releases: https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=EF784B9C-4310-401A-ABCB-7372CC503F3F
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
This data as json
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| https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=EF784B9C-4310-401A-ABCB-7372CC503F3F | More Portman Water Bills Signed Into Law | 2016-12-16 | 2016 | 2016-12 | Republican | House | OH | Rob Portman | P000449 | www.portman.senate.gov | legacy | Will Help Upgrade Our Water Infrastructure, Ensure Safe Drinking Water, & Protect the Great Lakes Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) announced today that bipartisan legislation he co-authored included in The Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act was signed into law today. The law contains Portman-led reforms that aim to end Flint-like water crises, prevent inappropriate disposal of dredged materials from the Cleveland Harbor, and renew the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. “Every Ohioan deserves access to safe drinking water and we owe it to our future generations to protect the health of our Great Lakes. This bipartisan legislation—now the law of the land—makes important progress on both goals,” said Portman. “The WIIN Act provides the resources necessary to upgrade our water infrastructure throughout Ohio and the country, and I’m pleased my bipartisan initiatives were included in the legislation the president signed into law today.” The Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act includes the following Portman-led initiatives: The law includes Portman legislation that would prevent the Army Corps of Engineers from determining that dredged material is safe to dump into Lake Erie from the Cleveland Harbor dredging project unless the Ohio EPA agrees. It ensures that the Army Corps of Engineers complies with state water quality standards when determining the Federal Standard for disposing of dredged material. The law also contains legislation Portman authored with Illinois Senator Mark Kirk to reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). GLRI is a results-driven program to address the most serious issues that threaten the ecological and economic wellbeing of the Great Lakes basin, including invasive species, pollution, and toxic contamination. The legislation authorizes GLRI to receive $300 million a year, which is $50 million more than President Obama requested in his budget. The law includes a bipartisan compromise designed to end crises like the one in Flint, Michigan, which will provide $170 million for states, including Ohio, to address lead in our water supply, improve all forms of water infrastructure, and fund health programs to treat lead exposure. Portman helped developed this bipartisan compromise with Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), and Gary Peters (D-MI). The law requires the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a study on the final flood control, ecosystem restoration, and recreation components of Cincinnati Riverfront Park. This will authorize an additional $30 million to complete the park if the study determines the components are feasible. The final bipartisan Portman bill included is the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act, which he worked on with Senator Amy Klobuchar. This legislation provides critical resources to conserve and restore fish and wildlife populations in the Great Lakes. The legislation would authorize the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to partner with other federal agencies, states, and tribes to develop and execute proposals for the restoration of fish and wildlife resources in the Great Lakes Basin. The Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act serves an important role in implementing the GLRI and will renew continued cooperative efforts to address impacts associated with invasive species throughout the Great Lakes Basin. NOTE: Portman has championed numerous pieces of legislation to protect and preserve clean drinking water and the health of Lake Erie. Earlier this year, Portman received a Clean Water Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) for his efforts to make drinking water safe for all Ohioans, protect Lake Erie from dredged materials, harmful algal blooms, harmful plastic microbeads and invasive species, and more. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |