From cleanup to science to research, federal funding freeze raises Great Lakes concerns

USA Today

28-01-2025

The health of the Great Lakes, a vital resource and historical treasure for millions, faces an uncertain future as President Donald Trump's temporary freeze on grants and loans takes effect.
The sweeping move by the Trump administration has cast uncertainty over funding long considered essential for protecting the basin, monitoring its health and preserving its maritime heritage through marine and shipwreck sanctuaries.
And while Congressional Democrats challenge the order's legality, scientists, agencies and environmental groups are left to wait and see what happens next.
Here's what we know so far about what the federal funding freeze means for the Great Lakes region and Milwaukee.
More:Trump orders temporary freeze on federal grants. Here's how that could affect Wisconsin
Great Lakes, Milwaukee cleanup efforts
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District communications manager Bill Graffin expressed concern about how the pause would impact the "area of concern" cleanup effort in Milwaukee. The "areas of concern" are the most polluted and damaged sites across the basin, largely due to legacy contamination from industry and habitat degradation.
Funding for the massive cleanup effort is through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which has provided targeted funding towards restoring the most polluted sites in the Great Lakes basin, like Milwaukee.
The city has greatly benefited from the program; it recently received $450 million in federal grants from the program. Projects include dredging contaminated sediment at the bottom of Milwaukee's three rivers and Lake Michigan; building a new facility that will hold the contaminated sediment; and restoring fish habitat and beaches, like at Bay View's South Shore Park.
Much of the funding for the area of concern cleanup is targeted towards environmental justice efforts as pollution and climate change disproportionately impact communities that face racial and economic marginalization in Milwaukee. Targeted funding towards these efforts may be up in the air as the Trump administration targets diversity, equity and inclusion in federal programs and agencies.
While the move has been couched as a temporary pause, Don Jodrey, the director of federal relations at the Alliance for the Great Lakes, said that if it does become permanent there would be negative consequences throughout the Great Lakes and in Milwaukee.
'Citizens of Milwaukee can identify how important the area of concern cleanup effort is, and it won't go forward without federal funding,' Jodrey said.
More:Great Lakes, PFAS, lead pipes: How Trump's policies could impact Wisconsin's environment
Great Lakes research, shipwrecks, marine sanctuaries
Federal funding helps keep science moving throughout the eight Great Lakes states.
Rebecca Klaper, dean of UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, expressed concern over delays in receiving federal funds to support research, staff and small business grants through the School. Federal selection committees and panels to select future grant recipients were canceled this week, Klaper said.
Federal funding is really important for the science and technology workforce. 'We are crossing our fingers,' Klaper said.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is a federal agency that plays a big role in research and monitoring in the Great Lakes. The agency also funds projects to help coastal communities build resilience and manage flooding, as climate change brings wetter weather and greater swings in lake levels in Wisconsin.
NOAA also helps protect the basin's history and ecosystems through its national marine sanctuaries, like the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Michigan and the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Huron.
Scott Smullen, deputy director of NOAA communications, said in an emailed statement that NOAA cannot speculate on future actions or potential changes at this time, but the agency 'remains dedicated to its mission, providing timely information, research, and resources that serve the American public and ensure our nation's environmental and economic resilience.'
Caitlin Looby is a Report for America corps member who writes about the environment and the Great Lakes. Reach her [e-mail], follow her on X@caitlooby and learn more about how she approaches her reporting.
Please consider supporting journalism that informs our democracy with a tax-deductible gift to this reporting effort atjsonline.com/RFA or by check made out to The GroundTruth Project with subject line Report for America Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Campaign. Address: The GroundTruth Project, Lockbox Services, 9450 SW Gemini Dr, PMB 46837, Beaverton, Oregon 97008-7105.