IN AND OUT FOR THE GREAT LAKES

Michigan's in.
It was the last of the eight Great Lakes state to sign on, but this week Michigan formally approved a compact to protect the lakes' waters from being diverted out of the region.
With Gov. Jennifer Granholm's signature, the pact now moves to the U.S. Congress. Advocates for the compact hope that it will be ratified by Congress and signed by the president before the end of the year.
The agreement allows any of the state governors to veto a diversion of waters outside the Great Lakes basin, with some exceptions.
So Arizona can forget about watering its lawns with waters from Lake Michigan.

Plans for building a massive new oil refinery on the St. Clair River are out.
Shell Canada said this week that it had cancelled plans to develop a five-mile strip along the Canadian side of the river across from Marine City and St. Clair in Michigan.
The reason, according to the Shell Canada web site: strong protests from the Americans, inflation and market conditions . The Canadians basically were for the construction, seeing an opportunity for new jobs.
U.S. and Michigan environmental agencies voiced worries about possible chemical discharges into the river and dangers to drinking water intakes down stream.