Illinois Becomes Second State to Adopt Historic Great Lakes Protections: Compact gaining momentum

(Springfield, IL) Today, Illinois Governor Blagojevich signed into law the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, an interstate agreement to protect the Great Lakes in perpetuity. The Illinois House of Representatives unanimously adopted the Compact on
March 29, 2007. The Illinois Senate voted in favor of the compact on May 22, 2007. Governor Blagojevich sealed the deal with his signature on the legislation today.

Bill sponsors, Representative Harry Osterman and Senator John Cullerton, along with Governor Rod Blagojevich and Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn were instrumental in ensuring the adoption of the Compact. “The Compact enjoys bipartisan support in the Illinois legislature and is supported by diverse stakeholders throughout the Great Lakes region. This broad support demonstrates the value of Great Lakes water resources to Illinois,” said Cecily Smith, spokesperson for the Illinois River conservation group Prairie Rivers Network. “Many Illinois citizens have first-hand experiences with the environmental and recreational benefits provided by the Great Lakes and are eager to do their part to protect this precious natural resource.”

“By adopting the Compact, Illinois has done its part to remove the bull’s-eye on Lake Michigan. The Compact is critical for the long-term protection of the lakes and will allow the Great Lakes region to maintain control of its waters as demand continues to grow throughout the nation and worldwide,” said Molly Flanagan, Great Lakes Water Resources Program Manager at the National Wildlife Federation.

The Compact is the culmination of a multi-year process of negotiations among the eight Great Lakes States. The Compact will protect Great Lakes water supplies by implementing an effective water management plan, including protections against water diversions out of the basin and the promotion of water conservation measures within the basin. To become law, the Compact must be adopted by all eight Great Lakes state legislatures, and consented to by the U.S. Congress.

The Great Lakes governors endorsed the Compact in December 2005. Minnesota became the first state to adopt the Compact in February 2007. So far in 2007, the New York Assembly and Senate have also passed the Compact. Legislation is pending in Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Notably missing from this lineup is Ohio where the House adopted the Compact in 2006, but the Senate ran out of time at the end of session. Each Great Lakes state is expected to introduce legislation before the year ends.

Flanagan states, “ Passing the Compact is critical to protecting the Great Lakes. We applaud the state of Illinois for their leadership and hope that every Great Lake state will join Illinois in making adoption of the Compact a top priority.”

Contact Info: 

Cecily Smith, Prairie Rivers Network: (217) 344-2371

Molly Flanagan, National Wildlife Federation: (734) 887-7103

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