Gov. Rendell has followed through on an agreement reached in 2005 to protect one of the world's largest bodies of fresh water -- the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River basin—as he signed House Bill 1705 (Harkins-D-Erie), which will ensure this invaluable resource is protected for the millions of people who rely on its resources for energy, recreation, agriculture and industry.

House Bill 1705 ratifies an interstate agreement reached with seven other Great Lake states and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The five Great Lakes are the world's largest surface freshwater system—accounting for about 20 percent of the freshwater on the planet. The compact will prohibit water diversions outside of the Great Lakes basin combined with state programs to conserve and manage the basin waters adhering to unified and cooperative principles, policies and programs throughout the basin.

"Today, Pennsylvania is proud to join with other Great Lakes states in forging a renewed commitment to protect the region's vast water resources that provide so many environmental and economic benefits for our communities," said Gov. Rendell. "Effective management of the waters of the Great Lakes basin is essential for sustaining tourism, recreation, boating and fishing, our state parks at Presque Isle and Erie Bluffs, international shipping through the Port of Erie, as well as water supplies for homes, farms and businesses in Pennsylvania's Lake Erie and Lake Ontario watersheds."

The Governor's signature on July 4 enacts the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania joins Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, New York, Wisconsin, Ohio and Michigan in approving the agreement. The compact will not become effective until the U.S. Congress provides its consent.

“This is a historic moment for Pennsylvania and for the Great Lakes,” said John Walliser, Vice President of Legal and Governmental Affairs for the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. “We commend the leadership of the General Assembly – particularly the Erie delegation including Rep. Patrick Harkins (D-Erie), Sen. Mary Jo White (R-Venango) Sen. Jane Earll, (R-Erie) and Rep. John Hornaman (D-Erie)– for protecting a vital environmental, economic, and recreational resource for our state.”

In December 2005, following a nearly five-year negotiation, the Great Lakes governors endorsed the agreement on the compact. They reached a similar, good faith, agreement with Ontario and Québec the same year, which the provinces are using to amend their existing water programs for greater regional consistency.

The interstate compact legislation signed today by Gov. Rendell states that: continued sustainable, accessible and adequate water supplies for the people and economy of the basin are of vital importance;

Future diversions and consumptive uses of basin water resources have the potential significantly to impact the environment, economy and welfare of the region;

Regional goals and objectives for water conservation and efficiency will be developed and reviewed every five years. Each state will develop and implement a water conservation and efficiency program;

Collecting and sharing technical data by compact states will improve the scientific base of information, which will improve decision-making by the governments; and

The states and provinces have a shared duty to protect, conserve, restore, improve and manage the renewable, but finite, waters of the basin for the use, benefit and enjoyment of all citizens.

In addition, House Bill 1705 establishes a new water management program that the Department of Environmental Protection will administer in the Lake Erie and Lake Ontario (Genesee River) watersheds located in parts of three Pennsylvania counties: Erie, Crawford and Potter.

DEP will review proposals for new or increased water withdrawals that equal or exceed 100,000 gallons per day, consumptive uses that equal or exceed 5 million gallons per day, and any diversion of water from the basin consistent with the uniform standard contained in the compact and applied by each state and province.

"This joint effort ensures an adequate supply of fresh water is available to support the region's economic activity, while protecting the ecological integrity of the Great Lakes basin," said Gov. Rendell.

To date, more than 1,200 state legislators have voted to approve the compact—about 95 percent of all legislators who have cast a vote on its protections. Additionally, it has attracted the support of key members of Congress, both of the presumptive presidential nominees, mayors and local government officials, as well as more than 150 diverse groups of stakeholders who depend on the Great Lakes.

The bill is now Act 43 of 2008.

The complete text of the compact and additional information is available at the Council of Great Lakes Governors website.

NewsClip: States Approve Compact to Protect Great Lakes

Link: Pennsylvania Adopts Historic Great Lakes Compact Legislation

7/11/2008