Op-ed: Though the Compact is Signed, Great Lakes are Still at Risk

TOLEDO, Ohio — What seems like a near-perfect deal to protect the Great Lakes watershed deserves further thought, suggests Dave Dempsey in and editorial published in the Toledo Blade:

The Great Lakes Compact took 10 years to write and pass, generated a thousand adoring news releases, and now goes off to Washington for what the region hopes is quick approval by Congress. Great work, right? Not so fast – let’s look past the self-congratulatory press releases.

Advertised as a guarantee of “a future in which the Great Lakes are forever sustained” (Gov. Ted Strickland of Ohio), “a strong regional warning to chronically dry regions of the South and West” (Chicago Tribune), and “something that will protect the Great Lakes for generations to come” (Wisconsin state Sen. Scott Gunderson), it’s actually a way for bottled-water companies to gain rights to sell Great Lakes water.

Source: Toledo Blade