Great Lakes Environment

Study Shows Alternatives To Separate Mississippi & Great Lakes

2012-01-31T16:20:00.001-05:00

Jan 30: A report released by the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative identifies strategies for restoring the natural divide between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes -- and, in the process, modernizing the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS). Tim Eder, GLC executive director said, "Physically separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds is the best long-term solution for preventing the movement of Asian carp and other aquatic invasive species, and our report demonstrates that it can be done."

The threat of Asian carp looms large for communities in the Great Lakes region. The lakes provide over 35 million residents with drinking water, contain 20 percent of the Earth's fresh surface water, and support a thriving tourism industry and world-class fishery, which generates an estimated $7 billion in economic activity annually. Voracious feeders that can grow up to 90 pounds, Asian carp have overrun other ecosystems and could cause irreversible damage to the Great Lakes if allowed entry. Once established, invasive species are nearly impossible to eliminate.

David Ullrich, executive director of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative said, "This is a unique opportunity for both protection of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River and for a Chicago waterway system for the 21st century and beyond. No single use of the CAWS, including transportation, flood control and wastewater treatment, can be considered individually. The system requires an integrated approach and that is what we have taken."

The report identifies three separation alternatives including: (1) a down-river single barrier between the confluence of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and the Cal-Sag Channel and the Lockport Lock; (2) a mid-system alternative of four barriers on CAWS branches between Lockport and Lake Michigan; and (3) a near-lake alternative of up to five barriers closest to the lakeshore. All three include measures to improve the CAWS's role in flood management, wastewater treatment and maritime transportation, as well as stopping the interbasin movement of aquatic invasive species.

The three separation alternatives in the report were developed by the engineering firm HDR, Inc., which considered some 20 possible barrier locations in its analysis. No recommended alternative is identified. However, one alternative, the mid-system solution, is the least costly and offers other advantages. The analysis concludes that preventing just a single invasive species from entering the Great Lakes can save as much as $5 billion over 30 years. The Corps of Engineers has identified 10 species that are poised to invade the Great Lakes from the Mississippi River.

According to the report's economic analysis, the cost of the barriers themselves is as low as $109 million. The addition of all improvements to address water quality, flood prevention and transportation brings the cost to between $3.2 billion and $9.5 billion, depending on the location and the degree to which the wastewater treatment plants on the system are improved to meet future Clean Water Act requirements. The analysis also finds that households in the Great Lakes basin would have to be willing to pay, on average, about $1 a month from now through 2059 to cover the cost of the mid-system alternative, based on a projected cost of $4.27 billion.

Asian carp have been migrating up the Mississippi River system since the early 1990s and were detected in 2009 to have breached electronic barriers operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the CAWS. In 2010 a live Asian carp was captured in Lake Calumet just six miles from Lake Michigan.

The GLC, representing the eight Great Lakes states plus the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Québec, and the Cities Initiative, a coalition of U.S. and Canadian mayors, embarked on the accelerated study in 2010 believing separation to be the best strategy for preventing the movement of Asian carp and other aquatic invasive species between the two watersheds via the CAWS. The $2 million project was funded by a collaboration of six regional funders: the Joyce Foundation, C.S. Mott Foundation, Great Lakes Fishery Trust, Wege Foundation, Great Lakes Protection Fund and Frey Foundation.

A number of groups with Great Lakes interest, issued a joint release commending the authors' factual analysis concluding that separation is possible and that it must include essential upgrades to sewage, flood control and waterborne transportation while preventing the transfer of invasive species. The groups included: Alliance for the Great Lakes; Clean Water Action Minnesota; Freshwater Future; Great Lakes United; Healing Our WatersGreat Lakes Coalition; National Wildlife Federation; Natural Resources Defense Council; Sierra Club-Ontario; and Ohio Environmental Council.

Access a release from GLC (click here). Access the report and all supporting materials (click here). Access a release from the supporting groups (click here).

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IJC's New Approach To Manage Water Levels & Flows

2012-01-31T16:18:00.001-05:00

Jan 30: The International Joint Commission (IJC) released information about a new approach to manage water levels and flows in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River system. According to a release, following a five-year binational study and extensive public comment, the IJC is developing a new approach with the assistance of a Working Group of representatives from the governments of Canada, the United States, the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, and the State of New York.

The flow of water from Lake Ontario down the St. Lawrence River is regulated by the Moses-Saunders Dam in accordance with the IJC's 1956 order of approval. The current regulation plan moderates extreme high and low water levels on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. However, it is based on conditions of the last century, does not take the environment into account, and has no process for adapting to future challenges such as bigger storms and more severe droughts. While continuing to moderate extreme high and low water levels, the new approach would allow for more natural water levels and flow patterns and is expected to produce significant environmental improvements. An Adaptive Management strategy would improve the capability to adapt to future changes, including socio-economic changes and significant changes in climate throughout the system.

The IJC welcomes public input on the new approach and will host online forums and public information sessions around the basin in late spring 2012. Written comments on the new approach may be submitted via the LOSLR website or sent by regular mail or email.

The organizations Save The River, The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWFCanada) issued a joint release offering their organizations' support for IJC's new approach to water level regulation in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. The three organizations are encouraged by the proposal, known as Plan BV7 which they said, "if appropriately implemented, will take steps to restore the lake and river after 60 years of environmentally damaging regulation."

Access a release from IJC with commenting instructions (click here). Access complete details of the approach (click here). Access a release from the organizations supporting Plan BV7 (click here). Access more information on the Plan from Save The River (click here).

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Great Lakes Shipper To Install Fresh Water Exhaust Gas Scrubbers

2012-01-30T16:25:00.001-05:00

Jan 30: Algoma Central Corporation (Algoma), the largest Canadian ship-owner and operator of domestic, Great Lakes vessels, announced that it will install fresh water, exhaust gas scrubbers on six new vessels that will remove 97% of sulfur oxides emissions generated by vessel engines. The St. Catharines, Ontario-based company has signed a contract with Wärtsilä Ship Power for the supply of the systems for its Equinox Class vessels, which are currently being built by Chinese shipbuilder Nantong Mingde Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. The total supply and installation cost of the six scrubber systems is US$12 million.

The two gearless bulk carriers and four self-unloading bulk carriers are designed specifically for Great Lakes service. These ships have been designed with high efficiency hulls that will require less horsepower to achieve higher speeds than any previous Great Lakes design and thus achieve the lowest fuel consumption and emissions per tonne/kilometre of cargo carried. The first Equinox Class vessel will arrive in Canada in the first half of 2013.

