Sometimes the U.S. forgets the Great Lakes aren't a "national treasure," they're an international ecosystem. And a shared political system (with Tribes and First Nations as well as Canadians). And thank goodness they are. Maybe the Lakes will get a better deal because of them on the water export treaty.
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Canadian Government Urges U.S. States To Strengthen Protections for Ecosystem
OTTAWA--Canadian Environment Minister Stephane Dion Jan. 11 urged the
governments of U.S. states bordering the Great Lakes to adopt protections for
the ecosystem that are as stringent as those in place in Canada.
A submission made Jan. 11 to the Council of Great Lakes Governors asks the
states to put in place a ban on out-of-basin bulk transfers of boundary
waters, as is provided by Canada, Ontario, and Quebec, Dion said in a
statement. The submission responds to the proposed agreements to implement
the Great Lakes Charter Annex.
"The government of Canada is committed to protect the integrity of the Great
Lakes Basin, and is therefore determined to keep the ban in place," he said.
"After reviewing the draft agreements, consulting with our provincial
partners, and listening to the concerns of Canadians, we believe that the
proposed agreements do not provide a sufficient degree of protection."
The draft agreements proposed to implement the Annex provide only specific
administrative procedures to manage proposals for new and increased
diversions, withdrawals, and consumptive uses of water from the Great Lakes,
said Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew.
The submission calls for an ecosystem approach to managing the Great Lakes
basin and for any decisions on water management to be based on sound science, sustainable management, a precautionary approach, and ongoing public
involvement, Pettigrew said.