IV

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 566

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the President

and the Senate should take the necessary actions to prevent the sale

or diversion of Great Lakes water to foreign countries, businesses, corporations, and individuals until procedures are established to guarantee

that any such sale is fully negotiated between and approved by the

governments concerned.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 1, 1998

Mr. STUPAK (for himself, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin, Mr.

JOHNSON of Wisconsin, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr. OBERSTAR, Ms. RIVERS,

Mr. OBEY, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania, Ms. KILPATRICK,

Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr. WALSH, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mrs.

THURMAN, Mr. KIND, Mr. LUTHER, Mr. SABO, Mr. VISCLOSKY, Mr.

SOUDER, Mr. VENTO, Mr. BARCIA, Mr. MCHUGH, Ms. STABENOW, and

Mr. BROWN of Ohio) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that

the President and the Senate should take the necessary

actions to prevent the sale or diversion of Great Lakes

water to foreign countries, businesses, corporations, and

individuals until procedures are established to guarantee

that any such sale is fully negotiated between and approved by the governments concerned.

Whereas the water resources of the Great Lakes Basin are

precious public natural resources, shared and held in
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trust by the Great Lakes States and the Canadian Provinces;

Whereas the Great Lakes need to be carefully managed and

protected in order to meet current and future water

needs within the Great Lakes Basin and the Canadian

Provinces;

Whereas any new diversions of Great Lakes waters for use

outside of the Great Lakes Basin will have significant adverse effects on the environment, economy, and welfare of

the Great Lakes region;

Whereas the Province of Ontario, Canada, has authorized an

Ontario company to divert water from the Great Lakes

for sale to Asia;

Whereas 4 of the Great Lakes contain international waters,

and are defined as ‘‘boundary waters’’ in the Boundary

Waters Treaty of 1909 between the United States and

Canada, and therefore any new diversion of Great Lakes

water would affect the relations between the Government

of the United States and the Government of Canada;

Whereas as trustees of the Great Lakes Basin’s natural resources, the Great Lakes States and Provinces have a

shared duty to protect, conserve, and manage the renewable but finite waters of the Great Lakes Basin for the

use, benefit, and enjoyment of all their citizens, and future generations; and

Whereas the most effective means of protecting, conserving,

and managing the water resources of the Great Lakes is

through the joint pursuit of unified and cooperative principles, policies, and programs mutually agreed upon, enacted, and adhered to by each and every Great Lakes

State and Province: Now, therefore, be it
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1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that the President and the Senate should act

3 to prevent the sale or diversion of Great Lakes water to

4 foreign countries, businesses, corporations, and individuals

5 until procedures are established to guarantee that any

6 such sale or diversion is fully negotiated and approved by

7 representatives of the United States Government and the

8 Government of Canada, in consultation with any Great

9 Lakes State or Province that could be impacted by such

10 a sale or diversion.

Æ