Advocates push to protect Great Lakes from diversions
The eight states and two Canadian provinces bordering the Great Lakes are teaming up to eliminate one of the most serious threats to the lakes: The removal of water—for drinking or industrial purposes—at rates faster than can be naturally replenished. Although 40 million residents drink Great Lakes water every day, there is currently no plan to ensure the long-term protection and sound management of Great Lakes water. The multi-state Great Lakes Basin Water Resources Compact is an effort to change that.

The compact, a product of over five years of negotiations and over 15,000 public comments, is a first-of-its-kind agreement between the Great Lakes states and provinces to create a legally binding mechanism to protect Great Lakes waters from harmful water withdrawals. Under the compact, the states and provinces will prohibit new diversions of water from the lakes, use consistent standards to review proposed uses of basin water, and strengthen the collection of technical data on which water-use decisions are based.

For the agreement to go into effect, each of the Great Lakes state legislatures must ratify the compact. Afterward, Congress will be asked for its consent, solidifying the compact as law among the eight Great Lakes states.

This fall, Environment Illinois is working to make sure Illinois does its part, by joining the effort to convince Illinois legislators to ratify the compact during the 2007 legislative session

A good day for the environment in Congress
It’s been rare in recent years to see environmental leadership in the U.S. Congress, but that’s exactly what happened last May 18—and it happened three times.

First was the vote on the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) program, which requires companies to report on toxic chemicals that are released into the environment.

“The House stood up for the American public,” said Environmental Advocate Max Muller. “They sent a clear message to U.S. EPA that the public’s right-to-know must not be eroded.”

Then, facing dissatisfaction over high gas prices, members of Congress sought to drill their way out of the problem, but in the end mustered bi-coastal and bipartisan support to protect the coasts from new drilling projects. Sadly, that decision was later overturned.

Lastly, for the third time in three hours, bipartisan support came through for the environment with a successful charge in the House of Representatives to overturn the Bush administration’s “No Protection” policy, which removes Clean Water Act protections from streams and wetlands.

All in all, it was a good day for the environment.