Lennox threatens lawsuit to stop Genesee County water pipeline

by: Kathy

Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:30:00 PM EDT

Cheboygan County, Michigan, is threatening to go to court to stop Genesee County's proposed water pipeline to Lake Huron.

Cheboygan County Drain Commissioner Dennis G. Lennox II said today that the new pipeline would be dangerous to Lake Huron's future.

"This sets a dangerous precedent if Genesee County (is granted a withdrawal permit)," Lennox said. "I don't think any of us want to see pipelines opening up all over Michigan."

Lennox is so opposed to the water withdrawal permit that he's prepared to file a lawsuit to stop the county. Genesee County Drain Commissioner Jeff Wright called Lennox's actions political grandstanding.

"Mr. Lennox is a political opportunist. His rhetoric does not match the facts," Wright said. "This is no more than a stunt to get his name in the paper."

Facts? Lennox claims the Genesee County proposal is "a direct affront to the landmark Great Lakes Compact ... to protect the water resources in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin."

Wright schooled Lennox on the water compact and explained that it's "designed to keep water from being diverted from the Great Lakes watershed." And, "What we use is 100 percent recycled and put back into the Great Lakes." This site supports Wright's statement, and so does Hugh McDiarmid Jr., a spokesman with the Michigan Environmental Council.

"I can't imagine a municipal water supply would have an adverse impact on a water resource as big as (Lake Huron)," McDiarmid said.

Genesee County currently gets its water from Lake Huron via the Detroit water authority, so there would be zero or minimal difference in the amount of water drawn from the lake.

Everyone I've talked to in the Flint area is in favor of the pipeline because rates have risen more than 100% since 2001. If a new pipeline isn't built, then a 30-year agreement will have to be signed with Detroit and we'll be stuck.  

A new pipeline would cost between $300-400 million, but according to Wright, if Genesee County doesn't build a new water pipeline, Detroit's water authority will, at a cost of $700 million. Guess who gets to pay for that? Flint and Genesee County area residents.

The local pipeline would be built without increasing taxes, although water rates would go up. Wright said water rates would go up less than if the Detroit pipeline is built.

Wright said officials also have applied for federal stimulus money, which would help alleviate the costs for residents.

Wright said the local job market also would get a boost, as 500 to 700 jobs would be created to build the pipeline.

To recap, Dennis Lennox needs to advance his political career if he hopes to win the 105th District seat, so he's threatening to stop Genesee County from building a pipeline based on his belief that it's "a direct affront to the landmark Great Lakes Compact." The Compact prevents most diversions of Great Lakes water out of the region, however, Genesee County isn't sending water out of the region. They simply want to take water from Lake Huron north of the Detroit water system, which also takes water from Lake Huron. Genesee County will not be bottling the water and shipping it out of state, and they won't be building a pipeline to send it to Arizona or Nevada. The water is staying in Michigan.

Whatever happens, Lennox gets what he wants - his name in the paper. It's the residents of Genesee County who stand to lose.