By an overwhelming vote of 417 to 3, the House of Representatives this evening passed comprehensive legislation to modernize the nation’s water transportation infrastructure. A longtime advocate for Lake Michigan harbors, Congressman Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, supported the legislation – the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013 (WRRDA), H.R. 3080 – which authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to carry out its mission to develop, maintain, and support our nation’s ports and wate... Read more

Saying that it was time to clean up the contaminated 80-acre in the middle of Kalamazoo, Congressman Fred Upton said Wednesday evening he would continue to support efforts of local citizens who want the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to remove the PCBs that have been there for decades rather than cap it and cover it. “It’s time for this mess to be cleaned up,” said Upton, who is also Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “PCBs, a known carcinogen, have been sitting here for ... Read more

U.S. Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and U.S. Representative Fred Upton (R-MI) today sent a letter to the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calling for the permanent removal of all PCB-contaminated materials from the Allied Disposal Site in Kalamazoo. “Cleaning up the Allied Disposal Site in Kalamazoo, Michigan is among the most important environmental remediation projects in the state,” the letter stated. “Mayor Bobby Hopewell has indicated t... Read more

Congressman Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, issued the following statement in response to the Obama administration’s release of the 2013 Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework. The updated framework adds several new measures to prevent the destructive species from accessing the Great Lakes, including strengthening the electric barrier system in the Chicago area and deploying new physical and chemical control tools. The administration also acknowledges the need for a long-term solution, citing a new pro... Read more

Watch video HERE There has been lots of activity these past few weeks in D.C. Monday morning we were joined by Congressman Fred Upton to talk about some of those important issues. http://wwmt.com/shared/news/features/top-stories/stories/wwmt_interview-fred-upton-activity-dc-11803.shtml Read more

By Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) and Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) - Congress passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to establish a deliberate, collaborative and mandatory process to site, license, build and operate a national permanent nuclear waste repository. The act obliges the federal government to safely dispose of high-level nuclear defense waste and commercial spent fuel from power plants. Electricity consumers and taxpayers have paid approximately $15 billion to determine if the Yucca Mountain... Read more

Congressman Fred Upton toured the Palisades nuclear power plant over the weekend now that the facility is back online. Palisades shut down for 43 days this year when it was discovered that a water tank in the control room was leaking. The problem was just the latest in a series of issues that had the NRC paying extra attention to the Van Buren County plant, and when it happened, Congressman Upton said he'd keep a close eye on the facility. Over the weekend, Upton brought several NRC officials wi... Read more

Congressman Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, joined a bipartisan group of Members of Congress from Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin in requesting that the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee prioritize the protection of the Great Lakes region from Asian carp. “ … The spread of Asian carp in the Great Lakes has posed a significant threat to the ecologic balance and economic viability of the Great Lakes fisheries that generate $7 billion annually,” the letter to the Committee Chairman and Rank... Read more

Congressman Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, with U.S. Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow sent a letter last week strongly urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to complete the “total removal of all PCB contaminated materials from the Allied Site.” “The Allied Site is located within a wellhead protection area for multiple well fields providing ground water for the municipal drinking water,” the letter stated. “Because of this situation, the City of Kalamazoo is concerned the contam... Read more

Congressman Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) joined the United States Army Corps of Engineers this afternoon in announcing emergency funding to dredge the St. Joseph harbor. The harbor, which is essential to jobs and economic activity in Southwest Michigan, has become inaccessible to commercial traffic on account of severe sand build up, or shoaling. Upton has been in close contact with local dock owners and Berrien County officials concerning the issue, and recently sat down with the Army Corps in his... Read more