[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 140 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 140

Recognizing and affirming the efforts of the Great Lakes Governors and 
  Premiers in developing a common standard for decisions relating to 
  withdrawal of water from the Great Lakes and urging that management 
authority over the Great Lakes should remain vested with the Governors 
                             and Premiers.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 27, 2005

  Mr. Rogers of Michigan (for himself, Mr. Ehlers, Mr. McCotter, Mr. 
    Hoekstra, Mr. Camp, Mr. Upton, Mr. Knollenberg, Mrs. Miller of 
    Michigan, and Mr. Schwarz of Michigan) submitted the following 
     concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                        International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing and affirming the efforts of the Great Lakes Governors and 
  Premiers in developing a common standard for decisions relating to 
  withdrawal of water from the Great Lakes and urging that management 
authority over the Great Lakes should remain vested with the Governors 
                             and Premiers.

Whereas the water resources of the Great Lakes Basin are precious public natural 
        resources, shared and held in trust by the Great Lakes States of 
        Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, 
        and Wisconsin, and by the Canadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec;
Whereas authority over the Great Lakes is vested in the Governors of the Great 
        Lakes States by the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (Public Law 
        99-662);
Whereas section 1109(b)(2) of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (42 
        U.S.C. 1962d-20(b)(2)) encourages the Great Lakes States, in 
        consultation with the Canadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec, to 
        develop and implement a mechanism that provides a common conservation 
        standard embodying the principles of water conservation and resource 
        improvement for making decisions concerning the withdrawal and use of 
        water from the Great Lakes Basin;
Whereas section 1109(d) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1962d-20(d)) requires the 
        approval of the Governor of each of the Great Lakes States prior to the 
        diversion or export of Great Lakes water;
Whereas the Great Lakes Charter of 1985 is a voluntary international agreement 
        that provides the procedural framework for prior notice and consultation 
        by the Great Lakes States and the Canadian Provinces of Ontario and 
        Quebec concerning the withdrawal of water from the Great Lakes Basin;
Whereas the Council of Great Lakes Governors and Premiers has drafted amendments 
        to the Great Lakes Charter of 1985, known as ``Annex 2001'';
Whereas one of the primary purposes of Annex 2001 is to strengthen the authority 
        of Great Lakes Governors and Premiers to make decisions concerning 
        proposals to divert or export Great Lakes water by establishing a common 
        conservation standard by which such decisions will be made; and
Whereas the final commitments proposed in Annex 2001 to affirm in-basin 
        authority by way of enacting a basin-States compact and a cross-border 
        accord with the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec will be presented to 
        Congress for final approval: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),  
That Congress--
            (1) recognizes and affirms the efforts of the Great Lakes 
        Governors and Premiers in developing a common standard for 
        decisions relating to the withdrawal of water from the Great 
        Lakes that lead to improvement of this binational resource; and
            (2) urges that the management authority over the waters of 
        the Great Lakes should remain vested with the Governors and 
        Premiers of the eight Great Lakes States and two Great Lakes 
        Provinces that share stewardship over this vast and valuable 
        natural resource.
                                 <all>