LANSING – In a move that will protect thousands of jobs and keep Michigan's most precious resource where it belongs, the Michigan House today passed a bipartisan plan that will effectively ban the diversion of water from outside the Great Lakes basin. As part of its comprehensive water protection plan, the House also moved to toughen standards for water bottling and crack down on water-use violators by increasing fines.
"Today, we won a great victory for the Great Lakes State," said State Representative Kate Ebli (D-Monroe). "For as long as Michigan has existed, it has been defined by the Great Lakes and its many smaller lakes, streams and rivers. Our water is a vital part of who we are. As we fight to create good-paying jobs, this plan will protect our most precious natural and economic resource for generations to come."
The plan ratifies the Great Lakes Basin Water Resources Compact, which will ban diversions of water outside of the Great Lakes Basin. In order for the compact to be binding, it must be approved by all 10 Great Lakes states and Canadian provinces. The compact has been approved by Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota and New York, and approved in principle by Ontario and Quebec. The compact has yet to be approved by Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Ohio.
"Michigan's three biggest industries – agriculture, manufacturing and tourism – depend heavily on healthy Great Lakes water," said State Representative Terry Brown (D-Pigeon). "Our waterways support thousands of jobs and play an integral part in our economy. By protecting our water, we are protecting our special way of life."
The plan passed by the House today also will:
- Toughen water bottling standards by lowering the threshold that triggers an environmental review of withdrawals from 250,000 gallons per day to 200,000 gallons per day.
- Raise the fines for water-use violations from a maximum of $5,000 per day to $10,000 per day.
"Other states and countries covet our water and we have to stand up to them," said State Representative Mary Valentine (D-Norton Shores). "Michigan water belongs right here in Michigan – not siphoned off to Nevada where it will be used to water someone's lawn. By passing this plan, we have sent a clear message: Our water is not for sale."
"More than 20 percent of the world's fresh water surrounds our state," said State Representative Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor), the Chair of the House Great Lakes and Environment Committee. "We have a duty to be good stewards of the Great Lakes, and that's exactly what we are doing by passing this plan."