Great Lakes Law

UN World Water Day 2009 focuses on transboundary waters

For 2009, the United Nation’s World Water Day (March 22) focuses on transboundary waters (thanks to the Cr!key Creek blog for the reminder). While most of the attention will be on shared international waters, it’s a good opportunity to consider the stakes for transboundary interstate water management in the US. Over 95% of the available freshwater resources in the United States are interstate in nature, so obviously transboundary water management policies are critical for water... Read more →

Stimulating the economy with transbasin water diversions?

Nothing gets a water wonk excited like a hot debate over transferring water from one part of the country to another (well, a few things get us more excited, but that’s for another blog). While piping massive quantities of Great Lakes water to the south or west would violate the recently-enacted Great Lakes Compact, water supplies in other relatively wet eastern states are not similarly protected. So it’s big news when Pat Mulroy, General Manager... Read more →

Great Lakes Compact to take effect, first meeting of Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Council in Chicago

On December 8, 2008, the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact will take effect as Public Law 110–342 (122 Stat. 3739). The brief delay since Congressional approval and the President’s signing was based on the effective date of Ohio’s ratification. While Ohio approved the Great Lakes compact back in June, the approval’s effective date was delayed until December 8 after Ohio’s constitutional amendment on groundwater rights would take effect. The Council... Read more →

President Bush signs Great Lakes compact

As expected, President Bush today signed the Great Lakes compact. With everything going on in Congress, the politics of the Presidential election, and the financial crisis, we should acknowledge the focus of Congressional leaders and Great Lakes advocates that saw this through to the finish and didn't let it get put on the back-burner for another day (or year). I don't say it often, but thank you Washington. Read more →

US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approves Great Lakes compact

In an historic vote for Great Lakes protection, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the Great Lakes compact today. The Senate has already approved the Great Lakes compact and it now goes to President Bush, who has stated he will sign it. The vote was postponed by a procedural maneuver yesterday, but Congressional leaders supporting the compact prevailed less than 24 hours later. Some of the House leaders that made the compact a priority... Read more →

Congressional approval of Great Lakes compact delayed by procedural maneuver

The U.S. House of Representatives took up legislation to approve the Great Lakes compact today, only to see the potentially historic final approval for Great Lakes protection delayed by an opponent’s procedural maneuver. Rep. Betty Sutton of Ohio (D) gave an excellent introductory speech in favor of the legislation, S.J. Res. 45, which was unanimously approved by the Senate in August. (Note that the House is now using S.J. Res. 45 to approve the compact... Read more →

Points North radio show on Great Lakes compact

Bob Allen, who hosts the Points North weekly show on Interlochen Public Radio, does some of the best journalism on radio. His questions and format provide in-depth discussion, and while his guests may not agree with each other, he doesn’t let it turn into a shouting match. Last week he had a show on the Great Lakes compact, and invited author Dave Dempsey and I as guests. Traverse City attorney Jim Olson also called in... Read more →

Another view of the Great Lakes compact

The House of Representatives is expected to take up approval of the Great Lakes compact when it comes back in session next week. During the August recess, a small but important group of Great Lakes advocates (notably Representative Bart Stupak and author Dave Dempsey) have raised some provocative questions regarding the Great Lakes compact’s treatment of bottled water. They are concerned that by allowing bottled water, the Great Lakes compact turns water into a product... Read more →

Are the Great Lakes for sale?

“Great Lakes for Sale: From Whitecaps to Bottlecaps” is the provocative title of a new book by environmental activist and author Dave Dempsey. I’ve worked with Dave on several issues over the years and enjoyed his previous books, especially “Ruin and Recovery: Michigan’s Rise as a Conservation Leader,” the definitive Michigan environmental history reference. I was a bit skeptical of his latest book, perhaps doubting that its thin spine (it has less than a hundred... Read more →

Great Lakes compact unanimously approved in US Senate

Barely a week after Sen. Levin introduced a resolution consenting to the Great Lakes compact, the U.S. Senate gave its unanimous approval. This is a tremendous demonstration of the broad support within the region (every Senator from the eight Great Lakes states sponsored the resolution) and the entire country for protecting the Great Lakes. Prior to approval, the Senate’s resolution, S.J. Res. 45, was amended to include the same language as the pending House bill,... Read more →