Study: Great Lakes cleanup could mean millions for Duluth

Restoring the waters could bring major financial benefits for the region's economy, researchers say.

By RICHARD MERYHEW, Star Tribune

Last update: April 16, 2008 - 8:49 PM

A major cleanup of the Great Lakes could mean billions of dollars in economic benefits for cities around the lakes and as much as $300 million for Duluth, according to a study released Wednesday by the Brookings Institution.

The study follows a 2007 Brookings report that found that restoring the lakes would generate short- and long-term economic gains by increasing fish populations, protecting habitat, boosting property values and drawing tourists and new residents to the largely industrial cities around the lakes.

"The region is in major transition economically," said George Kuper, president of the Council of Great Lakes Industries. "Restoring the Great Lakes will provide concrete economic gain for our cities. That's the upside. But the downside is the investment in the Great Lakes must be made soon -- very soon. The health of the Great Lakes is not standing still. It's declining."

Scientists have long worried about the deteriorating quality of the lakes.

Robert Litan, an economist who led the research team conducting the study, said Wednesday that raw sewage is still being dumped in some of the lakes and wildlife habitat is diminishing. The buildup of contaminated sediments has also stressed the waters, he said.

It is estimated that it would take $20 billion to clean up the lakes. But Litan said the short- and long-term economic spinoff -- from the hiring of contractors and workers who would spend money in Great Lakes cities to the projected boost in tourism and business -- would be twice that, justifying the cost.

Detroit and Chicago, the Great Lakes cities with the largest populations, would see the greatest economic gains -- from $3.7 billion to $13.3 billion, respectively. Duluth, meanwhile, could see gains of $200 million to $300 million, the report said.

Recent efforts to restore the Great Lakes have been in the works since 2005, when a regional collaboration made up of government agencies, businesses, environmental leaders and tribal governments spelled out a strategy for doing so. At the same time, the nonprofit Brookings Institution, working with government, industry and environmental leaders, independently studied the effect of cleanup on the economy.

John Austin, a senior fellow with Brookings, said Congress has appropriated some money for cleanup. He said legislative efforts are in the works to implement "pieces of this puzzle."

Duluth Mayor Don Ness said Wednesday that the report confirms what Duluth residents already know: The health of their lake -- Lake Superior -- plays a vital role in the health of their local economy.

"Duluthians see protecting the lake as our most sacred responsibility as a community," Ness said. "So we are going to be putting tens of millions of dollars into improvements into our sanitary sewer system and storm sewer system to ensure that the lake stays pristine."

Richard Meryhew • 612-673-4425

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