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METAIRIE – This week, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) attended a meeting with federal and local officials on restoring Lake Pontchartrain. He discussed how best to use the money in his Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for this purpose.

“Lake Pontchartrain is the shared heritage of southeast Louisiana,” said Dr. Cassidy. “It supports a vibrant and diverse ecosystem and provides families with an opportunity to get outside. Money from the bipartisan infrastructure bill will continue to restore the health of the lake.”

The IIJA included $53 million for the Lake Pontchartrain Restoration Program. In addition, the regular annual funding for Lake Pontchartrain under the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Geographic Programs has increased from $900,000 to $2.2 million as a direct result of Senator Cassidy’s leadership.

Leaders from St. Bernard and St. Tammany Parishes, as well as from GNO, Inc. and the New Orleans Regional Planning Commission, attended the meeting. Cassidy was also joined by Mr. Charles Maguire, Director of the Water Division for the EPA, in Region 6.

“Today’s meeting includes the participation of a group of communities, invited to collaborate in the Lake Pontchartrain stakeholder engagement process,” said EPA Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “We also invite the broader public to voice their concerns about this area and to hear from our water quality panelists. Through [Bipartisan Infrastructure Law] funding and with state and local assistance, we aim to continue to safeguard this vital natural resource.”