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MAYOR CALLS FOR FEDERAL
CONSENT OF GREAT LAKES COMPACT CITES LOCAL GOVERNMENT ANNUAL INVESTMENT OF $15
BILLION TO URGE FEDERAL SUPPORT OF INTERSTATE COMPACT Washington, D.C. (July 30, 2008)
– Mayor George Heartwell of Grand Rapids, Michigan testified today to the
U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary regarding federal consent for the Great
Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact (Compact). Mayor
Heartwell is the Vice Chair of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative,
a coalition of more than 55 U.S. and Canadian cities that work together to
advance the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence
River. “The Compact represents a
commitment to stewardship by eight states, based on extensive input from
cities, Native American tribes, and many other stakeholders, of the fresh water
of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence,” said Mayor Heartwell in his
testimony. Heartwell commended the Governors
of the eight Great Lakes states and the Premiers of Ontario and Quebec for
their efforts on the Compact and the parallel Agreement in Canada. He
emphasized that protecting the vast freshwater system upon which more than 40
million people rely for drinking water is the right and responsibility of the
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region, and requires a commitment from all orders
of government and citizens from both the U.S. and Canada. “Water is the lifeblood of
our cities,” said Heartwell in his testimony. “We have the good
fortune of living in the basin of a true, global freshwater treasure.”
On behalf of the Cities Initiative, Heartwell encouraged federal consent of the
Compact so that it becomes law, and cited the efforts already being made by
those in the region, particularly cities, towards managing the waters of the
Lakes and River wisely. Heartwell highlighted the study completed by the
Cities Initiative earlier this year with the Great Lakes Commission that
documented over $15 billion annually in investments by local governments in the
U.S. and Canada to protect and restore the resource. Additionally, Heartwell
emphasized the Cities Initiative Water Conservation Framework through which
cities voluntarily commit to reduce water consumption by 15 percent between the
years 2000 and 2015. “Cities in the Great Lakes
and St. Lawrence Basin recognize the need for the region to lead by example to
save this precious resource,” said David Ullrich, Executive Director of
the Cities Initiative. “It is a powerful statement when cities along the
shores of the world’s premier freshwater system are doing what they can
to conserve every drop and invest in the proper infrastructure to maintain the
quality of the water.” To read Mayor Heartwell’s
testimony and to learn more about the Cities Initiative, please visit www.glslcities.org/news. To read a
press release from the City of Grand Rapids on Mayor Heartwell’s
testimony, visit www.ci.grand-rapids.mi.us.
The
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative is a binational coalition of 56
mayors and other local officials that works actively with federal, state,
tribal, first nation and provincial governments and other stakeholders to
advance the protection, restoration and promotion of the Great Lakes and St.
Lawrence River basin. Contacts:
Melissa
A. Soline Program
Manager Great
Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative 177
North State Street, Suite 500 Chicago,
Illinois 60601 Phone
312.201.4517 Fax
312.553.4355 |