Public Media from Michigan State University

Great Lakes Month in Review: Leaders grapple with WI water diversion request

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Grant Trigger (center) representing Michigan at last week's meeting of regional representatives in Chicago.
Gary Wilson

Commentator Gary Wilson joins us to talk about April’s biggest environmental stories. We’ll be talking about the recent meeting of representatives from the Great Lakes states and Canadian provinces over the Waukesha diversion proposal, and we’ll talk about Governor Snyder’s efforts to change the culture at the MDEQ.  

 
Michigan is the only state that sits entirely within the Great Lakes basin. That means any Michigan city is legally allowed to draw its drinking water from the lakes.

But under a 2008 compact between the states, cities outside the basin can get Great Lakes water if they meet very specific conditions.

The first city to plead its case is Waukesha, Wisconsin, which says it needs a diversion from Lake Michigan because of high levels of radium in its water supply.

Next month, governors of the eight Great Lakes states--including Governor Rick Snyder--will meet to discuss whether or not to approve Waukesha’s application.

We talk to commentator Gary Wilson about what factors might influence the governor’s decision, as well as other big environmental stories from this month.

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