Great Lakes states to decide on thirsty city’s water plea

Whether it also represents a triumph for the Great Lakes Compact will take a little longer to assess.

The Compact Regional Body, consisting of the Great Lakes states and provinces, issued a Declaration of Finding last month that contains the conclusions of their detailed technical review of Waukesha’s application. Lawrence River basin are banned, with limited exceptions that can be made only when certain conditions are met.

“That’s an area where I suspect that we all have a lot of work left to do – to make sure that the State of Wisconsin and the City of Waukesha are protecting that river and those communities”, said Molly Flanagan with the Alliance for the Great Lakes.

On a historic 8-0 vote, Waukesha, Wis., won the water prize it sought for 13 years.

Waukesha has promised to return diverted water to the Great Lakes via the Root River after treating it, but environmentalists and some politicians are concerned about the oversight of the treatment process and the quality of water being returned.

We will hold the Compact Council and its member states accountable to their obligations to monitor and enforce the conditions under which the precedent-setting application was approved.

He says his aim was to cement the compact council’s ability to take action if Waukesha fails to remain in full compliance.

Two of the conditions from the group include: diverting no more than an average of 8.2 million gallons a day of lake water by midcentury – a lesser volume than the average of 10.1 million gallons requested by the city; and a smaller water distribution area than the city proposed.

Jennifer McKay, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council policy specialist, said the city won’t be drawing the water just yet.

When asked about 11th hour amendments that supposedly ensure protections to have treated water returned to Lake Michigan, a Miller spokesperson told The Macomb Daily the veteran representative is “highly skeptical that the amendments added today will ensure enforcement and the return of clean water to Lake Michigan.”. That water has been contaminated with radium.

“That will be where they withdraw all the Lake Michigan water”, McKay said. He said he is especially grateful to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

The project’s supporters argued they met those special qualifications, but a coalition of 25 conservation groups from across the Great Lakes region argued otherwise.

“The state of MI was essentially a leader”, McKay said. Any of the states can veto the diversion.

“We also recognize that there is an opportunity to improve the current process by refining existing guidelines”.

“The decision to permit Waukesha’s diversion request is regrettable”, campaign director Keith Brooks said in an email.