LANSING – The full U.S. Senate approved the Great Lakes Compact on Thursday, leaving U.S. House approval and the president’s signature as the final obstacles for a proposal that has bounced around the region since eight governors approved framework for the measure in late 2005.

The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact is an eight-state and two Canadian providence agreement strictly limiting water diversions from the five Great Lakes. Michigan was the final state to approve the compact on June 9 and the state’s congressional delegation, along with others from the Great Lakes region, introduced federal legislation soon after. While Michigan was the last state to adopt the compact, it was the first to adopt many of the provisions guiding any removal of water from the basin.

The House is in recess now and is not expected to meet again until after Labor Day, said Nick Choate, press secretary for U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Menominee).

The interstate compact that would be both federal and state law received unanimous approval from the Senate following unanimous passage from the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

One of the leading sponsors, U.S. Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minnesota), has “promised it will happen this year,” said Ken DeBeaussaert, chair of the Michigan delegation to the Great Lakes Commission and director of the Office of the Great Lakes in the Department of Environmental Quality.

“We’ll wait to claim victory until it gets to the president’s desk where he’s already indicated that he’ll sign it,” DeBeaussaert said.

“It’s an issue that’s been ongoing for several years now, 10 or 12 for the whole process, and it will provide a much higher level of protection for the Michigan waters, the Great Lakes water and the ecosystems,” said Sen. Patricia Birkholz (R-Saugatuck Twp.), another member of the Great Lakes Commission.

DeBeaussaert said Congress has moved so fast, relatively, in large part because of the lengthy groundwork and Michigan, despite being last to ratify the compact, has a head start because the state dealt with implementation questions already.

Kevan Chapman, communications director for another main sponsor, U.S. Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-Grand Rapids), also is fairly positive the bill will be moved by the end of the year because of its bipartisan support.

“This hopefully shows some foresight into what could happen by giving control of the lakes to the states,” he said.

Stupak is the only member of the Michigan congressional delegation who has not agreed to or already signed on as a co-sponsor of the legislation, DeBeaussaert said.

Choate said Stupak opposes large-scale water withdrawals from the Great Lakes and doesn’t necessarily oppose the compact but wants to ensure water won’t be commercially exported in bulk.

“Ratifying the compact could allow Great Lakes water to no longer be held within the public trust and instead be defined as a product for commercial use. It took the governors more than three years to get this done, so it is not unreasonable for Congress to take the time necessary to make sure we are not opening the door for the commercialization Great Lakes water,” Stupak said.

He sent letters this week to the State Department, U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab and to a U.S./Canadian International Joint Commission requesting information and rulings on potential commercialization fallout. Stupak’s press release points out that his district touches more Great Lakes (three) and has more shoreline than any other congressional district in the continental United States.

Special provisions are made for water to cities or counties partially in the basin and governors would have a veto for borderline counties seeking to draw water.

DeBeaussaert said timetables in the compact would be triggered once it becomes law, but Michigan has already begun a process of determining conservation goals. He said each state would determine how to proceed from there.

“It’s not too often that Michigan receives good unexpected news from Washington, but (yesterday) the U.S. Senate passed landmark legislation to protect the Great Lakes that define our state and outdoor heritage,” Michigan United Conservation Clubs Policy Director Donna Stine said.

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