[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 24, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1872]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        COMPACT WILL PROTECT GREAT LAKES FOR GENERATIONS TO COME

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CANDICE S. MILLER

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 23, 2008

  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Madam Speaker, the Great Lakes are one of 
the great treasures of the world and are fully 20 percent of the 
world's freshwater supply. They are unique in our Nation and unique on 
this planet. But the Great Lakes are especially near and dear to those 
of us in Michigan, the Great Lakes State.
  The Great Lakes are part of our identity as 4 of the 5 Lakes touch 
Michigan's shore. The Lakes are important to our State for commerce, 
for recreation, for drinking water, and for tourism. They are an 
invaluable part of the environment. The Great Lakes deserve every 
protection to ensure that they remain a healthy ecosystem for future 
generations.
  One of the primary reasons I ran for Congress was to preserve and 
protect the Great Lakes. I have been proud to work with my colleagues 
on issues like invasive species, the Great Lakes Legacy Act, and the 
Water Resources Development Act. Today, the House will take a historic 
step towards protecting this treasure by ratifying the Great Lakes 
Compact.
  The compact is a binding agreement among the Great Lakes States to 
implement a conservation standard for regulating water withdrawals from 
the Great Lakes Basin. This document will essentially ban new and 
increased diversions of water outside the Great Lakes Basin with only 
limited, highly regulated exceptions. It also establishes a framework 
for each State to enact laws protecting the basin.
  There is no doubt that water is becoming an increasingly scarce 
resource, both around the world and here in the United States. Droughts 
in the Southeast and the West have demonstrated quite clearly that we 
cannot simply take abundant freshwater for granted. In fact, a recent 
issue of BusinessWeek screamed the headline: ``There Will Be Water: Why 
T. Boone Pickens Thinks It's the New Oil.'' Water shortages will 
undoubtedly lead to jurisdictional fights over access.
  The Great Lakes Region has taken it upon themselves to work through 
these issues before areas outside the basin attempt to access water 
from the Great Lakes. I am proud of our region for coming together to 
decide the future of the Great Lakes before others have the opportunity 
to do that for us.
  This measure will ensure the continued protection of the Great Lakes 
for generations to come, and I urge my colleagues to support the 
adoption of the Great Lakes Compact.

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