Number: 1999-13
WHEREAS, Lake Superior is one of the world’s crown jewels. The lake’s ecosystem is the most wild, pristine, undeveloped and unpolluted of the Great Lakes. Lake Superior is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, containing three quadrillion gallons of water (ten percent of the world’s fresh surface water). Lake Superior’s size and purity make it one of the most valuable natural resources in the world; and
WHEREAS, Lake Superior contains a wide variety of unique and sensitive wildlife habitats and also provides important recreational and commercial opportunities, such as sport and commercial fishing, hunting, camping, and pleasure boating; and
WHEREAS, in spite of its remote location and pristine character, levels of some persistent, bioaccumulative toxins have resulted in fish consumption advisories for fish from Lake Superior. A significant portion of these toxins comes from air emissions both inside and outside of the Lake Superior basin; and
WHEREAS, the land surrounding Lake Superior is under significant development pressure; and
WHEREAS, last year a Canadian firm proposed selling tankers full of Lake Superior water to Asia. Global water shortages, global climate change, and other factors make it likely for additional threats to divert Lake Superior water in future years; and
WHEREAS, the International Joint Commission recommended, and the governments of the United States, Canada, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ontario accepted the challenge of designating Lake Superior as a zero discharge demonstration zone for persistent toxic pollutants by signing the “Binational Program to Restore and Protect the Lake Superior Basin” in 1991; and
WHEREAS, eight years have passed and little progress has been made to make Lake Superior a zero discharge demonstration zone and Lake Superior continues to be threatened by toxic pollution; and
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation’s “Waters at Risk: Keeping Clean Waters Clean” report identifies the need for pollution prevention of pristine water bodies. The report cites from a 1992 survey of state government agencies that, “Only one-third of the states reported that they had a system in place to determine if specific surface waters are eligible for outstanding waters protection”; and
WHEREAS, Lake Superior presents an excellent opportunity for proving that protection of the most significant water resources and ecosystems is possible;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in its Annual Meeting assembled March 18-21, 1999, in Houston, Texas, calls on governments to protect Lake Superior and to:
- reform federal and state laws to require the designations of Lake Superior and other eligible waters as “Outstanding National Resource Waters”(ONRW) within a definite and reasonable time frame; and
- reform federal and state laws to enable citizens to petition for the designation of water bodies as ONRWs; and
- reform federal and state laws and policies to comprehensively address sources of pollution affecting pure waters (including atmospheric deposition and all other point and non-point sources); and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation urges the states, provinces, tribes and the federal governments of the United States and Canada to enact laws or treaties that prohibit out-of-basin diversions or out-of-basin sales of Lake Superior waters; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation calls on the governments to ensure responsible development and implementation of land use laws and policies that will preserve, protect, and restore Lake Superior’s ecosystems. Furthermore, the governments must coordinate management of the ecosystems around Lake Superior by different ownerships and agencies to protect entire ecosystems.