Food & Water Watch Applauds Effort to Close Loopholes in Great Lakes Compact
2009-06-19
Contact:
Kate Fried, Food & Water Watch (202) 683-2500
Food & Water Watch Applauds Effort to Close Loopholes in Great Lakes Compact
Statement of Food & Water Watch Executive Director
Wenonah Hauter
Washington, D.C.—"This week, Representative Bart Stupak (D-MI-1) introduced H. Res. 551 addressing loopholes in the Great Lakes Compact that allow for the commercial extraction of water from the lakes as long as it is placed in containers 5.7 gallons or smaller. Food & Water Watch commends Representative Stupak for this effort to prevent the commercialization of this vital natural resource and urges Congress to adopt this resolution.
“Passed last September, the Great Lakes Compact is an agreement between the eight states of the Great Lakes Basin that lays out guidelines for taking water in that area for use by large-scale projects and private enterprise. Yet, many of the exceptions outlined in the Compact are bad for consumers and the environment. In addition to allowing the packaging and sale of Great Lakes water as a ‘product’ it also exempts bottled water, thereby leaving the door open to potential privatization attempts of the Great Lakes.
“Representative Stupak’s Resolution clarifies that, in the language of the Compact, water is to be understood as a public trust, not a commodity. Importantly, H. Res. 551 states that water is not to be defined as a 'product' and is not exempt from the protections laid out in the Compact last fall.
“Water is a public resource that must be managed by state governments in trust for the benefits of citizens, not one that should be left vulnerable to the interests of private corporations only interested in exploiting it for profit. The current loopholes in the Compact undermine its very purpose and create a dangerous precedent for exporting water in the U.S.
“Representative Stupak’s resolution is a critical step towards closing the loopholes in the Compact and establishing the water of the Great Lakes Basin as a public trust for the benefit of the public.”
Food & Water Watch, a nonprofit consumer organization based in Washington, D.C., works to ensure clean water and safe food in the United States and around the world. We challenge the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources by empowering people to take action and transforming the public consciousness about what we eat and drink. For more information, visit www.foodandwaterwatch.org.