Water is a common good.
Let's not make it a commodity. The hearing was the first of 12 scheduled around the basin to solicit public comment on an interim report by the International Joint Commission on the protection of Great Lakes waters. The report is in response to requests from both countries for an analysis of existing and potential uses, diversions and exports of Great Lakes waters after Canada last year gave an Ontario company a five-year permit to ferry 159 million gallons of Lake Superior water to Asia annually. The permit ultimately was withdrawn by Canada. In its interim report, the IJC found little reason to believe that in the foreseeable future, outside investors will find it feasible to divert water from the Great Lakes.