U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced membership of the Great Lakes Advisory Board (GLAB), an EPA federal advisory committee, at Grand Valley State University’s Annis Water Resource Institute with U.S. Congressmen Bill Huizenga (MI-02) and Fred Upton (MI-06). Administrator Wheeler re-established the GLAB in December 2018 to provide advice and recommendations on matters related to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) and the implementation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada.

“The advice received from the Board in past years has been a critical part of the work EPA has done, and continues to do, to restore and protect the Great Lakes,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Our work cleaning up the Great Lakes is far from over, and GLAB’s future efforts will ensure needed expertise is available for environmental agencies to use both here in the U.S. and in Canada.”

“The members of the re-established Great Lakes Advisory Board provide unique expertise that will assist EPA and its federal partners in making important progress to restore and protect the Great Lakes,” said Region 5 Administrator and Great Lakes National Program Manager Kurt Thiede.”

“By reconstituting the Great Lakes Advisory Board, President Trump and Administrator Wheeler continue to make the Great Lakes a national priority,” said U.S. Congressman Bill Huizenga, Co-Chair of the House Great Lakes Task Force. “With the selection of Dr. Alan Steinman to serve on the board, it’s clear the research being done by his team at Grand Valley State University’s Annis Water Resources Institute will play an even greater role in protecting, preserving, and strengthening the Great Lakes for future generations.”

“The good folks of southwest Michigan and across the state understand the value and beauty of the Great Lakes. Growing up on Lake Michigan’s shoreline, this issue is deeply personal to me. The Great Lakes Advisory Board – with its different backgrounds and perspectives – will serve an important role in preserving and protecting the Great Lakes for generations to come,” said U.S. Congressman Fred Upton.

The fourteen members serve as representatives of non-federal interests and report to the Administrator through the Great Lakes National Program Manager. The members represent a broad range of interests, including business groups, environmental organizations, academia and state, local and tribal governments. The members’ Great Lakes expertise, leadership experience, and community involvement creates a diverse board that will help the Agency restore and protect the Great Lakes.

“As the Chief Executive Officer of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, an organization committed to protecting one of the most valuable freshwater assets, Lake Erie, I am proud to co-chair the Great Lakes Advisory Board,” said co-chair Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells. “I look forward to working and collaborating with fellow committee members, finding solutions to important environmental and water quality issues impacting the Great Lakes and its people.”

“The GLRI continues to be a showcase in how to get work done in our treasured Great Lakes region. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Great Lakes Advisory Board and at the EPA on ways we can continue the progress we’ve seen to date and look for even greater successes in the future,” said co-chair Stephen Galarneau. “We are stronger through our partnerships and collaboration in implementing the GLRI and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.”

On April 1, EPA selected the following individuals to serve as members of the GLAB:

• Stephen Galarneau, director of the Office of Great Waters – Great Lakes & Mississippi River, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (Co-Chair)
• Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, chief executive officer, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (Co-Chair)
• Scudder Mackey, chief of the Office of Coastal Management, Ohio Department of Natural Resources
• Chad Able, administrator, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
• James Williams Jr, chairman, Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
• Jeff Stollenwerk, director of government and environmental affairs, Duluth Seaway Port Authority
• John Hull, founder and chairman, Hull & Associates Inc.
• Lisa Frede, director of regulatory affairs, Chemical Industry Council of Illinois
• Larry Antosch, senior director, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation
• Kay Nelson, director of environmental affairs, Northwest Indiana Forum
• J. Val Klump, dean and professor of the School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin
• Alan Steinman, director of Annis Water Resources Institute, Grand Valley State University
• Brian Miller, retired, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and Illinois Water Resources Center
• Sylvia Orduño, organizer, Michigan Welfare Rights Organization

In addition to the re-establishment of the GLAB, EPA recently announced an additional $20 million in GLRI funding for projects to address persistent challenges affecting the Great Lakes such as invasive species control and excess nutrients – demonstrating the Trump Administration’s increased focus and commitment to protecting and restoring the Great Lakes.