Opening Salvo In Effort To Amend The Great Lakes Compact

Readers of this blog will not be surprised to see that activists are beginning an effort to strengthen a provision of the Great Lakes Compact.

At issue: whether water is a commodity that can be sold beyond the boundaries of the Great Lakes basin.

As written, the Compact compromises the bottling issue, allowing unlimited export of water in containers with volumes less than 5.7 gallons each, but bars pipeline diversions in most circumstances.

Some observers think that is good enough, while others disagree with the bottled water exemption, and others believe that any sale of water on its own in a container, as opposed in a product, leaves the Great Lakes vulernable to unrestricted sale.

So this is the beginning of a process: amending the Compact is a tough row to hoe, but individual states can implement other rules than can toughen up bottling activities in their states.

At some point, a court or courts will sort this out.