The Algoma order is the first for Wärtsilä's new, integrated, fresh water, exhaust gas scrubber design. The scrubbers are designed to clean the exhaust gases of the vessels' main and auxiliary engines as well as the oil-fired boiler and will meet more stringent environmental regulations taking effect over the next three years. The scrubber systems will allow ship-owners to use lower cost, heavy fuel oils while, at the same time, meet the new Emission Control Area sulfur limits established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and adopted by Canada and the United States for the Great Lakes and coastal waters. Without scrubber technology, ship-owners will be forced to convert vessels to burn more expensive diesel oil.

The Wärtsilä scrubber concept works with fresh water recirculating in a closed-loop system. Sulfur oxides that are washed out of the exhaust are neutralized with caustic soda. A small amount of scrubbing water is continuously extracted and an on board water treatment unit removes other captured contaminants such as particulate matter. A major advantage of fresh water scrubbers is the possibility to operate in a zero discharge mode which means that there is no effluent (waste product) from the scrubber discharged into the lake water. The treated, clean effluents would be held in a holding tank for discharge at an appropriate location. Solid contaminants are disposed of at reception facilities in port.

Access a release from Algoma and distributed by American Great Lakes Ports Association (click here).

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Science Advisory Board Completes Review Of GLRI

2012-01-25T16:23:00.001-05:00

Jan 24: U.S. EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) has completed its review of the Agency's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Action Plan FY 2010- 2014 and has produced a 63-page report [See WIMS 11/14/11]. The SAB indicates it supports the premise that enough is known about the issues confronting the Great Lakes, as well as the underlying causes and potential remedies, to initiate action, and agrees that the Action Plan identifies most of the important actions that should be undertaken. The SAB notes that an integrated, science-based framework that provides input and justification for actions is lacking within the GLRI, but finds that the Action Plan is largely consistent with previous plans and strategies, reflecting a continuation of collaborative planning in the region. This continuity is good, but it does not guarantee sufficiency and the SAB has a number of comments and recommendations to improve future efforts.

The SAB supports the primary emphasis on implementing the extensive backlog of restoration projects in the Great Lakes region. The SAB also notes that this 5-year Action Plan is well underway and the plan itself recognizes that as these projects are completed, an evaluation and reprioritization of efforts will be needed using an adaptive management framework. This evaluation will require that a solid, science-based framework be in place to drive the restoration plan. The SAB recommends that the agency create this integrated framework to bolster the Action Plan, to organize the current efforts, and to identify future directions to develop and implement new restoration technologies, methods and approaches.

SAB points out that another important organizational tool that is missing is a standing science panel. The SAB recommends the agency create a well-integrated panel that could influence the program's evolution by providing assessments of progress in key areas. The science panel's input on design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation efforts would provide a scientific basis for setting priorities across disparate actions. In addition to natural and physical scientific expertise, the panel should include the social science disciplines. Behavioral, social, and decision scientists can provide many kinds of insights and advice needed for a program as wide ranging as the GLRI. A diverse panel will offer assistance in targeting education and outreach efforts, and critical insights into the likely workability of particular institutional arrangements.

The SAB notes that climate change is not explicitly addressed in the each of the focus areas of the Action Plan. Restoration efforts of this magnitude and complexity will likely change in the future as alterations in air and lake temperature, amount and patterns of precipitation, ice cover and lake levels may significantly impact restoration efforts.

SAB also notes that there are a number of admirable long-term goals and objectives to eliminate the introduction of invasive species in the Action Plan. Several parallel activities are under way to address specific invasive species (i.e., Asian carp) and vectors (i.e., ballast water controls) in addition to the recommendations on surveillance programs the agency requested. The SAB finds these issues important and timely, and recommends that these parallel efforts be evaluated together to develop a comprehensive invasive species program. The SAB endorses developing a basin-wide invasive species surveillance program and recommends that surveillance and rapid response protocols be coordinated to ensure that the various states, provinces, and other participating organizations use the same methodology and protocols to provide meaningful information and effective rapid response.

Finally, the SAB recommends that the EPA and its partners consider explicit peer review criteria, in parallel with the peer-review process of the National Science Foundation, for all activities (internally and externally funded), including those focused on education and outreach. The criteria should advance the knowledge and understanding of Great Lakes issues, promote teaching, increase participation of underrepresented groups, and broadly disseminate information to enhance the scientific and technological understanding of the public.

Access the complete SAB review report and recommendations (click here). Access the SAB review committee website for complete background information and documents (click here).

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Great Lakes Steamship Repower Incentive Program

2012-01-23T16:24:00.001-05:00

Jan 18: U.S. EPA announced in the Federal Register [77 FR 2472-2478] that it was taking direct final action to simplify an existing provision in its marine diesel engine program that is intended to encourage owners of Great Lakes steamships to repower those steamships with cleaner marine diesel engines. The simplified program will automatically permit the use of residual fuel, through December 31, 2025, in a steamship if it has been repowered with a certified Tier 2 or later marine diesel engine, provided the steamship was operated exclusively on the Great Lakes and was in service on October 30, 2009.

Steamships are powered by old, inefficient steam boilers. Voluntary replacement of these boilers with modern fuel-efficient marine diesel engines will result in reductions of particulate matter and sulfur oxides, even while the replacement diesel engines are operated on higher sulfur residual fuel, and will provide human health and welfare benefits for the people who live in the Great Lakes region. Conversion to new diesel engines will also result in considerable carbon dioxide reductions and fuel savings.

If no adverse comment is received, the rule is effective on March 19, 2012 without further notice. If EPA receives adverse comment by February 17, 2012, it will publish a timely withdrawal in the Federal Register informing the public that the rule will not take effect.

Access the FR announcement of the Direct Final Rule (click here). Access the FR announcement of the companion Proposed Rule (click here). [#Air, #GLakes]

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Comments Wanted On Draft Oceans & Great Lakes Action Plan

2012-01-12T16:42:00.001-05:00

Jan 12: The Obama Administration released a National Ocean Policy action plan to address the most pressing challenges facing ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources. The draft requests comments on actions the Federal Government will take to improve the health of the ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes, which support tens of millions of jobs, contribute trillions of dollars a year to the national economy, and are essential to public health and national security. The plan, is available for public comment through February 27.

