The first draft of the Great Lakes water diversion compact, which allowed for some water diversion, wasn't popular. (Photo courtesy of the DEQ)
A proposed agreement to protect the Great Lakes from water diversion has cleared one more hurdle. The second public comment period for the Great Lakes Basin Water Resources Compact ended last week. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Tracy Samilton reports:
Transcript
A proposed agreement to protect the Great Lakes from water diversion has cleared one more hurdle. The second public comment period for the Great Lakes Basin Water Resources Compact ended last week. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Tracy Samilton reports:
Ten thousand comments were recieved about the first draft of the compact, which permitted water diversion, within limits.
That wasn’t a popular idea. David Naftzger is head of the Council of Great Lakes Governors. He says the second draft is more restrictive about water diversion than the first. It recieved about three thousand comments.
“The changes that were made were intended to make the agreement more reasonable and workable and it’s likely that the improvements that were made are one factor that contributed to the number of comments we recieved this go around.”
The compact still has many hurdles to go. Governors and Legislatures of the eight Great Lakes states must sign on to the final version. It must also be approved by Congress.
For the GLRC, I’m Tracy Samilton.