MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2004

Annonce de l’Annexe des Grands Lacs

Great Lakes Governors have released a draft version of a long-awaited pact to manage water takings from the Great Lakes Basin.

The Great Lakes Annex 2001 Implementing Agreements are the product of several years of discussions and could take as long as fifteen years to implement. Although the agreements were originally developed to place limitations on water diversions from the Great Lakes for their protection, The Council of Canadians is skeptical of what the current Annex will be able to achieve.

"Canadians should be paying close attention to the implications of the Draft Annex," says Sara Ehrhardt, National Water Campaigner of the Council of Canadians. "The health and well being of the Great Lakes must be our first priority as we evaluate this complex agreement."

The Great Lakes is the largest freshwater ecosystem in the world. However, only 1% of the Great Lake waters are renewable every year. At this time it is unknown if current withdrawals from the Great Lakes are consuming more than this 1% threshold. Despite this, the Annex pact will only apply to new withdrawals, raising concerns that the pact will do little to protect an ecosystem already in jeopardy.

"Before discussing any new water withdrawals, we must make sure that current water takings are not compromising the health of the Great Lakes," says Ehrhardt.

Additionally, critics of the Annex have stated that the process of developing the pact has been driven by political agendas and the fear of legal challenges rather than a desire for a broad environmental management plan. As a result, it has been speculated that the pact could leave the potential for significant water diversions.

Since 1998, The Council of Canadians has been actively advocating for a pact that will establish limits on water takings from the Great Lakes based on sound science and the precautionary principle. Moreover, The Council has been a vocal opponent of water exports from the Great Lakes and has called on the Federal Government to exempt water from all trade agreements to protect all of Canada’s waters.

In the months ahead, The Council of Canadians will be working with community water activists, scientists, First Nations, concerned citizens, and legal experts to review the pact and to raise awareness of its potential implications.

"This may be our only chance to protect the Great Lakes for future generations" says Ehrhardt. "We cannot allow political agendas or private interests to prevent us from doing what we know will be best for the Great Lakes ecosystem and for our collective future."

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