Governor Granholm Signs Great Lakes Water Compact
With the backdrop of Saugatuck’s beautiful Oval Beach behind the group of assembled lawmakers, Governor Granholm today signed legislation that provides the Great Lakes with historic new protections and makes Michigan a world leader in the scientific management of water. Check out WOOD TV8’s video below-
From the state press release-
“This is a defining moment in Michigan history,” Granholm said. “We must do our part to ensure that our Great Lakes are protected and preserved for generations to come – this legislation fulfills that promise.”
Michigan is the first state in the country to manage both surface water and groundwater as one interconnected system under the compact.
The bipartisan package ratifies the Great Lakes Compact agreement that creates historic protections for the Great Lakes by banning diversions outside the Great Lakes basin with strictly regulated, limited exceptions. The compact ensures that in those limited circumstances where a diversion proposal can be brought forward for regional review, each Great Lakes governor has veto power based on criteria outlined in the compact.
The compact also requires each state to develop a comprehensive framework for managing the water resources in a sustainable way within their borders. The legislation signed today:
• bans diversions, with very limited exceptions, from Michigan waters and the Great Lakes and enacts the Great Lakes Water Resources Compact;
• establishes a regulatory standard which provides that no one may create an adverse resource impact from a new or increased removal of 100,000 gallons of water per day, including removal of groundwater;
• contains special additional protections for thermally-sensitive trout streams;
• continually ensures that the best scientific data are utilized to assess the impact of water withdrawals on both groundwater and surface water.
The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, proposed under the Great Lakes Charter Annex Implementing Agreement, was signed in December 2005 by the governors and premiers of the eight states and two provinces that border the Great Lakes. Following the initial agreement signed in 2005, each state agreed to seek ratification through the legislative process. Congress must ultimately give its consent for the agreement to take effect. Governor Granholm has urged Michigan’s congressional delegation to work with their colleagues from the region to ensure the compact is quickly ratified once final action is taken by all the Great Lakes states.
For more about the agreement and the history behind the legislative efforts in the Great Lakes region, visit the Council of Great Lakes Governors web page.
Lt. Governor John Cherry is visiting various sites along the Great Lakes this week to highlight the importance of our state’s greatest natural resource-
This morning, I’m beginning a tour of several communities on the shores of the Great Lakes to highlight the importance of the Lakes to Michigan’s economy and to our quality of life. As Lt. Governor and as the Chair of the Great Lakes Commission, protecting and preserving the Lakes are among my highest priorities.
I’ll be starting in Port Huron this morning, then will be headed to the Lake Michigan shoreline. Over the next several days, I’ll be in Benton Harbor, St. Joseph, Muskegon and Traverse City, where I’ll be talking with local leaders, residents and the media about the Lakes. Local Democrats will be getting together in several of those communities in the evenings, so I’ll also have a chance to visit with activists who are going to be working hard to keep Michigan blue this year.
I’ll be blogging each day from the road. My first blog entry is posted here. I hope you’ll join me (in a virtual way) for a few minutes every day by reading my daily entries. I also hope you’ll give me your thoughts about how we should best protect the Great Lakes (and our other critical water resources) by commenting on my blog posts or by e-mailing me at johncherry@jennifergranholm.com.
You can read more about the Lt. Governor’s work on the Great Lakes Commission here, or visit the Great Lakes Commission web page.
Get out to the beach or your local lake soon! Visit the Pure Michigan One Tank Trips page for some ideas that won’t bust your budget – and enjoy our water!
