Michigan shows favoritism to wealth when it comes to allocating Great Lakes water.
* The state is considering a 167% increase to the millions of gallons of water it already allows the Nestle conglomerate to withdraw for sale from the Great Lakes watershed - - water the company is allowed to truck out in bottles smaller than about five gallons without limitations through a protectionist loophole in diversion prohibitions Michigan negotiated for into the Great Lakes Compact.
* Michigan also voted to allow a first-ever-out-of-basin Great Lakes diversion to the relatively affluent City of Waukesha, Wisconsin through a different diversion exemption so the city could soon shift away from using well water tainted with naturally-occurring radium.
Yet residents in the far poorer and more heavily African-American City of Flint, Michigan still cannot turn on their spigots and receive clean, safe drinking water.
Where is the equity?
* The state is considering a 167% increase to the millions of gallons of water it already allows the Nestle conglomerate to withdraw for sale from the Great Lakes watershed - - water the company is allowed to truck out in bottles smaller than about five gallons without limitations through a protectionist loophole in diversion prohibitions Michigan negotiated for into the Great Lakes Compact.
* Michigan also voted to allow a first-ever-out-of-basin Great Lakes diversion to the relatively affluent City of Waukesha, Wisconsin through a different diversion exemption so the city could soon shift away from using well water tainted with naturally-occurring radium.
Yet residents in the far poorer and more heavily African-American City of Flint, Michigan still cannot turn on their spigots and receive clean, safe drinking water.
Where is the equity?