Ex-Ohio governor fights Great Lakes water-use bill
COLUMBUS (AP) — Former Ohio Gov. Bob Taft has made a surprise appearance before a legislative committee to oppose a bill that lays out guidelines for the state’s use of water under the Great Lakes Compact.
Taft chaired the multistate commission that hammered out the agreement on the use of water from the Great Lakes.
The Republican urged the Senate Agriculture Committee to slow the bill’s pace to consider several key issues.
The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Lynn Wachtmann, thought a vote by the panel was imminent today, but it did not happen.
Taft cited four provisions of the bill that don’t conform to the compact, including what events are used to evaluate environmental impacts of water withdrawal.
Wachtmann, a Republican, said Taft had his facts wrong and the bill addressed his concerns.