Plan to pipe Great Lakes water draws fire →

The Duluth Tribune, February 28, 2016
Author: John Meyers

Andrew Slade, Duluth-based northeast program coordinator for the Minnesota Environmental Partnership, said independent studies show that Waukesha could get ample water from local wells by adding new filtration technology that would be cheaper than building pipes to Lake Michigan.

“The compact clearly allows a community like Waukesha to apply for a diversion. But the bar for approving a diversion is set very high. It’s essentially allowed only as a last resort,” Slade noted. “In this case, the exception isn’t warranted. They appear to have other viable options.”

Environmental and Great Lakes advocacy groups say lowering the bar to give Waukesha access to Lake Michigan water would set a precedent triggering additional requests by communities or industries just outside the Great Lakes watershed.