Administration readies Great Lakes cleanup plan

The Obama administration is preparing to release a 5-year blueprint for fighting invasive species and otherwise improving the Great Lakes environment.

Lisa Jackson, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, has scheduled a news conference for Sunday morning in Washington to announce the plan.

President Barack Obama has pledged to spend $5 billion over a decade on restoring the lakes by attacking problems such as toxic contamination and wildlife habitat loss.

Last year, Congress appropriated $475 million toward that goal. Obama has requested an additional $300 million in his 2011 budget.

Jackson will outline specific steps for spending the money. Agencies plan to use some of it to prevent Asian carp from reaching the lakes.

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