To: The Ohio State House, The Ohio State Senate, and Governor Mike DeWine
Ohio Water Withdrawal Permits
Put legislation on a statewide ballot. Let the people vote as to whether to limit the withdrawal of water from Lake Erie to 100,000 gallons per day without a permit, like most other Great Lakes states.
Why is this important?
The Ohio legislature and Governor Kasich recently passed legislation necessary under the Great Lakes Compact regarding the withdrawal of water from Lake Erie that allows for the withdrawal of up to 2.5 million gallons of water per day without having to apply for a permit to do so. Most of the states surrounding the Great Lakes limit this to 100,000 gallons a day, so why would Ohio allow 25 times that limit? The legislation the governor signed was introduced by State Rep. Lynn Wachtmann, who happens to sit on the board of directors of the International Bottled Water Association. Although he claims no conflict of interest, even Stevie Wonder could clearly see one. I would like the people of Ohio to be able to vote to limit it to 100,000 gallons like most other states.