Check out midterm report card on Great Lakes Compact

Two and half years after  Great Lakes states agreed to cut down on water diversion and excessive withdrawals from the lakes, the National Wildlife Foundation has  reported on how they’re doing.   The highlights:

Michigan and Wisconsin have the most notable success, passing legislation to cover all aspects of the compact and administering the program. New York and Ohio only recently enacted legislation to comply with the requirements of the Great Lakes Compact.  They deferred to advisory boards for their recommendations. Illinois and Minnesota contend that their statutes and programs are sufficient to control water diversion and withdrawal. They adopted the compact without creating further requirements. Indiana and Pennsylvania created skeletal programs and allowed environmental agencies to fill in the flesh.  They have no detailed programs or rules.