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Great Lakes Water Pact to be Signed Today

The Detroit Free Press reports that Gov. Granholm and seven other Great Lakes governors are in Wisconsin today and expected to sign a far-reaching pact aimed at protecting the water supply. The new deal (which will require approval by all eight state legislatures, Congress and the president to take effect) would do more than block water removal. It would require the states to develop water conservation plans, force industry to report water use, and establish review of new projects that permanently siphon large volumes of water. Water bottled in containers of less than 5.7 gallons wouldn't be subject to the "no diversion" rules providing an exemption for the bottled water industry.

UPDATED
An eight-state pact blocking large-scale siphoning of Great Lakes water will head to Michiganís Legislature early next year after it was OKíd by the statesí governors Tuesday. It outlaws pipelines and tanker shipments of water to distant destinations. It also requires water users to report their use, forces states to develop conservation plans and exempts bottled waters in small containers from the anti-export restrictions.

Read Far-reaching pact protects water supply in the Freep
UPDATED: Great Lakes governors ink conservation pact in the Freep

Posted/updated Dec 13, 2005
by Andrew McFarlane (Absolute Michigan)