Political Quotes

“last spring, the Canadian Province of Ontario approved a permit that would have allowed the Nova Group, an Ontario-based company, to divert 3 billion liters of water from Lake Superior over the next 5 years and sell that water to unspecified Asian countries. In April, several of my colleagues, led by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak), and I introduced House Resolution 418 urging the President and the Senate to take the necessary action to prohibit the sale or diversion of Great Lakes water to foreign countries, businesses, corporations or individuals. Two weeks later, the Ministry of Environment of Canada announced the permit issued to the Nova Group would be canceled, but the door remained open to companies who wanted to buy and sell water out of the Great Lakes. We need to slam that door shut. Last week, on September 2, the Nova Group asked the Ontario Environmental Appeals Board to overturn the decision, withdrawing the permit, and allow that company to proceed with its bid to export billions of liters of fresh water to several Asian countries. This proposed sale is particularly troubling, due to the existence of several treaties and agreements between the United States and Canada, which would restrict or prohibit this kind of water diversion.”