[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 566 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                 In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

                                                      October 20, 1998.
Whereas the water resources of the Great Lakes Basin are precious public natural 
        resources, shared and held in trust by the Great Lakes States and the 
        Canadian Provinces;
Whereas the Great Lakes need to be carefully managed and protected in order to 
        meet current and future water needs within the Great Lakes Basin and the 
        Canadian Provinces;
Whereas any new diversions of Great Lakes waters for use outside of the Great 
        Lakes Basin will have significant adverse effects on the environment, 
        economy, and welfare of the Great Lakes region;
Whereas the Province of Ontario, Canada, has authorized an Ontario company to 
        divert water from the Great Lakes for sale to Asia;
Whereas 4 of the Great Lakes contain international waters, and are defined as 
        ``boundary waters'' in the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 between the 
        United States and Canada, and therefore any new diversion of Great Lakes 
        water would affect the relations between the Government of the United 
        States and the Government of Canada;
Whereas as trustees of the Great Lakes Basin's natural resources, the Great 
        Lakes States and Provinces have a shared duty to protect, conserve, and 
        manage the renewable but finite waters of the Great Lakes Basin for the 
        use, benefit, and enjoyment of all their citizens, and future 
        generations; and
Whereas the most effective means of protecting, conserving, and managing the 
        water resources of the Great Lakes is through the joint pursuit of 
        unified and cooperative principles, policies, and programs mutually 
        agreed upon, enacted, and adhered to by each and every Great Lakes State 
        and Province: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the President and the Senate should act to prevent the sale or 
diversion of Great Lakes water to foreign countries, businesses, 
corporations, and individuals until procedures are established to 
guarantee that any such sale or diversion is fully negotiated and 
approved by representatives of the United States Government and the 
Government of Canada, in consultation with any Great Lakes State or 
Province that could be impacted by such a sale or diversion.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.