In a world dominated by the end of the financial system as we know it, something good actually happened while most were looking the other way. The Great Lakes Compact, years in the making, passed the House and is almost certain to be signed by our esteemed President:
The measure, the Great Lakes Compact, was negotiated by the eight states. A decade in the making, it is intended to ease longstanding fears that states outside the region, or even other countries, could tap into the lakes, possibly deplete them and do long-term damage to their basin’s natural environment and economy.
Together, the five Great Lakes account for 20 percent of the world’s supply of fresh surface water, and an estimated 40 million people get their water from the lakes’ basin. Scientists and environmental advocates who backed the legislation said they considered the lakes not a regional resource but a national one, whose health and integrity, they said, are in the entire country’s interest.
Many, many people and organizations put an amazing amount of effort into the Great Lakes Compact. Congratulations to all of them, and I hope they have the big-ass bottle of champagne ready for when it becomes law. Party time!
The Compact has been passed by 8 (8!) state legislatures, and passed in two Canadian provinces as well. It has been in the works for over 10 years. I really can’t comprehend how much advocacy goes into passing a bill in that many venues. On the plus side, once you do that it’s easy to tell Congress they can’t go in and screw with the language. Which is a major plus.
The Times article focuses on the Compact’s ban on water diversions from the Great Lakes, but there are also many other conservation features. Hopefully, this agreement will have some teeth and we’ll have real consequences for states that don’t live up to the terms. But that’s for another day. Right now, everyone involved should crack a beer and be proud of their accomplishment.
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