Great Lakes Compact Approved by Indiana

February 20, 2008

Indianapolis, Ind. -- A new state law will bring Indiana into the forefront of a movement to protect the Great Lakes through the enactment of the Great Lakes Compact. State Senator Karen Tallian (D-Portage) attended a ceremony today where Governor Mitch Daniels signed Senate Bill 45 into law. Tallian was cosponsor of the legislation which introduces the Great Lakes Compact language into Indiana law.

Tallian said the Great Lakes Compact is an important agreement among neighboring states to preserve the Great Lakes. The Compact is particularly concerned with protecting against water diversions from the lakes.

Recent proposals to export large amounts of water from the Great Lakes, along with the declining water level, have prompted the attention and support of officials and residents for the interstate collaborative.

The Great Lakes Compact is an interstate agreement with the states that border the Great Lakes (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec). All of the eight states must pass the legislation for the compact to be enacted. Indiana and the seven other states are already members of the Great Lakes Commission, a public agency established by the compact to coordinate and promote lake protection efforts.

Senate Bill was approved by the Senate by a vote of 47-0 in January, and in the House by a vote of 91-8 earlier this month. It will become effective on July 1, 2008.

http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=27945

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