Although sold as an agreement to stop long-distance exports of Great Lakes water, the new proposed pact among the Great Lakes states actually contains a significant loophole allowing short-distance exports, within the states themselves. See:
http://www.speakongreatlakes.org/states/u.s.-compact-draft-7-19-04.pdf
Go to page 16 of the proposed interstate compact, section 9.2 (3). The last sentence basically says an export, without compensating return flow, can be allowed within 12 miles of the Great Lakes Basin divide if it's less than 250,000 gallons per day and is for public water supply purposes only. Sounds great until you realize this is the "Waukesha" exemption, which could allow that Wisconsin community and dozens of others just outside the Basin the ability to subsidize their sprawl with Great Lakes water.
There's a lot of good in the compact and associated agreements, but this has got to go. Only a humanitarian emergency should be allowed to support such a drain of Great Lakes water.
Posted by Dave at July 29, 2004 09:14 AM