    The draft action plan will ensure the Federal Government targets its resources to more effectively and efficiently deliver results for Americans, including greater predictability for ocean users and better access to the latest science and information related to ocean health. The actions reflect ideas and input from industry, conservation groups, local officials, the public and other stakeholders who provided critical feedback to the National Ocean Council through two public comment periods and 12 regional listening sessions.

    Nancy Sutley, Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality and Co-Chair of the National Ocean Council said, "When President Obama created the National Ocean Policy, he marked a landmark step toward addressing the challenges that face the health of our ocean and coasts, and the economies they support. This action plan will help focus our resources on actions that will enhance the stewardship of coastal and marine resources on which so many communities, small businesses, and American jobs depend." John Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Co-Chair of the National Ocean Council said, "This plan reflects a number of overarching priorities of the Obama Administration -- including a commitment to scientific data as an important basis for decision-making and a commitment to transparency and openness as we ensure that the interests of all stakeholders, from recreational beach-goers to fishermen and farmers, are taken into account."

    Ocean and coastal resources are under pressure from growing and often competing uses, such as national security, recreation, shipping, energy production, and commercial fishing, as well as from pollution, resource extraction, and climate change. The draft Implementation Plan focuses on public-private partnerships, promoting efficiency and collaboration across sectors, managing resources with an integrated approach, and making available and using the best science and information on ocean health. The plan outlines key milestones, identifies responsible Federal agencies, and indicates the expected timeframe for completion of Implementation Plan actions including:

Streamlining ocean and coastal permitting processes, beginning with aquaculture
- Agencies will collaborate to develop efficient, coordinated permitting processes that will save time and money for ocean industries, encourage economic growth, and protect public health, safety, and the environment.
Improving water quality
- Agencies will identify and implement conservation and best management practices, and promote voluntary partnership programs with stakeholders to reduce rural and urban sources of pollution.
Providing climate-change forecasts and vulnerability assessments for coastal communities
- Federal agencies will improve the quality and accessibility of science and information to enable Federal, State and local decision-makers to reduce the risks of sea level rise and other climate change impacts, and make informed investments in infrastructure, public health and economic development.
Improving environmental response management in the Arctic
- As melting sea ice enables increased access for shipping, tourism and oil and gas development, Federal agencies will work with State, local and international partners to develop coordinated response procedures for oil spills, marine accidents or other incidents to protect people, communities and ecosystems from adverse impacts.

The plan also makes it a priority to: Provide scientific information to support emerging sustainable uses of resources including fisheries, renewable energy, aquaculture, and biotechnology; Provide open access to data and information across the Federal Government for state and local decision-makers, ocean users, stakeholders, and the public; Identify and make available grant and partnership opportunities to support regional priorities; Develop methods and standards for assessing the resilience of natural resources, cultural resources, coastal communities, and infrastructure in a changing climate; and Identify and conserve habitat for priority fish species.

Access a release on the draft Plan (click here). Access the draft Implementation website to access the plan, provide comments, and information on previous comments (click here). Access the White House Oceans website (click here).

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Lake Erie & Tributaries Suitable Habitat For Invasive Carps

2012-01-12T16:39:00.001-05:00

Jan 12: A new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study indicates that Lake Erie and its largest tributaries are suitable habitats for invasive Asian carps to reproduce and mature. The USGS study found that the Maumee, Sandusky, and Grand rivers are hospitable environments for Asian carps, potentially allowing the invasive fish to establish a self-sustaining population in western Lake Erie. Currently, Federal agencies are working in partnership with Great Lakes States to implement a series of measures to prevent Asian carps from entering the Great Lakes Basin and possibly damaging native fish populations and the Great Lakes economy. This USGS research effort, coupled with previously published research on Asian carp food availability in western Lake Erie, is the first to demonstrate the potential for Asian carps to successfully reproduce within the Great Lakes Basin. The USGS study, published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research

USGS director Marcia McNutt said, "While the finding of a hospitable environment is not the scientific outcome we and our partners might have hoped for, the clear implication is that conditions exist which could allow for the establishment of breeding populations of Asian carps in Lake Erie. Experience has shown that if they do, the native fish, and the economy that depends on them, could suffer gravely."

To determine if these and other species of Asian carp can potentially mature in Lake Erie and if river conditions are favorable for them to spawn, the USGS researchers studied water temperatures in the lake and water velocity during flood events in eight major tributaries over the past 20 years. The new study found that the Maumee River, which enters western Lake Erie at Toledo, is highly suitable for Asian carps to mature and spawn, and the Sandusky River, which enters western Lake Erie near Sandusky, Ohio, and the Grand River, which enters central Lake Erie at Fairport Harbor, are moderately suitable.

Federal and state agencies and other partners are undertaking aggressive tracking and monitoring of the invasive species, have installed electric barriers in the Chicago Area Waterways System to keep Asian carp from moving toward Lake Michigan, and constructed a 1,500-foot fence to block advancement of Asian carp from the Wabash River to the Maumee and Lake Erie.

Access a release from USGS (click here). Access an abstract and information on obtaining the complete paper (click here).

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USACE Releases ANS Control Paper For Comment

2012-01-04T16:43:00.001-05:00

Dec 21: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has published and released for comment the Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Control Paper: Inventory of Available Controls for Aquatic Nuisance Species of Concern Chicago Area Waterway System. USACE will be hosting two (2) conference calls regarding the paper on January 10 and February 8, and is accepting comments on the paper through Friday, February 17, 2012 [76 FR 79167-79168, 12/21/11].

The purpose of the ANS Control Paper is to identify the range of options or technologies available to prevent the ANS of Concern transfer in the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS). Each selected Control was identified as one that is potentially effective at preventing the transfer of the 39 ANS of Concern-CAWS via aquatic pathways. The organisms were previously identified as non-native species to be the initial focus of Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS). The paper does not contain specific recommendations, rank the effectiveness of the Controls, or identify constraints, impacts, regulatory requirements or technological feasibility of application.

Controls include those that modify flow within a waterway, such as hydrologic separation of the basins, those that modify the water quality of a waterway, chemical application to ANS, collection and removal of ANS from a waterway, as well as other types of Controls currently in research and development. USACE has prepared a fact sheet for each of the 27 ANS Controls.

USACE will consider comments received during the comment period, and will update the ANS Control Paper in spring 2012. An updated, final report will be posted on the GLMRIS website. Using the information contained in the paper, USACE will develop screening criteria consistent with study objectives and refine the list of ANS Controls to determine which warrant further consideration. USACE will formulate plans comprised of one or more of the screened ANS Controls in consideration of four criteria: completeness, effectiveness, efficiency and acceptability. USACE will then evaluate and compare the effects of the alternative plans.

