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Water dominates the week’s headlines

Whether it was Flint, the Straits or Waukesha, Wis., water highlighted the news from this week for Michigan residents.

First, out of Flint, it was announced late in the week by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials that testing has confirmed that filters on water were working and the filtered water in the city was safe for pregnant women and children’s use. While the findings were expected, nevertheless they confirmed things are moving in a more positive direction there.

Also regarding Flint water, State Attorney General Bill Schuette announced Thursday he was filing a lawsuit against two companies – a water company and engineering firm – alleging their “acts and omission constitute professional negligence, fraud and public nuisance.”

The latest action followed criminal charges having been filed in April against two Michigan Department of Environmental Quality employees and one City of Flint official in regard to the contamination of the city’s water system.

Moving north to the Straits, this week Enbridge Energy officials unveiled new equipment they have purchased to assist in any environmental cleanup that would be necessary should Line 5 running under the Straits of Mackinac ever experience a leak. Officials recently spent $7 million on 20 different pieces of equipment ranging from bucket systems and oil busters, to a variety of booms and skimmers.

“In the very unlikely event that we have to respond to a pipeline incident, we’re ready,” said Stephen Lloyd, a senior manager of emergency response with Enbridge. “And with this additional purchase we’ll enhance our existing capabilities with some of the industry’s leading emergency response equipment.”

As Enbridge officials were informing the public of the equipment upgrades, President Barack Obama was signing into law the Pipes Safety Act, which strengthens Great Lakes pipeline safety regulations and requires more inspections of existing lines, such as Enbridge’s Line 5. The legislation was supported by lawmakers of both parties.

Finally, moving across Lake Michigan to Wisconsin, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Council agreed to allow the city of Waukesha, Wis., to draw millions of gallons of water a day from Lake Michigan. The city, which lies in the Great Lakes water basin, but not along Lake Michigan itself, suffers from a water aquifer that has high levels of radium in it.

Under the agreement, the city now will draw water directly from Lake Michigan instead of the aquifer. However, the city must treat all its wastewater and divert that water, once filtered and cleaned, back into the Great Lakes basin.

The agreement is a first for the group, and the first time a community has been granted such an exemption. As might be expected it has received a lot of commentary, both good and bad, regarding the decision.

“For better or worse, the Compact governors’ decision approving Waukesha’s diversion is done,” said Jim Olson, founder and president of FLOW (For Love of Water).

“The key to this and future decisions is to make sure it met the standards for exceptions like Waukesha’s request as a community in a straddling county. These standards are the beacons by which the Great Lakes will be protected from diversions and exports. They must burn bright and respected. The public trust duty of the governors to protect the integrity of these waters from one generation to the next is first and foremost.”

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Like it or not, water issues impact the Great Lakes State like nowhere else. In Michigan, water issues always must be at the forefront of every decision, not an afterthought like they sometimes are elsewhere.

Bill Speer can be reached via email at bspeer@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 354-3111 ext. 331. Follow Bill on Twitter @billspeer13. Read his blog, More BS?(Bill Speer) at www.thealpenanews.com.

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