Bills offered in Congress to protect Great Lakes

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) Members of Congress are proposing to pump nearly $4 billion in federal money into Great Lakes environmental programs over the next five years.

Identical bills introduced Thursday in the House and Senate would authorize spending $475 million per year on the Obama administration's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.

That plan calls for stepping up efforts to fight invasive species, restore wildlife habitat and clean up polluted sites across the region.

The bills also would spend an additional $750 million a year on toxic sediment removal and $25 million annually for the Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes office.

President Barack Obama also is proposing big increases in spending to clean up and restore the lakes.

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