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Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact

Floor Speech

Date: Sept. 27, 2008
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Infrastructure


GREAT LAKES-ST. LAWRENCE RIVER BASIN WATER RESOURCES COMPACT -- (Extensions of Remarks - September 27, 2008)

SPEECH OF
HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY
OF ILLINOIS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2008

* Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support S.J. Res. 45, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact. This bill will help protect the Great Lakes by ensuring that water taken from the Great Lakes does not exceed the rate the lakes can be naturally replenished.

* Lake Michigan is, without question, the most treasured resource to residents in States that border it and is our ``Grand Canyon,'' something in which we take enormous pride. In addition to its sentimental value, the Great Lakes, including Lake Michigan, serve as an important resource, providing 20 percent of all the surface water in the world, Despite their size the Great Lakes are a fragile resource. Only 1 percent of the water in the Great Lakes gets replenished by snow and rainwater every year.

* As a result, the Great Lakes have been put in jeopardy by efforts to divert large portions of water from the Great Lake basin to support business efforts throughout the midwest and Canada. The Compact will prohibit new or increased Great Lakes basin diversions to outside the region, except under special circumstances to provide public drinking water. It will also require all Great Lakes States to develop water resource inventories and efficiency programs, and give public notice of large proposed new water uses. Finally, it will establish uniform standards across the Great Lake States for evaluating new in-basin uses of Great Lakes water. These all are good practices of stewardship of the Great Lakes, and will allow us to preserve the Lakes, while at the same time exercising intelligent use of it as a natural resource.

* The Great Lakes Compact has been approved by the Governors and State legislators of all eight Great Lake States, the U.S. Senate and the Bush administration. I believe that it is vital that the House joins them in supporting the Compact. Doing so will protect the people and environment of the Great Lakes by ensuring that the uses of its resources are done in a deliberate and consensual manner between the Great Lakes States.

* Again, Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact.


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