Letter re. Waukesha WI’s Proposal to Divert Water from the Great Lakes

Dear Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario:
The National Farmers Union – Ontario is calling on you to object to Waukesha, Wisconsin’s proposal to divert water from the Great Lakes and uphold your obligations regarding the Great Lakes for the people of Ontario.
Allowing Waukesha to pump over 10 million gallons of Great Lakes water a day will set a dangerous precedent for the security of future Great Lakes water supplies. An independent report1 shows that the city can meet its water needs at a lower cost than drawing from Lake Michigan.
If granted, Waukesha, Wisconsin’s request for an exemption from the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact (Compact) and the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement (Agreement) will weaken the best defense for safeguarding and conserving the Great Lakes. It would also set a dangerous precedent and open the gates for future diversions to other municipalities outside of the watershed.
At the 2015 National Convention of the National Farmers Union, a policy resolution was passed which calls on us to:

…urge federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions to apply the precautionary principle in granting licenses for new access to water.
… demand that the federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdictions monitor all usage of water and base all monitoring on true scientific evidence.
… urge federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdictions to include the reality of climate change in their predictions of future water quantity and quality.

The Great Lakes are a way of life as well as the lifeblood of the economy, heritage, and ecology of the region. They also moderate the climate in southern Ontario, and without those moderating effects, Ontario farmers are left vulnerable to climate extremes. As an organization representing farmers in Ontario reliant on Great Lakes water to produce food for Ontarians, we ask that you fulfill your duty to protect these waters on behalf of Canadian citizens.
As party to the Agreement and member of the Regional Body, Ontario can review and comment on the application. As it stands, Waukesha’s application will weaken the standards of the Agreement. Ontario must oppose Waukesha’s request and uphold the standards that safeguard our limited water supplies, especially in light of the coming challenges posed by climate change and the resultant drought potential. This will undoubtedly increase our reliance on a safe and abundant supply of water in the Great Lakes, making conservation an even more important principle going forward.
Sincerely,
Emery Huszka
President, National Farmers Union – Ontario Region 3 Coordinator, National Farmers Union
cc: The Honorable Bill Mauro, Ontario Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry The Honourable Glen Murray, Ontario Minister of Environment and Climate Change Jason Travers, Ontario Designee, Regional Body, Director Natural Resources Conservation Policy Branch
Notes:
1: Non-Diversion Alternative Using Existing Water Supply With Treatment City of Waukesha Water Supply; prepared by GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc., James F. Drought, P.H. Senior Consultant, Jiangeng (Jim) Cai, P.E. Principal Hydrogeologist, John C. Osborne, P.G. Senior Principal District Office Manager http://static1.squarespace.com/static/55845d9de4b0b4466f1267b9/t/55b26a8de4b0f414ae482ea3 /1437756045901/Non- Diversion+Alternative+Report_City+of+Waukesha+Water+Supply_Full.pdf