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U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga to Co-Chair Great Lakes Task Force

U.S. Government

U.S. Representative Bill Huizenga has been elected to Co-Chair the Great Lakes Task Force.

WGVU with Congressman Huizenga about his new role.

As Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, U.S. Representative Bill Huizenga tells me he’s focused on Great Lakes protection including invasive species and proper economic and recreational usage.

“And that really boils down to, in a practical way, what are we doing with our harbors and our pier heads?”

Leading up to his election to the task force, the Zeeland Republican worked with former Michigan Congresswoman Candice Miller to designate the Great Lakes on continual waterway. In Federal government terms you need to think of size and scale.

Huizenga also lead a bi-partisan effort to make sure the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund has been used for harbor maintenance and dredging.

“Having Great Lakes harbors have to maintain the same tonnage coming in and out as somebody in the Gulf Coast or Charleston or San Diego doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. First of all we’re smaller. Second of all we’re seasonal. We definitely have seen those problems arise over the last several years as you’re seeing communities move away from coal-fired power plants, which many would argue is a good thing, whether it’s a good thing or bad thing it has dramatically affected the number of ports in and around the Great Lakes because of the amount of tonnage that comes through in the form of coal. So, we now have to kind of look at this differently I think and that’s something I’m going to continue to fight for.”

And it could be the assist necessary for commercial development and dock expansion along Lake Muskegon.

Patrick Center, WGVU News.

Patrick joined WGVU Public Media in December, 2008 after eight years of investigative reporting at Grand Rapids' WOOD-TV8 and three years at WYTV News Channel 33 in Youngstown, Ohio. As News and Public Affairs Director, Patrick manages our daily radio news operation and public interest television programming. An award-winning reporter, Patrick has won multiple Michigan Associated Press Best Reporter/Anchor awards and is a three-time Academy of Television Arts & Sciences EMMY Award winner with 14 nominations.