[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 106 (Monday, July 26, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H6380-H6381]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PROTECT OUR GREAT LAKES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, last October you and our colleagues gave 
unanimous consent to my House Resolution which called on the President 
and the other Body to act to prevent the sale or diversion of Great 
Lakes water to foreign countries, businesses, corporations, and 
individuals. The House of Representatives, speaking with one voice, 
asked that procedures be established to guarantee that any sale or 
diversion be fully negotiated and approved by representatives of the 
United States Government and the Government of Canada in consultation 
with effective States and provinces.
  I want to remind our colleagues of that House action, Mr. Speaker, 
because there is another threat to the Great Lakes, one posed by 
drilling for gas and oil in and under the waters of this great natural 
resource.
  Mr. Speaker, we are not being alarmists. Water diversion and drilling 
for gas and oil are real threats to one of the world's most valuable 
resources.
  Consider, Mr. Speaker, these facts. As I list each item, I want you 
to think about each of these facts in terms of potential impact on our 
Great Lakes.
  Seventy percent of the Earth's surface is covered by water; 97.5 
percent of that water is sea water. Only 2.5 percent of the surface 
water is fresh water. The Great Lakes contains 6 quadrillion gallons of 
fresh water, one-fifth of the Earth's fresh water resources.
  The Great Lakes are home to 40 million people. One-quarter of 
Canada's population lives in the Great Lakes basin.
  The World Bank predicts that by about the year 2025 more than 3 
billion people in 52 countries will suffer water shortages for drinking 
or sanitation. More than 300 cities in China are currently experiencing 
water shortages, and more than 100 are deemed to be in condition of 
acute water scarcity. The global demand for water is doubling every 21 
years.
  Citizens of the United States and Canada use and consume more than 
100 gallons per day per person. Eighty percent of the fresh water used 
goes to agricultural production.
  I thank the Buffalo News for many of those facts, Mr. Speaker. I 
present them as random facts because like pieces of a puzzle they must 
be analyzed and arranged to see their importance.
  The World Bank has studied this puzzle, and I call your attention to 
a quote from a World Bank report which appeared in the Buffalo News in 
a March 1999 story. The World Bank report predicted wars of the next 
century will be fought over fresh water.
  So are we really being alarmists? I believe not.
  A company in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, just one company, was given a 
permit last year to take up the 2.6 million gallons of water per day 
for 5 years from Lake Superior. I was joined by members of the Ontario 
parliament and the Canadian New Democratic Party in bringing public 
attention to this permit which was revoked by the Ontario government, 
but all fresh water will increasingly be eyed as a potential commodity.
  A Vancouver-based company, Global Water Corporation, has an agreement 
with an Alaskan community of Sitka to take fresh water from a lake and 
ship it by tanker to China. The deal allows Global to take up to 5 
billion gallons a year for 30 years. Global envisions 445 tankers per 
year carrying fresh water to Asia.
  Now we have spoken of just two companies. We know the market is 
there. We can easily see the overhead is minimal, the market is 
expanding and the potential number of speculators and potential 
shippers is unlimited.
  Let me say at this time, Mr. Speaker, that although I have mentioned 
China twice in my remarks, I am not attempting to invoke it as threat 
to our own security. China is merely a customer in need of fresh water 
now. The

[[Page H6381]]

entire world will be eying our natural resource.
  As of today, the issue of sale and diversion of Great Lakes water and 
fresh water throughout this country remains unsolved. Following the 
House vote on my resolution, the U.S. and Canada have asked the 
International Joint Commission to study the issue on water diversion 
along the entire border from Alaska to the St. Lawrence River to Maine. 
Their preliminary report on diversion should be ready in August.
  A final report on our joint water resources should be completed early 
next year. Until all questions on the sale or diversion of fresh water 
are answered, I have introduced legislation which would place a 
moratorium on any sale or diversion of fresh water in this country 
until we have these questions answered.
  In the meantime, there is another threat to the Great Lakes as it is 
the policy of my home State of Michigan to allow drilling for gas and 
oil underneath the Great Lakes. Canada allows gas rigs drilling 
directly into Lake Ontario now. Proponents of oil drilling in the Great 
Lakes say the risk is minimal, small, tiny. I say tiny is too big. A 
gallon of oil spilled in Lake Superior would take 999 years to flow 
out, to be cleared by natural flow. Lake Michigan, 99 years; Lake 
Huron, 60 years.
  Fresh water is a precious, scarce resource that needs our protection 
from exploitation of oil and gas companies and by sale and diversion of 
water.

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