This Thursday, the Michigan House of Representatives will be voting on a bill that may take away public control of the state’s waters and give it to corporations that are interested in bottling and selling water as a commodity. In order to prevent such a development, environmental and activist groups have been working to convince members of the House to support three amendments proposed as part of the Great Lakes, Great Michigan campaign to support improved legislative and regulatory procedures governing Michigan’s water. The amendments include those protecting the state’s waters from diversions by requiring legislative approval for diversions outside of the Great Lakes basin, protecting natural resources from water use impacts by expanding protections to include wetlands and other habitats without fish populations, and ensuring water conservation by requiring generally accepted conservation practices for each sector.

Locally, Representative Michael Sak has supported the amendments, while other local Representatives, despite a series of meetings with campaign representatives and contacts from constituents, have not committed to supporting the amendments. The campaign needs to win the support of additional legislators, with current efforts focusing on Representative Dave Hildenbrand and Representative Kevin Green both of whom could be convinced to support the amendment. In order to help sway Representatives Hildenbrand and Green, Clean Water Action/Clean Water Fund is asking for volunteers to contact them to help mobilize Clean Water Action/Clean Water Fund members in Hildenbrand’s and Green’s districts (call 616-742-8084 or email grandrapids@cleanwater.org). Additionally, area Representatives should be contacted and encouraged to support the three Great Lakes, Great Michigan amendments:

• Pearce - 1-888-414-3684
• Kooiman - 1-800-875-2154
• Steil - 1-877-727-8345
• Green - 1-866-538-4677
• Hildenbrand - 1-877-328-8086

For more information on the issue, see Clean Water Action/Clean Water Fund’s October 2005 report “Don’t Privatize the Water: Keeping Michigan’s Water in Private Hands.”