September 23, 2008

OBEY VOTES TO RATIFY GREAT LAKES COMPACT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Seventh District Congressman Dave Obey (D-WI) voted today to provide Congressional approval of the Great Lakes Compact.  With today's approval by the House, the interstate compact, which has already been ratified by all eight Great Lakes states and approved by the U.S. Senate, must now be signed into law by the President before it can take full effect. 

"The Great Lakes are a unique resource and this compact is intended to help ensure that they're protected for future generations. I'm glad the Congress did the right thing and ratified it," said Obey.

The Compact represents water management agreements between the eight Great Lakes states - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin - and Ontario and Québec in Canada that will ban new and increased diversions of water outside the Great Lakes Basin with only limited, highly regulated exceptions, and establish a framework for each state and province to enact laws protecting the Basin.

The Great Lakes form the largest fresh surface water system on Earth. Because less than 1% of Great Lakes water, on average, is renewed annually, many are concerned with potential threats to lake levels and quality, including environmental and climatic changes, and growing demand, both regionally and internationally for fresh water.

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