Access the Control Paper website and link to the complete report, fact sheets, commenting form & instructions and related information (click here). Access the FR announcement (click here). [#GLakes]

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WIMS Environmental News Blogs

2011-12-22T14:33:00.001-05:00

While we're on break it's a great time to check out our WIMS Environmental News Blogs -- 24/7 Environmental News. . .

We'll be back on Tuesday, January 3, 2012.

Happy Holidays

2011-12-19T13:33:00.001-05:00

Subscribers & Readers Note:

WIMS will be off the next two weeks for our annual Christmas/New Year's holiday break and return on Tuesday, January 3, 2012, to begin our 32nd year.

We wish all of our subscribers & readers a happy and safe holiday season and wish you well in the coming new year. Thank you all for your continuing support.

Agencies Settle With Chicago Governments To Stop Sewer Discharges

2011-12-15T16:00:00.000-05:00

Dec 14: U.S. EPA, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the State of Illinois announced a Clean Water Act (CWA) settlement with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) to resolve claims that untreated sewer discharges were released into Chicago area waterways during flood and wet weather events. The settlement will safeguard water quality and protect people's health by capturing stormwater and wastewater from the combined sewer system, which services the city of Chicago and 51 communities.

EPA Region 5 Administrator Susan Hedman said, "This consent decree requires MWRD to invest in green roofs, rain gardens and other green infrastructure to prevent basement flooding in the neighborhoods that are most severely impacted by sewer overflows. The enforceable schedule established by this consent decree will ensure completion of the deep tunnel and reservoir system to control untreated sewage releases into Chicago area rivers and Lake Michigan." Ignacia Moreno, assistant attorney general for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice said, "These much needed upgrades to Chicago's sewer infrastructure will reduce combined sewage overflows and the public's exposure to harmful pathogens. The use of innovative green infrastructure in the city's urban core will reduce runoff and flooding, and improve the quality of the environment where people live."

Under the settlement, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) will work to complete a tunnel and reservoir plan to increase its capacity to handle wet weather events and address combined sewer overflow discharges. The project will be completed in a series of stages in 2015, 2017 and 2029. The settlement also requires MWRD to control trash and debris in overflows using skimmer boats to remove debris from the water so it can be collected and properly managed, making waterways cleaner and healthier. MWRD is also required to implement a green infrastructure program that will reduce stormwater runoff in areas serviced by MWRD by distributing rain barrels and developing projects to build green roofs, rain gardens, or use pervious paving materials in urban neighborhoods. MWRD has also agreed to pay a civil penalty of $675,000.

Access a release from EPA Region 5 and link to details on the settlement and related information (click here).

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Coast Guard Issues Final Rule For Chicago Ship Canal

2011-12-12T15:49:00.001-05:00

Dec 12: The U.S. Coast Guard issued a final rule [76 FR 77121-77125] establishing both a safety zone and a Regulated Navigation Area on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Romeoville, IL. This final rule places navigational, environmental, and operational restrictions on all vessels transiting the navigable waters located adjacent to and over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' electrical dispersal fish barrier system. This rule is effective in the CFR on December 12, 2011. This rule is effective with actual notice for purposes of enforcement at 5:30 pm on December 1, 2011. The Agency explains that a 30 day effective period is unnecessary in this case because the safety zone and regulated navigation area (RNA) established by this rule have been in effect and enforced on a temporary basis for the last twelve months.

The Coast Guard indicates that, "In response to the threat of Asian carp reaching the Great Lakes and devastating the Great Lakes commercial and sport fishing industries, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) began in 2002 the operation of a series of electrical barriers in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC). These barriers are located approximately 30 miles from Lake Michigan and create an electric field in the water by pulsing low voltage DC current through steel cables secured to the
bottom of the canal. Currently, three electrical barriers are in operation. These barriers are meant to prevent and reduce the dispersal of Asian carp in the CSSC.

The Coast Guard's Ninth District Commander has determined that the electric current radiated from the electric barriers poses certain safety risks to commercial vessels, recreational boaters, and people on or in portions of the CSSC in the vicinity of the barriers. Consequently, the Coast Guard's Ninth District Commander has concluded that an RNA [regulated navigation area] is necessary to mitigate such risks."

Access the complete final rule (click here).

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Corps Assessment Of Cargo Traffic Through Chicago Waterway

2011-12-07T16:23:00.001-05:00

Dec 7: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) released the Baseline Assessment of Cargo Traffic on the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS), an interim product of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS). According to an announcement, the assessment is intended to present commodity traffic data, as it relates to its movement into CAWS, through CAWS and within CAWS. The report also details commodity traffic and commodity group traffic through the CAWS locks, relative to the CAWS and the overall Illinois Waterway passing through the Lockport Lock and Dam, the Thomas J. O'Brien Lock and Dam and the Chicago Harbor Lock and Dam; historic traffic trends; consumers of the products and how they are typically used and how they generally move throughout the system.

In September 2011, USACE released the Baseline Assessment of Non-Cargo CAWS Traffic, which assessed lock traffic by commercial passenger, recreational and governmental vessels. The data from these two reports will be used to develop navigation system models and waterway traffic forecasts in order to make the best potential recommendation for aquatic nuisance species controls on the waterway and, if necessary, mitigation measures. USACE said it will host a conference call January 5, 2012, at 10:00 AM (CST) for interested parties to ask questions on the Cargo Assessment.

Access a link to the complete report, information on the conference call and other reports from the GLMRIS (click here). [#GLakes]

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Experts & National Attorneys General Discuss Invasive Species

2011-12-01T16:10:00.001-05:00

Nov 30: Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette moderated an invasive species panel discussion before the Winter Meeting of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), held in San Antonio, TX. The panel is an extension of Schuette's efforts to build a national coalition "to demand tough action by Congress" to combat the spread of invasive species through the Chicago Waterway System, including the voracious Asian carp. Schuette said, "Invasive species like Asian carp and zebra mussels cause massive economic and ecological destruction to states across the nation. It's time for Congress to take action and close the wide-open doorway at Chicago."

According to a release from Schuette, the three nationally renowned invasive species experts serving on the panel at Schuette's request included: Lindsey Chadderton, Great Lakes Aquatic Invasive Species Director for the Nature Conservancy; Andy Buchsbaum, Great Lakes Regional Executive Director for the National Wildlife Federation; and Lori Williams, Executive Director, for the National Invasive Species Council. A copy of the presentation offered by the panel is available on the Attorney General's website (see link below).

