Earlier this month, the state Legislature passed the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Water Resources Compact [1] and it is now awaiting Gov. Eliot Spitzer's signature (he's expected to sign it, by the way.) But all the work that New Yorkers and residents of other Lakes states have done to push the compact may be undone by lawmakers in Wisconsin and Ohio, who are raising fresh objections. The Great Lakes

According to the Democract & Chronicle [2], legislative leaders in those states say that the compact may be a threat to property rights. Ohio Senate President Bill Harris and Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Michael Huebsch also want to make it easier to divert water within the basin, eliminating the one-state veto that the agreement currently calls for.

But the governors of all eight states have already signaled their support. The issue is also widely supported by environmental groups and residents because time is of the essence -- the compact would prevent water diversion from the lakes and rivers linking them, as distant states are seeking new sources of water.

The Great Lakes Compact is also an important goal in NYLCV's 2008 Policy Agenda [2].