E-M:/ Wisconsin water diversion application

["Dave Dempsey" <davedem@hotmail.com>]

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Enviro-Mich message from "Dave Dempsey" <davedem@hotmail.com>
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Comment Period Opens on New Berlin Proposal
to Use Lake Michigan Water

MADISON ? A 60-day public comment period opens today on New Berlin?s 
proposal to withdraw additional water from Lake Michigan, State water 
officials announced.
	New Berlin has submitted the proposal because wells that serve a part of 
the city located outside of the Great Lakes Basin are producing groundwater 
with high levels of radium, a known carcinogen. Through an agreement with 
the state, New Berlin will shut those wells down to meet a December deadline 
for bringing its groundwater radium levels into compliance with state and 
federal standards.  However, the shut-down is only a temporary solution and 
does not account for potential long-range issues such as increased summer 
water usage or failure of primary wells.
	"We look forward to hearing from the public on New Berlin?s application, 
and on the question of how we should handle proposals for Lake Michigan 
water until the Great Lakes compact is finalized,? said Bruce Baker, deputy 
of DNR?s Water Division.
	The Great Lake-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources 
Agreement and Compact (the Compact) was signed Dec. 13, 2005, by Gov. Jim 
Doyle, seven other Great Lakes states governors, and two Canadian prime 
ministers.  The agreement includes a ban on pumping water outside the basin, 
but includes exceptions for communities like New Berlin that straddle the 
basin.  To become official, Great Lakes states lawmakers must pass 
legislation carrying out the Compact and Congress must approve it ? a 
process that could take several years.
	Under existing federal law, proposals like New Berlin?s could be determined 
to be non-diversions because no water will be lost from the Lake Michigan 
basin. The city plans to return all of the water it draws from the lake, 
plus additional groundwater processed through its wastewater treatment 
system, back into the Basin.
	?There are significant questions surrounding New Berlin?s proposal that 
will benefit from public comment, inspection, and discussion,? Baker said.  
?That is why we decided to go well beyond what is currently required by law 
and conduct this 60-day comment period.  We look forward to reviewing 
everyone?s assessment of the merits of New Berlin?s application.?
       In addition to commenting on the application, people can also 
comment on whether they think the request should be approved or denied, and 
whether it should be reviewed under existing practice, or under a new 
protocol outlined in the previously-negotiated Great Lakes compact.
The DNR will collect and review all public comments.  A determination 
regarding New Berlin?s application is expected to be made in late winter.
        A copy of the application is found online at:   
http://dnr.wi.gov/environmentprotect/water.html.
       People can submit written comments until Nov. 25, 2006, to : Maureen 
Connors, Office of the Great Lakes, Wisconsin Department of Natural 
Resources, Box 7921, Madison, Wisconsin, 53707, or by Email to: 
dgmailbox@dnr.state.wi.us.
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