Legislation signed to protect the Great Lakes

By Lisa Paine
INDEX Sports Editor

SAUGATUCK — The five-year effort to protect Michi-gan’s Great Lakes from drought- stricken outside sources looking for new fresh water resources is finally complete.

Last Wednesday, Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed the state’s landmark water protection bill into law along the beautiful shore of Lake Michigan, making the state the eighth to step up to protect the vital resource. The lead sponsor of the bill is Sen. Patty Birkholz of Saugatuck.

For years other states and countries have looked to the Great Lakes as potential water resources as their own resources dried up or became contaminated. In recent years, Georgia and Tennessee battled over state lines and water resources as drought conditions continued to choke the south, drying up many large lakes.

“This is a magnificent moment for Michigan. We are fortunate to have an abundance of water in our lakes, streams and rivers,” said Birkholz (R-Saugatuck Township). “With an increasing number of thirsty states and countries looking for sources of fresh water, however, we have to take every precaution to ensure that our waters will be protected. This historic legislation will help preserve our waters but keep them available for recreational, agricultural and business purposes.”

Birkholz and Rep. Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor) flanked Granholm at Oval Beach as she signed Senate Bills 212, 723, 727 and 858-860 and House Bills 4343, 5065-5067, 5069 and 5073.

Michigan now adopts the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact that will implement a new standard for evaluating large-quantity water withdrawals. An automated point-and-click computer tool developed by the Groundwater Conservation Advisory Council is a key component.

Key parts of the bill will:
• Require a review of water withdrawals of 1 million gallons per day or more to ensure that sensitive water resources are protected.
• Protect Michigan’s unique and popular trout streams by preventing withdrawals that would cause more than a three percent reduction in the stream’s fish population.
• Encourage water planning and water conservation among local governments.
• Give water users until Feb. 1, 2009, to adjust water uses to new standards established by the “Great Waters, Great Michigan” package.
• Promote water conservation practices.
• Implement a site-specific review process to quickly review water withdrawal proposals not initially approved by the new water withdrawal assessment tool included in the “Great Waters, Great Michigan” package.
• Ban the diversion of water outside the Great Lakes basin; 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; and require the use of an online science-based water withdrawal assessment tool for new large-scale water withdrawals to determine if they will harm our natural resources.
• Raise the fines for water-use violations from a maximum of $5,000 per day to $10,000 per day; provide stronger environmental review provisions for municipal water suppliers to protect sensitive water resources; and establish a Water Conservation Advisory Council that will make recommendations to ensure sound water policies are enacted in Michigan.

“Our journey toward water protection began more than five years ago with the introduction of legislation that led to the creation of the Groundwater Conservation Advisory Council,” said Birkholz, chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Environ- mental Affairs Committee.

The 12-bill package that was part of the “Green Michigan Initiative” is fully supported by numerous organizations, including the Michigan Farm Bureau, Michigan United Conservation Clubs, Michigan Environmental Council and The Water Works Coalition — made up of 15 groups, including the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and Michigan Manufacturers Association.