August 27, 2004

The Department of Environmental Quality’s Office of the Great Lakes will be holding a series of public meetings to discuss the 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 draft Annex 2001 Implementing Agreements are the result of three years of efforts by the Council of Great Lakes Governors’ Water Management Working Group to address Great Lakes Basin protection issues, including the diversion of water outside of the Basin and water uses within the Basin. The documents are draft, and have not been endorsed by any Governor at this time.

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

Date                          Time                      Place
August 30, 2004         6:00 – 8:00 pm      St. Clair Shores City Hall
                                                             27600 Jefferson Circle Drive
                                                             St. Clair Shores, Michigan

August 31, 2004         2:30 – 4:30 pm      Cheboygan County Building
                                                             Commissioner’s Room (Rm 119)
                                                             870 South Main 
                                                             Cheboygan, Michigan

September 1, 2004     9:00 – 11:00 am     DeFant Building
                                                             200 W. Spring Street, Room 274
                                                             Marquette, Michigan

September 2, 2004    10:00 – 12:00 am    Annis Water Resources Institute
                                                             Grand Valley State University
                                                             Lake Michigan Center
                                                             740 West Shoreline Drive
                                                             Muskegon, Michigan

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

September 14, 2004   2:00 – 4:00 pm       Michigan Library & Historical Center
(Public Hearing)                                      The Forum Conference Room
                                                             702 West Kalamazoo Street
                                                             Lansing, Michigan

Written comments are encouraged at any time through October 19, 2004. Formal comments may be submitted at the public hearings, 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 W. Allegan Street 
                                       Lansing, MI 48909-7973

For more information on the Annex 2001 process, visit: http://www.michigan.gov/annex2001process.

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

Revised August 27, 2004 by Pat Watson