LANSING – State Representative Dudley Spade (D-Tipton) commended the joint efforts of the Legislature and the Administration that resulted in the signing, today, of a package of bills aimed at protecting the Great Lakes. These bills, for the first time, protect Michigan water from large-scale withdrawals, without putting undo strain on current or future Michigan businesses.
"Today, we took a major step in protecting our water," Spade said. "From the Great Lakes to the River Raisin, our most precious natural resource is our waterways and we have to protect them. Now we have a process that stems large-scale withdrawals and still allow Michigan to attract new business and grow our economy."
Until today, Michigan was the only Great Lakes state that had virtually no protection for its water. The signing puts Michigan in compliance with the Great Lakes Charter that was drawn up more than 20 years ago. The water-protection package signed into law – embraced by environmental, conservation, industry and farm groups – regulates 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, tunnel, aqueduct, or similar means.
- Requires public input opportunities for Michigan citizens regarding any proposed diversion outside the basin.
- Promotes water efficiency by requiring sectors of large-scale water users to develop best practices for water conservation.
- Improves reporting requirements for large-scale water users to provide for better management of our water resources.