Leaders, groups call for action

Lakes compact


GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — An environmental group and local leaders called on legislators Tuesday to approve the Great Lakes compact to protect a midwestern resource that is in short supply in other parts of the nation — fresh water.


‘‘We have something that other people want,’’ Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt said. ‘‘This is one of those issues that we’ll look back at 20 or 30 years from now and say we did the right thing.’’


Schmitt spoke at a media briefing held by the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett also called for adoption of the compact at a briefing in his city.


The message: the Midwest must act to protect water from being diverted out of the Great Lakes basin.


The proposed compact would ban — with limited exceptions — new and increased water diversions unless approved by governors of the eight Great Lakes states and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Compact language was approved in 2005, and Minnesota was the first state to approve it earlier this year. Illinois also has adopted it, Barrett said.


With full approval still pending, Great Lakes water levels have dropped to near historic lows. And with droughts in the Southeast and Southwest, the pressure is growing to turn to the Great Lakes as a fresh water source.


In August, the Georgian Bay Association released new figures indicating that an extra 2.5 billion gallons of water are being drained from the lakes every day via Lake Huron and the St. Clair River.


Jessica Garrels, of the League of Conservation Voters, said the Wisconsin Legislature should get to work on legislation to implement the Great Lakes compact now that the long-delayed state budget has been passed and signed.


‘‘We feel it’s important that the right piece of legislation is passed and not just a shell compact,’’ she said.


Business and municipal leaders want a compact that will strengthen the ban on diversions, require diverted water to be returned to the lakes and provide for maximum public input, Garrels said.


She said they also want to clarify what could be a loophole if bottled lake water can be marketed.


Jerry Viste, executive director of the Door County Environmental Council, said the public has not yet realized the urgent need for action to protect the Great Lakes.


‘‘John Q. Public doesn’t have a clue,’’ Viste said. ‘‘Too many are saying this doesn’t affect me so why worry about it.’’