Great Lakes Compact Moving Swiftly Through Congress

The Great Lakes Compact is moving through the Congress, with a committee in the House of Representatives approving it and a favorable committee hearing also taking place in the Senate, chaired by Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold.

This is good series of steps; the Compact will assure that little Great Lakes water will be diverted from the Great Lakes basin, and if the rules are followed, that water will be returned from communities that have also demonstrated conservation plans in place.

It's not a perfect document, as bottled water sales are still unregulated in containers less than 5.7 gallons, and the water conservation language could be stronger, but having a Compact is better than not having the agreement.