[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 551 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 551

     Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the 
  interstate compact regarding water resources in the Great Lakes-St. 
  Lawrence River Basin approved by the Congress in Public Law 110-342 
   expressly prohibited the sale, diversion, or export of water from 
                    States in the Great Lakes Basin.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 16, 2009

 Mr. Stupak submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                     the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the 
  interstate compact regarding water resources in the Great Lakes-St. 
  Lawrence River Basin approved by the Congress in Public Law 110-342 
   expressly prohibited the sale, diversion, or export of water from 
                    States in the Great Lakes Basin.

Whereas the water resources of the Great Lakes Basin are a precious public 
        natural resource shared and held in public trust by the States of 
        Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, 
        and Wisconsin;
Whereas in Public Law 110-342 (122 Stat. 3739), Congress gave its consent and 
        approval to an interstate compact among these States regarding the 
        diversion and withdrawal of water resources in the Great Lakes-St. 
        Lawrence River Basin; and
Whereas this compact requires clarification that it expressly prohibits the 
        sale, diversion, or export of water from the portions of the Great Lakes 
        Basin within these States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) nothing in the interstate compact regarding water 
        resources in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin approved 
        by the Congress in Public Law 110-342 (in this resolution 
        referred to as the ``compact'') should be construed--
                    (A) to allow water intended for an immediate or an 
                intermediate or end use consumer in a container or 
                package of any size or amount to be diverted, exported, 
                or sold from the Great Lakes Basin unless the 
                withdrawal is authorized and licensed in accordance 
                with the constitution and laws of the State from which 
                the water is withdrawn; and
                    (B) to create or establish that waters of the Great 
                Lakes Basin are produced as a product or have entered 
                into commerce or constitute a good or commodity under 
                the North American Free Trade Agreement or any other 
                international trade agreement, law, or treaty;
            (2) the definition of ``Diversion'' in section 1.2 of the 
        compact, and the exception for ``Products'' from such 
        definition, did not intend that water itself in any size 
        container or package is a ``Product'' and exempt from the 
        definition of diversion subject to the compact; and
            (3) the definition of ``Product'' in section 1.2 of the 
        compact does not include the water itself in any size or type 
        of container or package when produced in the Great Lakes Basin 
        by human or mechanical effort or intended for intermediate or 
        end use consumers.
                                 <all>