Billion Great Lakes Plan Trigger Cleanup Or Brush-off?

A restoration plan for the Great Lakes, drafted by a number of local, state, and federal officials, comes at a critical juncture in the history of the region. Scientists say the health of the region’s water resources is sagging under the combined weight of sewage and chemical dumping, climate change, alien invasive species, and intense development around critical wetlands, lakes, and rivers. Meanwhile, once potent economic engines such as Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois are struggling with high unemployment, falling household incomes, and rising poverty rates. Racine, located between Chicago and Milwaukee, has the highest jobless rate in Wisconsin.