On September 26, 2011, Schuette announced a national coalition of seventeen attorneys general signed a letter to the leaders of three Congressional committees calling for them to move federal legislation (H.R. 892, S. 471) that would force a quicker resolution to the on-going study of permanent ecological separation between the Great Lakes and Mississippi river basins currently being conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers [See WIMS 9/27/11]. Schuette is also continuing forward with Michigan's lawsuit against the Army Corps of Engineers and the Chicago Water District, joined by attorneys general from Minnesota Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The states filed a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take the case and require the Corps to take action to install block nets and accelerate the completion of its study of permanent ecological separation between the Great Lakes and Mississippi river basins [See WIMS 10/26/11].

Access a release from AG Schuette (click here). Access the complete 53-slide presentation (click here). Access legislative details for H.R.892 (click here). Access legislative details for S.471(click here).

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EPA Issues Two Proposed Vessel General Discharge Permits

2011-12-01T16:08:00.001-05:00

Nov 30: U.S. EPA announced that it is issuing two draft vessel general permits that would regulate discharges from commercial vessels -- excluding military and recreational vessels. EPA said the proposed permits would help protect the nation's waters from ship-borne pollutants and reduce the risk of introduction of invasive species from ballast water discharges.

    The draft Vessel General Permit, which covers commercial vessels greater than 79 feet in length, would replace the current 2008 Vessel General Permit, when it expires in December 2013. Under the Clean Water Act, permits are issued for a five-year period after which time EPA generally issues revised permits based on updated information and requirements. The new draft Small Vessel General Permit would cover vessels smaller than 79 feet in length and would provide such vessels with the Clean Water Act permit coverage they will be required to have as of December 2013.

    Both permits will be subject to a 75-day public comment period, which will allow a broad array of stakeholders, including industry and communities, to provide feedback. That information will help inform EPA's decision on the final permits, which are expected to go into effect in 2013. EPA intends to issue the final permits in November 2012, a full year in advance, to allow vessel owners and operators time to prepare for new permit requirements.

    Information on the draft Vessel General Permit: EPA said the updated permit would reduce the administrative burden for vessel owners and operators, eliminating duplicative reporting requirements, clarifying that electronic recordkeeping may be used instead of paper records, and streamlining self-inspection requirements for vessels that are out of service for extended periods. The permit would continue to regulate the 26 specific discharge categories that were contained in the 2008 permit and, for the first time, manage the discharge of fish hold effluent.

    A key new provision of the permit is a proposed "numeric standard" to control the release of non-indigenous invasive species in ballast water discharges. The new ballast water discharge standard addressing invasive species is based upon results from independent EPA Science Advisory Board and National Research Council National Academy of Sciences studies. These limits are generally consistent with those contained in the International Maritime Organization's 2004 Ballast Water Convention.

EPA said the new standard is expected to substantially reduce the risk of introduction and establishment of non-indigenous invasive species in U.S. waters. The draft Vessel General Permit also contains updated conditions for mechanical systems that may leak lubricants into the water and exhaust gas scrubber washwater, which would reduce the amount of oil and other pollutants that enter U.S. waters. EPA will take comment on potentially more stringent requirements for bilgewater discharges.

Information on the draft Small Vessel General Permit: EPA indicates that this permit would be the first under the Clean Water Act to address discharges incidental to the normal operation of commercial vessels less than 79 feet in length. Recognizing that small commercial vessels are substantially different in how they operate than their larger counterparts, the draft Small Vessel General Permit is shorter and simpler. The draft permit specifies best management practices for several broad discharge management categories including fuel management, engine and oil control, solid and liquid maintenance, graywater management, fish hold effluent management and ballast water management, which consists of common sense management measures to reduce the risk of spreading invasive species. The permit would go into effect at the conclusion of a current moratorium enacted by Congress that exempts all incidental discharges from such vessels, with the exception of ballast water, from having to obtain a permit until December 18, 2013.

    A number of Great Lakes oriented environmental organization reacted immediately to EPA's proposals and said, "Unfortunately, EPA's new limits are pegged to standards established by the International Maritime Organization [IMO], which while supported by the shipping industry, are not strict enough to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive organisms which currently cost the eight Great Lakes states over $1 billion every five years. Thom Cmar, attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) said, "It is hard to see the movement of invasive species until it is too late. Unfortunately, out of sight, out of mind has meant that we have not dealt with the problem of 'living pollution' as aggressively as other environmental threats like oil spills or toxic releases. The new proposed ballast water permit is par for that course --- it is a start, but nowhere near what is needed to stop these uninvited critters from sapping our most valuable water resources."

    The groups -- National Wildlife Federation, NRDC Great Lakes United, Alliance for the Great Lakes, and Healing Our Waters Coalition -- indicated that the permit update comes on the heels of a long legal battle to force EPA to regulate ballast water under the Clean Water Act. They said protective limits on invasive species in vessels' ballast discharges are necessary to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species carried in the ballast tanks from overseas ports. Species like the zebra and quagga mussels, spiny water fleas, and round gobies have all arrived to the Great Lakes via the unregulated discharge of contaminated ballast water.

    In a release the groups said, "While the new permit represents an improvement over previous versions, conservation groups and scientists are concerned that the weak international standards are not strict enough to prevent the next major invasive species threat. International Maritime Organization ballast water standards are not scientifically based and offer only a marginal improvement over the current practice of flushing ballast tanks with saltwater."

They said the federal Clean Water Act requires EPA to give states an opportunity to add requirements to the proposed permit if the states find that more stringent provisions are necessary to protect against vessels' pollution. The states of New York and California have already adopted far more stringent standards, based on their own scientific determinations that anything less protective would leave their waters vulnerable to new species invasions. As part of EPA's permit update, all of the states will have the opportunity to decide whether they will adopt their own more stringent ballast water standards. In addition, the Coast Guard has finally sent its final rulemaking to set standards for living organisms in Ships' ballast water to the Office of Budget and Management. By contrast, recent legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives would also adopt the weak International Maritime Organization ballast water standards, but it would do so while also eliminating EPA's authority to require more protections under the Clean Water Act, as well as states' authority to create more stringent requirements under tougher state laws.

