Foxconn set to drain 7 million gallons of water from Lake Michigan every day

[midian182]

Last year’s announcement that Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn had picked Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin to build its $10 billion manufacturing campus was welcomed by most. But what hasn’t been as well received is news that it plans to siphon off seven million gallons of water per day from Lake Michigan.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has given Foxconn permission to divert the water, which will be used to create LCD screen at the planned 20 million square foot factory. Around 2.7 million gallons, or about 39 percent of what it takes, will be lost—mostly through evaporation and plant operations. The remainder will be treated and returned to the Lake.

The situation has angered environmentalists in the state, who say it sets a precedent for how other companies can use public lakes.

“If we allow this to happen, it’s going to happen all over the basin, with other states and then it’s going to be the thirsty states and nations to come,” said Jennifer Giegerich, the government affairs director for the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters, during a public hearing.

Some argue that the diversion violates the Great Lakes Compact, an agreement between the Great Lakes states, Ontario and Quebec that prohibits diverting water from the lakes’ basin, though there are “a few limited and strictly regulated exceptions” that require permission from all the surrounding states’ governors. Foxconn managed to get around this requirement because of where the request was filed.

Communities located outside of the Great Lakes basin, such as Mount Pleasant, must meet stricter requirements if they want to access the lake water, so the application was made by Racine, a nearby city located within the basin whose water utility serves some Mount Pleasant residents. Racine argued that the diversion was for “public water supply purposes,” meaning the application wouldn't be subject to a rigorous review.

The DNR acknowledged that part of the diversion would include the Foxconn plant.

Several conservation groups plan to challenge the decision. The DNR claims the withdrawal would amount to “only a 0.07 percent increase in total surface water withdrawal from Lake Michigan.”

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https://www.techspot.com/news/74374-foxconn-set-drain-7-million-gallons-water-lake.html

 

[Uncle Al]

"Around 2.7 million gallons, or about 39 percent of what it takes, will be lost—mostly through evaporation and plant operations. The remainder will be treated and returned to the Lake."

I would agree with this under the following stipulations:

1. All water MUST be returned through the municipality treatment with Foxconn paying for any upgrades & operating costs associated.

2. All water test results before & after will be reported monthly in publications the citizens can easily access. ANY violations will result in immediate corrections & penalties.

3. NO increase volume of water shall be allowed without independent engineering analysis and impact statements.

 

[wiyosaya]

"Around 2.7 million gallons, or about 39 percent of what it takes, will be lost—mostly through evaporation and plant operations. The remainder will be treated and returned to the Lake."

I would agree with this under the following stipulations:

1. All water MUST be returned through the municipality treatment with Foxconn paying for any upgrades & operating costs associated.

2. All water test results before & after will be reported monthly in publications the citizens can easily access. ANY violations will result in immediate corrections & penalties.

3. NO increase volume of water shall be allowed without independent engineering analysis and impact statements.

I agree with this, too, with perhaps stricter requirements than yours, however, it appears that there is a legislative loophole that must be closed. Such loopholes are total crap, and you can bet that there will be NO consequences from the current EPA - which should be renamed Environmental Pollution Agency.

 

[psycros]

Nestle and other companies have been draining Lake Michigan and the other great lakes for years, virtually for free. A lot of that intake ended up as bottled water - yes, they take water from shared municipal supplies and profit from it. Some of those operations are Chinese so I'd be extremely suspicious about Foxconn's level of water consumption. Don't be surprised if a fair amount of it will be shipped out the back door.

 

[wiyosaya]

Nestle and other companies have been draining Lake Michigan and the other great lakes for years, virtually for free. A lot of that intake ended up as bottled water - yes, they take water from shared municipal supplies and profit from it. Some of those operations are Chinese so I'd be extremely suspicious about Foxconn's level of water consumption. Don't be surprised if a fair amount of it will be shipped out the back door.

And it sounds like there are those taking notice of Nestle's use - https://www.accuweather.com/en/weat...r-extraction-sparking-public-outrage/70004797

 

[ShagnWagn]

If so much of that is lost to evaporation - where is it going? Are they going to have a rain forest inside the facility? They should be able to recapture that. Which will also be pure water once condensed.

While this seems like a massive amount of water... How does this compare to a large city or several businesses of similar land usage? How about compared to a nuclear power plant and such?

 

[treetops]

Nestle and other companies have been draining Lake Michigan and the other great lakes for years, virtually for free. A lot of that intake ended up as bottled water - yes, they take water from shared municipal supplies and profit from it. Some of those operations are Chinese so I'd be extremely suspicious about Foxconn's level of water consumption. Don't be surprised if a fair amount of it will be shipped out the back door.

Yeah they are going to ship out water..... lol..........

 

[doubtfully]

No company should be able to do this. let alone for free. the Eco system in those lakes will be destroyed or forever altered. there bottom line is always 1000 fold. before the return to the environment or its surrounding communities' which is most always negative. but no one company can figure out why the environment IS failing ? per usual. the math is backwards as far as the health of the people and the environment is concerned. its all take and no return !! its always the same outcome. that neither the past or present high rollers definitely ever cared about. nothing matters except the bottom line. they care less about what others futures we be like. after everything was stepped on.. go wright ahead. just keep bending everything until it breaks. who cares wright !

 

[GeforcerFX]

13,000,000,000,000,000 gallons of water in Lake Michigan, 7,000,000 gallons is pretty small in total amount of water, especially when 2.9 million of it will just be evaporating back into the atmosphere and prob just end back up in the lake. I agree with Uncle Al with how it should be regulated and handled.

 

[nugnamnivek]

This is a great lake we're talking about here... a renewable resource. Of course we need to be careful and test what they put back INTO the lake... but lets not jump off a cliff over the fact that a company that needs water is building a plant near a large renewable source of water. The stuff literally falls from the sky. The feigned illogical uproar over this kind of thing is what gives people ammunition to ignore and defame other environmental causes that are FAR more impactful to the environment.

 

[Beewise9]

Check out way happened to the vast Aral Sea! History and experience there, devastation!

 

[Corkwatchr]

There must be a way for FoxConn (with its billions on profits) to develop a system that recycles the same batch of water, over and over, without drawing more from the lake.