Rep. Miller Applauds Passage of the Great Lakes Compact

Statement

REP. MILLER APPLAUDS PASSAGE OF THE GREAT LAKES COMPACT

Congresswoman Candice Miller (MI-10) today applauded the passage of the Great Lakes Basin Compact by the House of Representatives.

The bill, which has been passed by all eight Great Lakes states and the U.S. Senate, will now go to the president for his signature. He has indicated that he would sign the bill which outlaws diversions of water and require states to regulate large scale water use.

Rep. Miller released the following statement after the vote:

"The action we took today protects the Great Lakes, which are one of the great treasures of the world. The Great Lakes are fully 20% of the world's freshwater drinking supply. They are unique in our nation and unique on this planet.

But no one understands this more than those of us in Michigan, the Great Lake State, where four of the five lakes touch Michigan shores. In addition to the 8 American states who signed on to the compact, two Canadian provinces, Quebec and Ontario are in accord with the provisions outlined in the compact.

The lakes are important to our state for commerce, for recreation, for drinking water, and for the environment. The Great Lakes deserve every protection to ensure they remain a healthy ecosystem for future generations.

One of the primary reasons I ran for Congress was to preserve and protect the Great Lakes. I have been proud to work with my colleagues on issues like invasive species, the Great Lakes Legacy Act, and the Water Resources Development Act. Today, the House took a historic step towards protecting this treasure by ratifying the Great Lakes Compact.

I am proud of our region for coming together to decide the future of the Great Lakes before others have the opportunity to do so for us."

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