Access a release from EPA (click here). Access complete details including the two proposed permits, fact sheets, scheduled meetings, commenting procedures and economic analyses (click here). Access complete background and information on Vessel Discharges (click here). Access a lengthy release from the environmental groups with further comments (click here). [#Water, #Wildlife, #GLakes]

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GLRI Quality Technical Conference

2011-11-23T15:07:00.001-05:00

Nov 22: The U.S. EPA Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) announced it will be hosting the second annual Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Quality Technical Conference, December 6-8, 2011. The conference will facilitate implementation of quality practices for projects being conducted under the GLRI by providing training, tools, resources, and a forum for communication among collaborators. A variety of training and technical sessions will be offered. The conference is free; all GLRI collaborators and interested parties are welcome to attend. Most sessions are offered via webinars also.

Access complete information including a detailed agenda and registration and webinar information (click here).

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Mystery Trash Washups On West Michigan Beaches Solved

2011-11-22T16:28:00.001-05:00

Nov 21: A release from the Alliance for the Great Lakes and Milwaukee Riverkeeper indicates that the suspected source of two massive mystery trash washups along west Michigan beaches in 2008 and 2010 has been identified. An investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard and EPA cites the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District's (MMSD) combined sewer overflows into Lake Michigan -- a foul mix of sanitary sewage and storm water -- as the "logical suspect" behind both summer washups.

    The finding comes more than six months after the Alliance for the Great Lakes filed a federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the information, seeking answers on behalf of the many Alliance volunteers who responded to the incidents and helped the Coast Guard in its initial investigation. In total, the Coast Guard located 266 pages of documents from its investigation and shared the bulk of them with the Alliance.

    The records show MMSD released an estimated 686 million gallons of combined sewer overflow June 7-9, 2008 and an estimated 1.9 billion gallons July 22-25, 2010. Flooding summer rains struck the region both times, overwhelming the plant and prompting major releases into Lake Michigan. In the days that followed, tons of "mystery trash"-- including food wrappers, bottle caps, plastic bits, syringes and woody debris -- was found on beaches along some 50 miles of the west Michigan coastline. Alliance Adopt-a-Beach volunteers and shoreline property owners were among the first responders, clearing beaches and reporting to the Coast Guard any mailing addresses, bar codes and other identifiable markings they found -- information that ultimately helped the Coast Guard pinpoint the source.

    The FOIA documents say plastic materials found on the beaches likely originated from a recycling center; the source of the medical waste has not yet been explained. Alliance Water Quality Program Manager Lyman Welch, who filed the FOIA request said, "Solving sewage overflows in the Great Lakes is complex work that requires innovation, funding and regulation. These findings are troubling, particularly because the problems aren't unique to any one city or lake." For example, the same flooding rains that forced the Milwaukee sewage discharge in July 2010 also hit Chicago, overwhelming the sewage treatment plant there and prompting the release of 6.5 billion gallons of sewage-laced stormwater into Lake Michigan. The probe reported no waste from the Chicago discharge among the west Michigan debris, however.

Access a release from the Alliance and link to more details on the Coast Guard & EPA probe (click here).

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New Website For Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee

2011-11-22T16:26:00.001-05:00

Nov 22: The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC), announced a new website -- AsianCarp.us -- as the new home for up-to-date information on ACRCC actions to protect the Great Lakes from bighead carp and silver carp. The ACRCC, with support from federal, state, local agencies and other private stakeholder entities, was formed to implement actions to protect and maintain the integrity and safety of the Great Lakes ecosystem from an Asian carp invasion via all viable pathways. The goals and actions of the ACRCC are outlined in the 2011 Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework and the 2011 Monitoring and Rapid Response plan.

Access the new ACRCC website to access documents and more information (click here).

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Comments Wanted On IJC Assessments Report By Year's End

2011-11-21T16:24:00.001-05:00

Nov 21: The International Joint Commission (IJC) has issued a release seeking public comment on its draft report that is a preliminary effort to describe changes in the health of the Great Lakes over the past quarter century. The draft report measures some of the progress made by the US and Canada in their collective efforts towards restoring and maintaining the Great Lakes and achieving the general objectives of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement which was last amended in 1987. At present, the governments of Canada and the United States are working to renew this Agreement to improve their efforts to meet current challenges facing the Great Lakes.

The draft report uses seven measures of biological integrity, six measures of chemical integrity, and one measure of physical integrity, to assess changes in the Great Lakes basin ecosystem. It draws on the best indicators of ecosystem trends available from government agencies and the academic research community. The draft report, Assessment of Progress Made Towards Restoring and Maintaining Great Lakes Water Quality Since 1987, is available online. The Commission plans to publish a report in 2012 based on comments received and subsequent research. The Commission will accept written comments on the draft report via the comment form on the Biennial Meeting web page or by email or regular mail at until December 31, 2011.

Access an announcement from IJC (click here). Access the complete 173-page report (click here). Access a comment form or other commenting instructions (click here). Access the IJC website for more information and background (click here).

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House Approves Controversial Coast Guard & Maritime Bill

2011-11-16T16:40:00.001-05:00

Nov 15: By a voice vote, the full House approved H.R. 2838, The "Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2011," which includes a controversial section -- Title VII, the "Commercial Vessel Discharges Reform Act of 2011." The legislation which was approved by the Transportation Committee September 8, was introduced in the House by Coast Guard Subcommittee Chairman Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) and co-sponsored by Transportation Committee Chairman John Mica (R-FL). It authorizes the service for fiscal years 2012 through 2014, and authorizes a service strength of 47,000 active duty personnel. The bill authorizes $8.49 billion for the Coast Guard for fiscal year 2012, $8.6 billion for fiscal year 2013, and $8.7 billion for fiscal year 2014.

Representative LoBiondo said, "The Coast Guard does an outstanding job for our nation. However, in the current budget environment, it is important for Congress to review the Service's authorities to find ways to improve operations while reducing costs. H.R. 2838 does that in a manner that will not impact the Service's critical missions." According to a release from the Committee, H.R.2838 includes provisions that will give the Coast Guard and its personnel greater parity with the Department of Defense (DoD). Parity among the uniformed services has been a top priority of the Committee for some time and this bill makes significant progress towards aligning the Coast Guard's authorities with those granted to DoD. The bill contains a title intended to reform and improve Coast Guard administration. It also includes several provisions to improve the safety and efficiency of the maritime transportation system, as well as to protect and grow maritime related jobs.

