[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 24, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1867]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     GREAT LAKES--ST. LAWRENCE RIVER BASIN WATER RESOURCES COMPACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. JOHN D. DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 22, 2008

  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S.J. Res. 
45, Great Lakes--St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact. As 
an original cosponsor of the companion legislation reported by the 
House Judiciary Committee and as co-chair of the Great Lakes Task 
Force, I am very pleased that Congress is taking this historic and 
much-needed step forward to enact legislation implementing a framework 
for overall management of our precious natural resource: the Great 
Lakes basin.
  The Great Lakes make up 20 percent of the world's surface freshwater 
and 90 percent of the surface freshwater of the United States. The 
Basin provides its surrounding states with major economic benefits, 
some of which include tourism, manufacturing jobs, shipping, and clean 
drinking water. It also provides habitat for millions of breeding 
mallards, other ducks, and migratory waterfowl, and supports a 
diversity of species and ecosystems vital to our natural world. We in 
Congress, as well as state and local policymakers, have attempted to 
address the potential threat low water levels in the Great Lakes will 
have in the future on our national treasure. In 2000, the Congress 
directed the governors of the 8 Great Lakes States to negotiate a water 
management agreement. In 2005, the governors completed negotiations, 
which included coordination with the Canadian Premiers in Ontario and 
Quebec. Since then, the State Legislatures in all 8 states have agreed 
to the Compact, and the governors have signed the legislation. On 
August 4, 2008 I proudly took part as Governor Granholm signed the 
Compact after it was ratified by the Michigan Legislature. In the 
Senate, our senior Senator, Carl Levin, provided extraordinary 
leadership to get the bill passed through that body. Today, with the 
active support of members representing the Great Lakes' states, we will 
vote on this legislation in the House.
  The Great Lakes--St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact 
will mandate a general ban on new diversions of water from the Basin 
with limited exceptions for communities near the Basin meeting rigorous 
standards. All of the Great Lakes' states and their communities will 
have to comply with new standards and all will be subject to consistent 
decision-making and appeals processes. The Compact also calls on Great 
Lakes' states to develop regional goals and objectives for water 
conservation and efficiency. One of the most important aspects of the 
Compact, it is designed in a way that will ensure the Great Lakes Basin 
continues to provide a solid economic base for its surrounding states.
  Mr. Speaker, as I have recently noted, the Great Lakes Basin deserves 
much more attention than it has gotten over the past 8 years from the 
Bush Administration. One of the ways we protect the Great Lakes is by 
providing its governing agencies with the money they need to do their 
job. With my support, the House passed last week the Great Lakes Legacy 
Reauthorization Act which, among other things, authorized $150 million 
a year for 5 years to clean up toxic pollutants contaminating the 
Lakes. Another way we will serve the best interest of the Great Lakes 
is by moving forward with the Great Lakes Compact and, with the help of 
our future President--hopefully one from Illinois who understands the 
importance of protecting the Great Lakes--put the Basin on a path of 
sustained water levels over the long-term.
  Some have expressed concerns about the Great Lakes Compact, such as 
whether the Compact will subject Great Lakes waters to international 
trade agreements, what the legal and practical implications are of 
exempting diversions of water in containers less than 5.7 gallons, and 
whether the designation of water as a ``product'' would subject state 
actions restricting diversions to claims under the World Trade 
Organization. These considerations and questions were raised as states 
legislatures were deliberating on approval of the Compact. The 
acknowledged need for action now--and not some time in the future--
coupled with the reassurances of language already in the Compact 
prompted all 8 Great Lakes states to ratify the Compact. Today, the 
House must respond with the same urgency; we must not let the perfect 
be the enemy of the good.
  Mr. Speaker, again, I thank my colleagues from the Great Lakes' 
delegation who have worked so hard on the Compact over the years, and 
urge them to join me in voting ``yes'' on S.J. Res. 45.




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