LANSING – In an attempt to toughen recent legislation signed into law by Governor Jennifer M. Granholm that protects our Great Lakes, inland lakes, rivers and streams, House Democrats today unveiled a legislative package that will ban new or expanded exports of bottled water unless they are explicitly approved by the Legislature. The package includes both a bill to implement this provision and a proposed constitutional amendment to enshrine protections against water diversion or export in the state constitution.
"The imminent threat to our water is not in the form of gigantic pipelines, canals or tunnels. It's in the form of little plastic bottles," said House Democratic Leader Dianne Byrum (D-Onondaga). "We must stand up to any private company that wants to bottle up and sell our Great Lakes water for profit."
The Democratic package will, among other things:
- Amend the state's definition of "diversion" to include the transfer of bottled water outside the Great Lakes Basin;
- Require all proposed diversions to receive legislative approval; and
- Increase the civil fine for violating the prohibition against diversions to a range of $25,000 to $3 million, up from $1,000.
"Our Great Lakes and other fresh waterways belong to the people of Michigan, not private companies that want to ship it off to other states," said State Representative Gary McDowell (D- Rudyard), a leading voice for greater protection of Michigan's Great Lakes and a lead sponsor in the package. "We have entered an era where water is the new gold and Michigan is the envy of many other states, countries and even private companies. Our plan will prevent our water from becoming just another commodity."
"The Great Lakes are part of our heritage, our culture and an important part of our state's economy," said State Representative Pam Byrnes (D-Lyndon Township). "Our boaters and anglers each contribute $2 billion annually in state revenue. Our message is clear: Our water is not for sale."
Nestle Waters North America Inc. is poised to expand its Ice Mountain Spring Water plant in Mecosta County, according to an April 5 Cadillac News article. The company currently withdraws over 300,000 gallons daily from its wells in Mecosta County. And Ice Mountain and the city of Evart, in Osceola County, recently entered a 10-year purchase agreement where the company will pay the city 88 cents per 1,000 gallons withdrawn. Ice Mountain intends to draw between 100,000 and 200,000 gallons daily from one of the city's eight wells dedicated to the company's use. According to the article, the company plans to build a second Midwest plant by 2008. The Democratic package would effectively prevent water from these kinds of proposals from being exported out of the Great Lakes Basin.
On Feb. 28, the Governor signed into law a package of bills aimed at protecting the Great Lakes that, for the first time, protects our water from large-scale withdrawals. The package, among other things: provides a statutory framework for preventing adverse environmental impacts from large-quantity water withdrawals; provides additional protections against the diversion of water outside the Great Lakes Basin by pipeline, canal, or similar means; requires public input from Michigan citizens on any proposed diversion outside the basin; promotes water efficiency by requiring sectors of large-scale water users to develop best practices for water conservation; and improves reporting requirements for large-scale water users to better manage our water resources.
The new law did not prevent the sale of bottled water outside the Great Lakes Basin.
"Michigan is the Great Lakes State -- our lakes define us," said State Representative Marie Donigan (D-Royal Oak). "Our lakes, rivers and streams make Michigan a water wonderland that must be safeguarded for future generations, and our plan will do just that."