A lawmaker from northern Michigan has a new bill to protect our water, but a viewer has questions.
By Diana Fairbanks
Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 12:36 p.m.
Read more: Local, State, Environment, Politics, SCRIPPS, Water, Bill, Great Lakes, Diana Fairbanks, Fact Finder, Fact Finder
We are surrounded by water, but whose is it? Is it yours because it flows under your land, or is it all of ours? And is it a commodity, or a right?
As water becomes scarcer in parts of the country, many eyes are turning toward the great lakes.
And Michigan lawmakers are working to define and protect the state's water resources.
One new bill in particular is raising some questions. I sat down with the representative from northern Michigan who sponsored it for tonight's Fact Finder Report.
Many Michiganders think of the water of the Great Lakes as their own. And in a way, a new bill introduced by Representative Dan Scripps would make it so.
House Bill 5319 defines the waters of the state, including groundwater as being held in public trust.
Representative Scripps says, "This bill re-affirms the idea of the public trust in Michigan's waters. That our waters should be for use and enjoyment of present and future generations and that there are a lot of uses that go along with it that are sustainable for the long term but we're not going to allow uses that essentially could make the Great Lakes run dry."
There are other legal protections in place. But Representative Scripps says this bill goes further.
Rep. Scripps says, "Those are important in defining how much water you can use. The top limit on where you can get a permit from the state for water withdraws is 100,000 gallons if it impacts a trout stream, two million if it impacts the Great Lakes Basin. And that's great. It's important that we have that in place. What this does is say even with those limits if water is being used in a way that has a local impact, an individual trout stream would run dry or somebody's well would no longer produce, or basin wide impact, even if it falls within the limits, we have the ability to stand up and say that's not an appropriate use.
But a viewer contacted us with some concerns about this bill.
Jim from Northport writes "Rep. Dan Scripps is initiating legislation to have the State take over all water in the state including water rights of private property owners. I believe this will cause more bureaucracy and higher taxes without improving anything."
Rep. Scripps says, "I think the biggest misconceptions about this is the private property rights argument that this some way harms private property rights when exactly the opposite is true."
"this allows the individual property owner to stand up and say, hey, there are ways you can use this in industry or any other number of other uses, but if you are using so much that my well runs dry or you are using so much that the great lakes as a whole water system is in jeopardy then we are going to try and put a stop to that."
This bill, house bill 5319 has been introduced into committee. Representative Scripps believes lawmakers will start holding hearings on it and move on it after the New Year.
So what do you think about it?
Is it a good idea, or is it infringing on property owner's rights?
There have been some concerns that it is to vague.
Click here to read the bill for yourself.
Leave your comments below.
