Wisconsin govt. approves diverting Lake Michigan water for Taiwan's Foxconn

Foxconn's future manufacturing facility in Wisconsin will use an estimated 2.7 million gallons of water a day from the Great Lake.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has approved a request to pull millions of gallons of water daily from Lake Michigan to serve a new Foxconn Technology Group manufacturing plant, helping the Taiwanese electronics giant clear a major regulatory hurdle.

Foxconn expects to begin construction on a $10 billion flat-screen plant in Mount Pleasant within weeks. The city of Racine filed a request with the DNR in January to withdraw 7 million gallons of water daily from the lake to serve the plant. The city's application estimated about 2.7 million gallons will be consumed daily.

Wisconsin govt. approves diverting Lake Michigan water for Taiwan's Foxconn

I can't see how they're getting away with this It not only Violates the "Great Lakes Compact requirement'', but it's taking away from those who actually live in the area, on both sides of the fence.

I'm seeing this year after year, decade after decade. Foreign interests raping and pillaging the land, the water and could be construed as a Human Rights violation as well.

Think about it for just a minute.. They want to withdraw 7 million gallons of water daily from the lake to serve the plant.

Democracy at its best. Oh right, this ain't democracy, its corporatism.

a reply to: BotheLumberJack

They want to withdraw 7 million gallons of water daily from the lake to serve the plant.

The article says 2.7 million.

Assuming that no water enters the lake, that means it would be drained in only 1.3 million years.



It's about the economy, stupid.

a reply to: Phage

This is part of the article in it's entirety.

The city of Racine filed a request with the DNR in January to withdraw 7 million gallons of water daily from the lake to serve the plant. The city's application estimated about 2.7 million gallons will be consumed daily.

And yes, that would be ridiculously large amounts.

Doesn't Nestle have some absurd deal with Michigan as well? Seem to remember reading that somewhere along the way, then they bottle up a huge amount and ship it to china since apparently its legal to pump it out and bottle it while just filling a tanker ship with water is illegal.That one never quite made sense to me.

The point is, that they're getting away with it at all.

The economy is stupid in it's entirety.

originally posted by: Irishhaf
Doesn't Nestle have some absurd deal with Michigan as well? Seem to remember reading that somewhere along the way, then they bottle up a huge amount and ship it to china since apparently its legal to pump it out and bottle it while just filling a tanker ship with water is illegal.That one never quite made sense to me.

Yeah they do. Nestle is another Human Rights Violator. One company here, another there. Pretty soon everyone's gonna want dibs on Lake Michigan.

a reply to: BotheLumberJack

Yes. 2.7 million would be "consumed" by the plant. Presumably the rest would be returned to the lake or used by the community.

I'm not sure how that would violate the Great Lakes Compact.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: BotheLumberJack

Yes. 2.7 million would be "consumed." Presumably the rest would be returned to the lake.

I'm not sure how that would violate the Great Lakes Compact.

I guess we'll have to wait and see how that one works out for them.

Regardless, I'd want to know if Foreign interest were siphoning fresh water from my backyard, wouldn't you?

a reply to: BotheLumberJack

Regardless, I'd want to know if Foreign interest were siphoning fresh water from my backyard, wouldn't you?

Well, you do know now. Right? But I don't think the water is being shipped to Taiwan.

Do you think they are getting the water for free? Do you think the plant will employ anyone from the city?

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: BotheLumberJack

Yes. 2.7 million would be "consumed" by the plant. Presumably the rest would be returned to the lake or used by the community.

I'm not sure how that would violate the Great Lakes Compact.

Depends how clean the water is coming out of the plant. We all seen it happen with toxic chemicals in China. What can go wrong?

Can we please drain the swamp instead of drain the lake?

a reply to: makemap

Depends how clean the water is coming out of the plant.

Don't worry. Scott Pruitt is on the job.

So far.

The lake hold about 6 quadrillion gallons doesn't it?
If they took 7 million gallons a day and it simply disappeared, it would still take something like 400 thousand years to use it all, if it didn't get any new water.

Perhaps it is a worry if everyone thinks of it as an unending source of water, but I doubt people will be wading ankle deep in it any time soon.

Where would be a more appropriate place to build the electronics used to make posts like this one?

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: BotheLumberJack

Regardless, I'd want to know if Foreign interest were siphoning fresh water from my backyard, wouldn't you?

Well, you do know now. Right? But I don't think the water is being shipped to Taiwan.

Do you think they are getting the water for free? Do you think the plant will employ anyone from the city?

Well, seeing as people have cried over water shortages in the past, I'm just wondering why Foreign Interest would want dibs on our water. Let them use their own water. Perhaps is it too chemical laced to be of use to them. Or American water is cheaper, and specific interests couldn't care less who takes it.

a reply to: DanDanDat

That would be the Taiwanese's problem.

originally posted by: BotheLumberJack
a reply to: DanDanDat

That would be the Taiwanese's problem.

The same Taiwanese we buy our electronics from?

a reply to: DanDanDat

I'm sure they're not the only ones.

originally posted by: BotheLumberJack
a reply to: DanDanDat

I'm sure they're not the only ones.

So you dont object to the Taiwanese (or someone else) using natural resources to build our electronics so long as those natural resources aren't our natural resources?

originally posted by: DanDanDat

originally posted by: BotheLumberJack
a reply to: DanDanDat

I'm sure they're not the only ones.

So you dont object to the Taiwanese (or someone else) using natural resources to build our electronics so long as those natural resources aren't our natural resources?

I object to foreign interest for gain.

What's wrong with Americans doing it themselves?