"You might be surprised to know that 137 billion gallons flows in every day. You might be surprised to know that only 86.3 billion gallons flow out. ... Leaving us a net surplus of approximately 50 billion gallons a day.”
-- State Sen. Tim Grendell
Who knew water could be so political?
It happened this year in Ohio as a debate over how to best use — or not use — the fresh-water supplies of Lake Erie and the Great Lakes as a whole has raged in the hallways of the Ohio Statehouse.
The debate has focused on House Bill 231, a piece of legislation that was supposed to implement the eight-state Great Lakes Compact that Ohio agreed to be a part of in 2008. The legislation was approved by the General Assembly, but then vetoed July 15, 2011, by Gov. John Kasich.
Environmental groups as well as former Govs. Bob Taft and George Voinovich have fought the legislation, saying it allows businesses to use too much water without permits and could cause Lake Erie water levels to drop, leaving it prone to algae problems.
Leading the charge in favor of the legislation has been Sen. Tim Grendell, a Chesterland Republican, who has used a steady stream of statistics about water flowing in and out of Lake Erie to suggest that criticisms are overblown.
On June 28, before the Ohio Senate voted, Grendell gave a floor speech in support of the bill that suggested Lake Erie takes in more water than the amount that flows out. In fact, Lake Erie actually had a surplus of water, therefore diminishing the arguments of those concerned about water withdrawals made by businesses, Grendell claimed.
“You might be surprised to know that 137 billion gallons flows in every day,” Grendell said. “You might be surprised to know that only 86.3 billion gallons flow out. ... Leaving us a net surplus of approximately 50 billion gallons a day.”
We were surprised to hear more water was flowing into Lake Erie than flowing out. So PolitiFact Ohio decided to check and see if Grendell’s figures were high and dry.
You can see the full story there. Then come back here to comment.