- Who: The University of Toledo's Lake Erie Center
- What: Movie night featuring : Inland Seas: Understanding and Protecting the Waters of the Great Lakes
- When: Thu, Aug 28, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. - open to the public - event flyer (pdf)
- Where: The Lake Erie Center located at 6200 Bayshore Road in Oregon.
- Why: Dr. Kenneth Kilbert, UT associate professor of law, will lead a discussion after the film about protection of the Great Lakes water and the Great Lakes Compact.
From an Aug 22, 2008 Toledo Free Press article about the movie night :
There will be an overview of surface and groundwater watersheds, and a discussion of water diversions. Following the overview, the film will explore the Great Lakes Compact Agreement and show how the Great Lakes can be saved by shaping water use and protection policy.
Overview of the Great Lakes Compact Agreement
This is a document in bill form for all eight Great Lakes states to adopt in order to legally protect water from large-scale diversions outside the Great Lakes watershed and limit unwise water use within. There has been a six-year negotiation process through the Council of Great Lakes Governors to reach this point. The compact is recommended not to be amended and it must be ratified by Congress to be legally enforceable.
The main elements of the compact agreement are:
- There will be a ban on new diversions of water from the Great Lakes Basin, with limited exceptions for community public water supply purposes.
- The Great Lakes states, and two Canadian provinces, will use consistent standards to review proposed uses of Great Lakes water.
- Strengthens the collection of necessary technical data to share by the participants for improved water resource decision-making in the Basin.
- Requires the states and provinces to implement conservation and efficiency programs.
- Encourages lasting economic development to be balanced with sustainable water use.
- Commits to an ongoing public involvement process in implementing the agreement.
Early fall sunrise on western Lake Erie
