“We know that what’s good for the Great Lakes is also good for the economy.  And if we cut or diminish our investment in cleaning up Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes, we will not see that kind of investment.  That’s why we are really pushing lawmakers in Congress and the Obama Administration to maintain the Great Lakes as a national priority,” Lubetkin said.

Lubetkin says Congress would save more money if it invests into protecting the Great Lakes now before problems, ranging from farm runoff to invasive species, worsen and become more expensive to treat.