July 15, 2005

At the request of Governor Jennifer M. Granholm, the Department of Environmental Quality’s Office of the Great Lakes will be holding a series of public meetings to discuss the revised draft Annex 2001 Implementing Agreements. These meetings will be held throughout the state to provide the public with the opportunity to ask questions and engage in discussion on the draft documents.

The revised draft Agreements were developed by a working group of representatives from the eight Great Lakes states and two Canadian provinces as a result of the public comments received last year on the draft Agreements released July 19, 2004. There are two items for review: a non-binding state-provincial agreement and a binding interstate compact. The revised draft agreements and other related information can be found on the Annex website at www.michigan.gov/deqannex2001process. The revised draft agreements provide for a prohibition on diversion of Great Lakes water, with limited exceptions and a plan to phase in management of water withdrawals within the Great Lakes basin.

All members of the public are invited to attend the following public meetings:

Date                        Time            Location
August 2, 2005        7:00 p.m.     Chippewa County Courthouse
                                                 Circuit Court Room, 2nd Floor
                                                  319 Court Street
                                                 Sault Ste. Marie, MI

August 8, 2005        1:00 p.m.     Loutit District Library
                                                 407 Columbus Avenue
                                                 Grand Haven, MI

August 11, 2005       6:30 p.m.    City of Port Huron
                                                 Public Meeting Room
                                                 100 McMorran Blvd.
                                                 Port Huron, MI

August 12, 2005       1:00 p.m.    Cadillac Place
                                                 1st Floor Conference Room
                                                 3058 West Grand Blvd
                                                 Detroit, MI

The state will hold one public hearing where official testimony can be taken. The following is the time and place for the hearing:

August 23, 2005       1:30 p.m.     Michigan Library and Historical Center
                                                  Lake Ontario Conference Room
                                                  702 West Kalamazoo Street
                                                  Lansing, MI

Written comments are encouraged at any time through August 28, 2005. Formal comments may be submitted at the public meetings, or through e-mail to DEQ-ANNEX-2001@michigan.gov, or sent via postal mail to:

Office of the Great Lakes
Constitution Hall - 6th Floor
P.O. Box 30473
525 West Allegan
Street Lansing, MI 48909-7973

Additionally, comments may be submitted to the Council of Great Lakes Governors either electronically at Annex2001@cglg.org or in writing to:

David Naftzger, Executive Director
Council of Great Lakes Governors
35 East Wacker Drive, Suite 1850
Chicago, IL 60601

Editor’s note: DEQ news releases are available on the department’s Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

“Protecting Michigan’s Environment, Ensuring Michigan’s Future”

Revised July 15, 2005 by Pat Watson