• States will lose authority to establish their own standards on ballast water discharges under a bill sent to President Donald Trump in November. S. 140, however, does establish a process for Great Lakes governors to pursue basin-wide discharge requirements that are more stringent than the federal standard and that could better protect the lakes from invasive species. The Alliance for the Great Lakes says the recently passed legislation marks a "dramatic improvement" over other versions of the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act. For example, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will maintain authority to set discharge standards via its enforcement of the Clean Water Act. Other proposals have called for eliminating the EPA's authority and handing over control to the U.S. Coast Guard. Another provision in S.140 authorizes $50 million in funding for a program that focuses on stopping the introduction and spread of invasive species in the Great Lakes — through improved early detection, monitoring and rapid response.

• Legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate that would prohibit sewage overflows that pollute the Great Lakes, require states to establish notice requirements when these sewage overflows occur, and establish a new federal fund to help pay for local infrastructure projects that prevent these overflows from occurring.

• The Michigan House passed a package of bills in October that aim to protect the Straits of Mackinac — and the entire Great Lakes — from an oil spill. Together, these bills: a) establish new reporting requirements for pipeline operators, b) increase penalties for those responsible for negligence or criminal damage to public utilities, c) establish clear penalties for vessels that break maritime laws and jeopardize the safety of Michigan’s waterways, and d) establish the Straits as a no-anchor zone. Sponsors of the legislation include Reps. Lee Chatfield and Triston Cole, both of whom are members of the Great Lakes Legislative Caucus. Also in October, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder announced a new agreement with Enbridge Energy — the owner and operator of the twin, 65-year-old pipelines (known as "Line 5") that are located under the Straits of Mackinac and that carry up to 540,000 barrels of light crude oil and natural gas every day. Under the agreement, Enbridge has agreed to replace the portion of its Line 5 pipeline that currently runs under the Straits. In its place will be a new pipeline and protective tunnel.

• Concerns about the presence of man-made chemicals such as PFAS and 1,4-dioxane in drinking water continue to lead to new legislative proposals in the region's state capitols. Recent examples include a proposal in Pennsylvania to lower acceptable levels of PFOA and PFOS in drinking water to 5 parts per trillion and legislation in New York that would establish a maximum contaminant level (-0.35 parts per billion) for 1,4-Dioxane in public water supplies.

• assuring the availability of safe, clean, affordable drinking water;
• encouraging infrastructure improvements to reduce nutrient runoff, including the installation of green infrastructure; and
• supporting the sustainable economic development of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence coastal communities, including the restoration and preservation of habitat.