Another Voice / Environment
Clock is ticking on crucial Great Lakes Compact
As early as next week, Congress will adjourn, lawmakers will leave Washington and the 110th Congress could be over. The clock is ticking, and Congress is running out of time to show its commitment to one of the nation’s greatest natural resources — the Great Lakes.
For several years, Great Lakes lawmakers have been calling on Congress to pass the Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact. The compact is an agreement reached among the eight states and two Canadian provinces that border the Great Lakes. Its ultimate goal is to preserve this treasured natural resource through a set of core principles.
The agreed upon principles will serve as a guide for preserving and restoring our bounty of fresh water resources. The compact will help the eight states of the Great Lakes Basin use this resource in a more responsible and sustainable way and is the best way forward in providing common governance for each state in the Great Lakes Basin.
Without action on the compact, Congress runs the risk of leaving the world’s largest single source of freshwater unprotected and at risk for our children and grandchildren. By ratifying the Great Lakes Compact, we have the power and ability to ensure this precious resource is protected for generations to come.
From an abundant source of drinking water, food supplies and biodiversity, to recreation and natural beauty, to creating electrical power and economic opportunity, the Great Lakes are a vital asset to Western New York and the rest of the country.
President Bush has indicated his support for such a compact and is willing to sign it as soon as it gets to his desk. Furthermore, the legislation has bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.
In short, the desire to get this done is plentiful, but the time left in which to do it is not.
If the compact is not approved immediately, the legislation will have to be reintroduced in the next Congress, at which point the legislation falls to the back of the priority line. In essence, the last two years of effort will be nothing more than a fruitless memory, and champions of the compact will be starting from scratch.
Last week, I sent a letter to the leaders of both political parties in the House urging them to bring the compact bill up for a vote before Congress adjourns. It is the only way that we can provide for protection of the Great Lakes now, and in the future.
The ability to impact millions of gallons of freshwater, millions of people who use the Great Lakes for rest and relaxation, as well as thousands of jobs supported by the Great Lakes, now rests with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. It is up to her to schedule this vote and I hope she answers my and the Great Lakes states’ call to do so immediately.
The clock is ticking, and the time for action is now.
Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds represents the 26th Congressional District.
