i thank the gentleman for yielding me this time . 
mr. chairman , i want to concur with the gentleman from michigan ( mr. stupak ) xz4003910 who spoke in favor of a federal ban on drilling for oil or gas in the great lakes . 
i represent cleveland , ohio , which is a city proud to be part of the great lakes community . 
we in cleveland understand that the great lakes contain 20 percent of the earth 's fresh water surface and supplies drinking water for over 40 million people . 
this is not a matter that any state can choose to go along with or against . 
this is clearly an area for federal policy . 
we need a federal policy which says the people of the united states have a right to clean drinking water . 
water is the oil of the 21st century and we are here acting as though it is not the basis of life on our planet . 
the risks of drilling are clear . 
because the geologic formations under lake erie are low producing , the oil and gas industry would require over 4 , 200 wells to access the full resource . 
in canada , where they permitted drilling , an average of almost one spill per month has been documented . 
now , the industry wants to use directional drilling to create new risks . 
geologists have noted that leaks will follow the drilling shaft down into the groundwater which flows right into lake erie . 
this amendment , the markey-bishop amendment , is a common-sense way to meet our energy needs , conservation , energy and renewables , and it is also a common-sense way to protect the great water resource we have . 
why should we even be contesting this ? 
why would any state want to take the responsibility of drilling in the great lakes and thus poisoning the well for the rest of america ? 
this is federal policy . 
we have a right to clean water . 
support this amendment . 