Also included in the legislation are provisions that set a nationwide standard for the treatment of ballast water that remedies the current patchwork of varying and inconsistent ballast water regulations across states. Currently the Coast Guard and the U.S. EPA have developed separate regulations under two different Federal laws to govern the discharge of ballast water. The Committee said, "The EPA's ballast water program under the Clean Water Act is especially burdensome, as it allows each individual state to add state requirements on top of the federal regulations. Twenty-nine states and tribes have done just that. As a result, small businesses are forced to comply with differing and often conflicting ballast water standards for each of these 29 states and tribal areas."

Representative LoBiondo said, "Under current law, both the Coast Guard and EPA regulate ballast water, while every state and tribe is allowed to add their own requirements to those regulations. As a result, ships engaged in interstate and international commerce must comply with two federal standards, as well as 29 differing state and tribal ballast water standards, many of which are contradictory and technologically unachievable. The current system is simply impossible. It threatens our international maritime trade. It is driving industry away from coastwise trade. It is undermining our attempts to revitalize the U.S. flagged fleet. It is destroying jobs and it is hurting our economy. This legislation eliminates this ridiculous regulatory regime and establishes a single, uniform national standard that is based on the most effective technology currently available. The EPA must update the standard on a regular basis or at the request of a state."

The Committee release indicated that H.R. 2838 is "a common sense solution to the problem, immediately putting in place a standard for ballast water treatment that is both achievable and effective." This approach is endorsed by the EPA, the Coast Guard, the National Academy of Sciences, the EPA's Science Advisory Board, the U.S. flagged industry, maritime labor, manufacturers, farmers, energy producers and the nation's largest and most strategic international trading partners.

Representative Bob Gibbs (R-OH), Chairman of the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, who assisted in crafting Title VII portion of the legislation issued a statement saying, "I applaud the passage of H.R.2838, a fiscally responsible reauthorization of the U.S. Coast Guard that will protect maritime industry jobs threatened by the current burdensome ballast water treatment regulations, improve the safety and efficiency of the maritime transportation system, and promote the flow of maritime commerce. Promoting maritime commerce is especially important to us here locally as the Port of Cleveland handles an average of 13.1 million tons of cargo per year and provides 11,000 Ohio jobs. We must protect our local interstate and foreign commerce industry from unnecessary, burdensome and sometimes impossible to attain requirements that inhibit the flow of maritime commerce. This legislation will immediately put in place a uniform, achievable nationwide standard for vessel ballast water treatment, resolving the current patchwork of varying and inconsistent ballast water regulations across states. This approach is endorsed by the EPA, the Coast Guard, the National Academy of Sciences, the EPA's Science Advisory Board, maritime labor, manufacturers, farmers, energy producers and our largest and most strategic international trading partners."

The bill also includes a highly controversial provision that would allow the S.S. Badger, the Ludington, MI to Manitowoc, WI carferry, operated by the Lake Michigan Carferry Company, to continue the practice of dumping coal as in Lake Michigan -- an exemption that was scheduled to expire at the end of 2012. In a series of articles, the Chicago Tribune has drawn attention to the S.S. Badger, the only coalfired ferry still operating in the United States. As the ship travels from its home port of Ludington, to Manitowoc, it dumps 509 tons of coal ash into Lake Michigan each year -- a quantity greater than the total waste dumped annually by the 125 other largest ships operating on the Great Lakes. The coal ash contains arsenic, lead, and mercury, all of which can cause cancer when consumed in drinking water, cause serious damage to fish populations, and poison fish that are part of our food supply.

Under an agreement negotiated between the owners of the S.S. Badger and the U.S. EPA, the current EPA vessel general permit gives the Badger a December 2012 deadline to retrofit the ferry with a new boiler that would prevent further coal ash dumping. In an attempt to circumvent these standards the owners of the Badger have attempted to secure both the designation of the S.S. Badger as a National Historic Landmark and legislative language that would exempt "vessels of historic significance" from EPA regulation of discharge.

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) has led an effort to end the coal ash practice. On November 9, following a meeting with the EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson, he wrote to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and the Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee to oppose efforts to protect the S.S. Badger from having to comply with EPA standards. Durbin wrote in his letter to Salazar, "Lake Michigan is the primary source of drinking water for more than ten million people and a key component of the $7 billion Great Lakes fishing industry. We cannot let Historic Landmark Status be used to evade the federal regulations we rely on to protect public health and the environment. . . This is more than a car ferry with a venerable tradition. This is a vessel that generates and dumps four tons of coal ash laced with mercury and arsenic into Lake Michigan every day. Lake Michigan cannot take any more toxic dumping, no matter how historic or quaint the source may be."

The "Badger amendment" was offered by Representative Bill Huizenga (R-MI) and supported by Representatives Tom Petri (R-WI) and Dan Benishek (R-MI). In offering the amendment, Representative Hiizenga said, "The Badger is currently operating

under special rules developed by the EPA in 2008. These rules are set to expire at the end of 2012. Without certainty provided by this amendment, the Badger could very easily, frankly, be forced off the Great Lakes at the end of 2012." Representative Benishek said, ". . .this is a simple amendment that addresses a growing problem with our friends at the EPA -- their love of bureaucratic red tape. I represent a district with more Great Lakes coastline than any other. Shipping and ferries are a part of the Great Lakes heritage. The USS Badger continues this tradition, transporting travelers, cars, trucks, and equipment across Lake Michigan." The amendment was approved by a voice vote.

Access the Republican Committee release (click here). Access a release from Rep. Gibbs (click here). Access legislative details for H.R.2838 (click here). Access a release and the letter from Senator Durbin (click here). Access the Congressional Record discussion of the Badger amendment (click here) [#Water, #Wildlife, #GLakes]

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Study Shows Generally Low Ecological Impacts Of Wind Energy

2011-11-16T16:37:00.001-05:00

Nov 16: A report by the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative (GLWC), analyzing wind energy impacts on birds, bats, fisheries and wildlife indicates that mortality rates for birds flying into the turbines of Great Lakes wind farms vary, but are generally low. The report reviewed data from a number of wind turbine sites in the Great Lakes region and found mortality rates for songbirds ranging from 2.5 bird deaths per year per turbine at an Ontario, Canada site to 11.8 at a Wisconsin site. Additional research on raptors and waterfowl found them to be less prone to turbine collisions than songbirds, while bat mortality was very similar to songbirds, ranging from two to 11 bat deaths a year per turbine.

The report, State of the Science: An Assessment of Research on the Ecological Impacts of Wind Energy in the Great Lakes Region, was compiled from research presented at a GLWC-sponsored workshop. Wind turbine impacts on wildlife, particularly birds and bats, have figured prominently in the public discussion of wind energy and the siting of wind farms. While the information collected for the new report adds to the science of wind energy impacts, the report also identified several data gaps to be filled. Impacts of offshore wind turbines in the Great Lakes, for instance, can only be theorized as there are no offshore wind farms in the Lakes as yet.

