Joint Resolution Will Protect Great Lakes from Water Diversion

WASHINGTON —U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) today announced House passage of the Great Lakes Compact resolution, which will establish new rules to protect the Great Lakes from the serious threats of water withdrawals and diversions. Stabenow is a cosponsor of the Great Lakes Compact Resolution, which passed the Senate this July. The resolution will now proceed to the President for his signature.

“I am very pleased that my colleagues in both the House and the Senate have pledged their full support of our Great Lakes, which are among our nation’s most valuable resources and remain a vital component of the economies of our state, region and country,” said Stabenow. “The Great Lakes Compact will help keep our Great Lakes safe from the dangers of water diversion while making conservation a priority. The Compact puts into writing what we all know – our Great Lakes must be protected and preserved for future generations.”

Passed earlier this year by all eight Great Lakes states, the Great Lakes Compact allows the region to take local stewardship and responsibility for its water resources. The Compact allows the Great Lakes states to manage their water, which allows just one governor to veto any major diversion or withdrawal. This protects the Great Lakes from being sold or diverted from the residents that live in the region while protecting them for the use and enjoyment of the entire nation. Without this compact, the Great Lakes are left vulnerable to commercial interests hooking up pipelines and sending tankers to deplete the Lakes.

Congress requested this action by the Great Lakes States in the 2000 Water Resources Development Act, Congress directed the Great Lakes States to develop new laws to manage Great Lakes water. Compacts are a usual method for addressing interstate water issues – Congress has approved 41 interstate compacts governing inter-State water management.

Senator Stabenow has been a strong advocate for the Great Lakes, passing a law that bans oil and gas drilling in the Great Lakes that was signed into law in 2005. As a member of the Senate Budget Committee, Stabenow lead the effort calling for $77 million more funding in the budget to make critical investments in the Great Lakes. And in 2006, President Bush signed Stabenow’s Michigan Lighthouse and Maritime Heritage Act into law, which creates a federal, state, and local partnership to restore Michigan lighthouses and promote the maritime culture of the Great Lakes.