What do those in another Great Lake state have to say about Wachtmann...and Hite...and Grendell?
From John Curry, July 13, 2011
In Ohio, though, legislators such as Rep. Lynn R. Wachtmann, a Republican who pushed the bill in the House, have come to a clear and very different conclusion.
"Water is money," Wachtmann said during the debate on the bill.
Wachtmann should know.
According to his website, he is president of Maumee Valley Bottling, a water-bottling company, and a partner in Culligan Water Conditioning.
Wachtmann did not return a call seeking comment.
Harm to Lake Erie may flow from law
Mass withdrawals of water from Ohio could pose threats
By Jerry Zremski
News Washington Bureau Chief
July 12, 2011
News Washington Bureau Chief
July 12, 2011
WASHINGTON -- Lake Erie could shrink, thereby harming the habitat as well as the hydropower plants on the Niagara River, as a result of legislation passed in Ohio that would allow any business in the state to withdraw up to 5 million gallons of water from the lake every day without government approval.
That's the message environmentalists delivered Tuesday in reaction to the Ohio General Assembly's passage of a measure that they fear could undermine a much-touted compact among the Great Lakes states and two Canadian provinces to protect North America's premier supply of fresh water.
Business interests in Ohio countered by saying that water in Lake Erie is plentiful enough to accommodate the additional withdrawals allowed under the Ohio legislation. About 3.4 billion gallons of water are being pulled out of the Lake Erie watershed every day already, with no harmful effects, they said.
But that's not how the National Wildlife Federation and other environmental groups see things. The environmental groups joined two Republican former governors of Ohio in warning about the dire potential consequences of the Ohio legislation, which now sits on the desk of Gov. John R. Kasich, a Republican, awaiting his signature.
"Lake Erie could see increased harmful algal blooms, reduction in critical habitat for sport fish -- such as walleye, perch and steelhead -- and a loss of recreational opportunities, said Kristy Meyer, agricultural and clean water director with the Ohio Environmental Council.
Katherine Nadeau, water and natural resources program director for Environmental Advocates of New York, agreed.
"The algal blooms would be the most visible impact," she said. "This impacts everything -- the fish and wildlife and the people who want to spend the summer on the lakes with their families."
Noting that Lake Erie already has been experiencing low water levels in recent years, Nadeau added: "If the Ohio statute were to allow major additional withdrawals, that could have serious impacts on our hydropower abilities in New York State."
The bill that the Ohio Legislature approved last month comes in reaction to the Great Lakes Compact, a landmark agreement among the region's states and provinces. Finalized in 2008, the compact bars the exportation of lake water beyond the Great Lakes Basin and requires each state to develop a water conservation plan.
Ohio's plan is the one environmentalists are now lambasting, saying that it undermines the compact rather than fulfilling its mission.
They say that because the Ohio law would allow dramatically larger water withdrawals than other states are contemplating.
Ohio would allow unregulated withdrawals of up to 5 million gallons of water a day over a 90-day period, along with withdrawals of up to 2 million gallons a day from the waterways leading to the lake.
In contrast, the New York State Legislature recently approved a bill that would require a permit for anyone wanting to withdraw more than 100,000 gallons from the lakes in any 30-day period, similar to one passed in Pennsylvania. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is expected to sign the measure into law.
"New York just passed a very good example of compact implementation," said Sara Gosman, water resources attorney for the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes Regional Center. "It's the polar opposite of what Ohio did."
Kasich has until Mondayjuly18 to sign or veto the legislation. Several of the state's major newspapers, as well as former Gov. Bob Taft and former Gov. and U.S. Sen. George V. Voinovich, both Republicans, have spoken out against the bill.
Supporters in Ohio see the measure as a potential boon for business. "The lake's not running dry," State Sen. Tim Grendell, a Republican, said during the debate on the issue.
Saying that there is no evidence the measure would harm wildlife or tourism, Grendell argued that the bill would encourage companies that are big water users to locate in Ohio. "What's going to help tourism is businesses and people," he said. "You get more people to relocate to northeast Ohio, they'll go boating on Lake Erie."
State Sen. Cliff Hite, another Republican, also backed the bill.
"There has been a lot of concern, but this is going to balance the economic, social and ecological aspects of the entire basin, and I think it's been done in a way that will help Ohio," he told the Toledo Blade.
The measure is actually a strong improvement over the status quo, which allows uncontrolled water withdrawals from the lake, said Jennifer Klein, director of energy and environmental policy at the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, which pushed for the legislation.
"From an economic-development standpoint, we needed something that was realistic," Klein said. "There's no science to show there's a problem" with additional withdrawals, she added.
About 3.4 billion gallons of water are already withdrawn from the Lake Erie watershed every day with no resulting problems, said Klein, who accused environmentalists of engaging in a "misinformation campaign" about the Ohio law.
But the National Wildlife Federation contends that the Ohio law would clearly violate the minimum standards set by the Great Lakes Compact, which requires states to develop management plans that protect Great Lakes waters.
Environmentalists predicted that other states could take Ohio to court over its water law, which prompted harsh criticism from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
"Ohio's bill is contrary to the protective spirit of the Great Lakes Compact," said DEC spokeswoman Emily DeSantis.
In Ohio, though, legislators such as Rep. Lynn R. Wachtmann, a Republican who pushed the bill in the House, have come to a clear and very different conclusion.
"Water is money," Wachtmann said during the debate on the bill.
Wachtmann should know.
According to his website, he is president of Maumee Valley Bottling, a water-bottling company, and a partner in Culligan Water Conditioning.
Wachtmann did not return a call seeking comment.
News wire services contributed to this report
posted by Kathie Bracy at 11:23 AM
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