Hamburg, N.Y. (WBEN) - Back in late January, Congressman Chris Jacobs was on-hand at Hoak's Restaurant in Hamburg advocating for the Save Our Seas (SOS) 2.0 Act, which is legislation that protects and ensures the health of Lake Erie and the other Great Lakes.
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More than three months later, Jacobs returned to Hamburg on Thursday to announce another federal measure he is taking to preserve the health of the Great Lakes. This time, it's with the mindset of blocking the construction and placement of wind turbines in the lakes.
"I have been fighting against wind turbines in our Great Lakes since I was a member of the United States Senate. Now as a member of Congress, I have introduced legislation to continue that fight," said Congressman Jacobs during a press conference, once again, at Hoak's Restaurant. "I am sure many of you remember - it was not too long ago - that pollution made and enjoying our Great Lakes to the fullest extent impossible. We have spent the last 50 years trying to get things out of our lakes. We do not need things getting in them again. We have done an immense amount of work to clean up our lakes. The incredibly disruptive process of building turbines, especially in Lake Erie, would risk elevating the toxins and pollutants that have settled at the bottom of a lake and the water column."
While millions of people in Western New York and around the Great Lakes have relied on the lakes for clean drinking water, Jacobs says the construction and operation of the wind turbines will also threaten the environment and wildlife populations of fish and birds around the lakes. Plus, recreation, tourism, sport and other industries that rely on the health of the Great Lakes will be impacted by the addition of wind turbines to the lake.
"Our lakes are our economic driver. Building turbines in them threatens our region's viability," Jacobs said. "The facts are that we just do not know about the impact, negative impact that wind turbines of these sizes and magnitude would have on our Great Lakes. No longer should our Great Lakes, Lake Erie be a guinea pig. We do not know enough right now to responsibly do this."
What Jacob's piece of legislation that was introduced to the House is intended to do is block wind turbines from being placed in the Great Lakes, while also prohibiting the granting of federal renewable credits to wind turbine projects that are located in the Great Lakes.
"My legislation would end that viability, and I believe would make these projects not viable and not possible," the Congressman said. "These lakes are regional treasures, integral to the communities and the health of our economy. We cannot afford the damage to the health of our Great Lakes, and I'm committed to protecting them."
"One reason our region is coming back is because our Great Lakes are coming back. It's because of the hard work of so many people over many, many, many years. We cannot go backward, and this type of project will do just that."
While this piece of legislation was just launched, Congressman Jacobs believes there's a good prospect for bipartisan support among his colleagues, especially those in-and-around the Great Lakes region.
You can listen to Thursday's entire press conference with Jacobs in the player below: