rfmcdonald | [URBAN NOTE] "Waukesha, Wis., plan to tap into Lake Michigan called 'wrong decision'" (Reply)

The CBC News' Greg Layson reports on the controversy surrounding the idea of allowing the Wisconsin city of Waukesha, just outside of the Great Lakes drainage basin, access to the Great Lakes water. Even with the requirement to return an equivalent among to the Great Lakes, this sets a worrisome trend.

A panel representing governors of the eight states adjoining the Great Lakes unanimously approved a proposal from Waukesha, Wis., which is under a court order to find a solution to radium contamination of its groundwater wells. The city says the project will cost $265 million Cdn for engineering studies, pipelines and other infrastructure.

Waukesha is only 27 kilometres from the lake but just outside the Great Lakes watershed. That required the city of about 72,000 to get special permission under the compact, which prohibits most diversions of water across the watershed boundary.

Paterson immediately took to Twitter to denounce the decision. His peninsula town, the self-proclaimed Tomato Capital of Canada and home to hundreds of greenhouses, is surrounded by Lake Erie.

"This should not be allowed," Paterson told CBC News. "I'm really disappointed it happened. That was unexpected. I actually thought the governor of Michigan was going to side with us. He even bailed."

The Michigan Senate adopted a resolution last month opposing Waukesha's request. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder went against that and voted in favour of Waukesha's plan Tuesday.