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New York affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation
PRESS RELEASE
February 11, 2008
NYS ASSEMBLY PASSES GREAT LAKES COMPACT
State Senate & Assembly Make Great Lakes Priority to 2008 Legislative Season
(ALBANY, NY) – On Monday, February 11, 2008, the New York State Assembly moved to protect the integrity of the Great Lakes for present and future generations by passing the Great Lakes Compact. The State Senate passed the legislation just last week on February 4, 2008, and with growing threats to export Great Lakes water out of the Basin, the Legislature’s actions couldn’t be more timely.
The Compact is the culmination of a five-year process of negotiations among the eight Great Lakes States and two Canadian Provinces. Former Governor Pataki and the other Great Lakes governors endorsed the Compact in December 2005. Now the Compact moves to Governor Eliot Spitzer's desk for signature. The Governor called on state lawmakers to pass the Compact during his State of the Upstate remarks in Buffalo earlier this year.
In order to take effect, the Compact must be adopted by all eight Great Lakes States, and ratified by the U.S. Congress. Minnesota adopted the Compact earlier this year. The Illinois legislature has passed its Compact legislation and it now awaits their Governor’s signature. Legislation has also been introduced in Indiana, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
"The Legislature’s swift action to protect and preserve our Great Lakes for generations to come sends a strong message throughout the Basin. The Great Lakes are an irreplaceable public resource for New York, and not only for the cities and towns along its shores. Lake Erie and Lake Ontario provide drinking water for millions of New Yorkers, as well as jobs, power and tourist dollars. The Great Lakes Compact is integral to safeguarding the health of the Lakes,” said Katherine Nadeau, Water & Natural Resources Program Associate, Environmental Advocates of New York. “We applaud the New York State Assembly and the Senate for taking this important step to protect the health of the lakes and New York's economy."
“We’re thrilled that the New York Legislature made the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River a priority by enacting this historic legislation to protect our amazing fresh water ecosystem and the people, industry, and wildlife that depend upon it,”said Dereth Glance, Executive Program Director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “We look forward to Governor Spitzer swiftly signing the Great Lakes Compact into law to ensure the legacy of our Great Lakes for generations to come.”
“Audubon New York commends the Senate and Assembly, especially Senator George Maziarz and Assemblyman Robert Sweeney, for passing the Great Lakes Compact, and thanks,” said Albert E. Caccese, Executive Director of Audubon New York, the state program of the National Audubon Society. “The Great Lakes compact is critical for the long-term protection of the water resources of the Great Lakes Basin, and for the revitalization of the upstate New York Economy. As Governor Spitzer made this a priority in his State of Upstate speech, we hope that he will quickly sign this important measure into law.”
The Compact will institute important new protections for the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence River ecosystem. It would protect the Great Lakes from harm by implementing an effective water management plan, including protections against water diversions out of the basin and the promotion of water conservation measures throughout the Basin.
The Great Lakes are the world's single largest source of fresh surface water. They represent 95 percent of the fresh surface water of the United States. The water of the Great Lakes represents a critical resource for New York, providing drinking water for millions of people in the region, numerous industrial and agricultural uses, navigation, hydroelectric power and energy production, recreation and tourism, and important fish and wildlife habitat. Although seemingly abundant, less than one percent of the Great Lakes water is renewed each year, leaving the Lakes vulnerable to depletion.
Increasing withdrawals from the Basin could pose serious environmental harm to the entire Great Lakes ecosystem. Lowering water levels could result in impacts to power generation, agriculture, industry, property values, tourism, and negatively impact the entire Great Lakes ecosystem, including an increase in shoreline and stream erosion and increasing susceptibility to invasive species and contamination from pollution.
Protecting the water resources of the Great Lakes from depletion is an essential step toward ensuring the long term restoration of the Lakes. Currently, national efforts are underway to put into practice priority recommendations of a multi-billion dollar Great Lakes clean-up strategy released earlier this year as part of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration. The Great Lakes Collaboration Implementation Act has been introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate, with strong bipartisan support from New York’s Congressional delegation, and when enacted will begin to improve the health of the Lakes.
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