate for the protection of endangered species, and has supported increased funding for a variety of programs, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s endangered species program, NOAA’s coastal habitat restoration programs, the National Wildlife Refuge System, state and tribal wildlife grants program, and the multinational species conservation fund.  More than 1,000 animal and plant species are listed as endangered or threatened in the United States.  In Michigan, there are 342 species that are endangered or threatened.