Steve Ugoretz, past co-chair of the GLWC Siting and Planning Workgroup said, "This compilation of the current state of knowledge is intended to give a head start to all parties dealing with these issues, and to help them make well-informed decisions in the real world." Priorities for research going forward, as laid out by the report, include more data on the effects of wind farms on migratory corridors, establishment of ecologically defensible mortality thresholds and setbacks, and research on potential impacts from artificial reef habitat creation for offshore installations.

Access the complete report (click here). Access the GLWC website for more information (click here). [#Energy/Wind]

SAB Review Of Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan

2011-11-14T16:33:00.001-05:00

Nov 14: U.S. EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) will conduct a public teleconference on December 6, 2011 to receive an update on EPA strategic research directions. One of the items for consideration will be a draft Review of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan. In a Federal Register announcement of the teleconference [76 FR 70445-70446] it is noted that EPA is leading an interagency Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to protect and restore the chemical, biological, and physical integrity of the Great Lakes. The GLRI is designed to target the most significant environmental problems in the region.

To guide the efforts of the GLRI, EPA and its Federal partners, through the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force, developed a comprehensive multi-year Action Plan. The EPA Great Lakes National Program Manager requested the SAB to review the GLRI Action Plan to assess the appropriateness of its measures and actions to achieve its stated priorities and goals. An SAB panel reviewed the EPA's action plan and prepared a draft report that will undergo quality review by the chartered SAB.

Among other items in the panel review, the SAB indicates, "The Action Plan is consistent, for the most part, with previous plans and strategies, reflecting a continuation of collaborative planning in the region. This continuity in planning is good, but such consistency does not guarantee sufficiency and the SAB has a number of comments and recommendations to improve future efforts. . ." SAB said that a "solid science plan" is necessary "to drive the restoration plan, but the SAB notes that such a plan appears to be missing." SAB indicates that a standing science panel is "an important organizational tool that seems to be missing."

Members of the public can submit comments for a federal advisory committee to consider as it develops advice for EPA. Input from the public to the SAB will have the most impact if it provides specific scientific or technical information or analysis for the SAB to consider or if it relates to the clarity or accuracy of the technical information. Members of the public wishing to provide comment should contact the Designated Federal Officer directly. Brief oral statements can be made at the teleconference written statements must be submitted by December 1.

Access the FR announcement which provides details on the meeting, commenting and contact information (click here). Access the SAB Panel website for links to the 54-page draft review report as well as the 41-page GLRI Action Plan and additional background (click here).

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Great Lakes Regional Body & Compact Council Meetings

2011-11-10T16:14:00.001-05:00

Nov 8: The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Water Resources Regional Body (Regional Body) will meet on December 8, 2011, at 2:00 PM EST. The meeting will be held at the Drake Hotel, 140 E. Walton Place, Chicago, Illinois 60611. The meeting is open to the public and will include an opportunity for public comments. An agenda, materials to be discussed and call-in information for those wishing to participate remotely are available. Additionally, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Council (Compact Council) will meet the same day and the same place, immediately following the meeting of the Regional Body. The Compact Council meeting is expected to begin about 2:45 PM EST. An agenda, materials to be discussed and call-in information for those wishing to participate remotely are also available. The Council of Great Lakes Governors serves as Secretariat to the Regional Body and the Compact Council.

Access the Regional Body information (click here). Access the Compact Council information (click here).

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Report Highlights Need For Cost-Based Water Pricing

2011-11-09T16:35:00.000-05:00

Nov 9: Recommendations made in a new Great Lakes Commission (GLC) report indicate that as plentiful as water is in the Great Lakes region, the cost to deliver it to consumers is creeping up and should be reflected more accurately in bills to encourage conservation. The "Value of Great Lakes Water Initiative" was an 18-month project supported by the Great Lakes Protection Fund to investigate how public water is priced in the Great Lakes region and whether price could be used as a water resource management tool to change consumer behavior for more efficient water use. Principal partners with GLC in the report included the Alliance for Water Efficiency, MSU Institute for Public Utilities and the Alliance for the Great Lakes.

The Initiative focused on three primary issues: 1) how energy costs factor into water bills; 2) whether the cost of providing water to consumers is fully transparent; and 3) if an efficiency-oriented revenue structure would change water use in the Great Lakes basin. Jeffrey Ripp of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, a technical adviser to the project said, "Water has historically been undervalued in the Great Lakes region because of its abundance. However, the cost of delivering safe and reliable water continues to increase and many have concerns about the long-term sustainability of Great Lakes water. The results of this project will help communities price water in a way that reflects its value to the region's economy and environment."

A survey and economic analysis by Michigan State University (MSU) of the largest municipal water systems in the Great Lakes states found that utility expenses have climbed some 25 percent on average, mainly due to the rise in costs for infrastructure and operations. To make up for the costs, water rates are generally going up, and many public water systems are providing information about conservation to their customers and even introducing special, efficiency-oriented rates. These rates are designed to encourage the customer to use their water more wisely. Typically, the price of water increases as the customer consumes more water. Dr. Janice Beecher of MSU, who led the survey, noted that "even in this water-abundant region, there is a growing recognition that cost-based water pricing plays a central role in prudent resource management and long-term sustainability." Cost-based water pricing means setting a price per unit of water to cover the costs of providing the water (e.g., pumping, treating and delivering the water to the customer).

The Initiative engaged utility managers and local officials in a series of four workshops to discuss the impacts of water rates using the Initiative's Water Pricing Primer on the basic principles of different water rates and how they can be used to achieve various water management goals. Also discussed were the political, institutional and economic barriers to using price to achieve water conservation goals. Such barriers include lack of political will; resistance to change; lack of consumer education on why rates need to increase; media unwillingness to research all the facts; and opposing agendas between management and elected officials. A team of experts assembled for the Initiative used results from the water system survey and the workshops to make 17 recommendations for advancing water pricing to achieve both economic viability for the utility and environmental sustainability of the water resource.

Access a release from GLC (click here). Access the full project report (click here).

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Bluff Collapses Into Lake Michigan At We Energies' WI Plant

2011-11-02T16:21:00.001-04:00

Nov 1: A detailed article in the Milwaukee Journal (MJ) reports, "A large section of bluff collapsed Monday next to the We Energies Oak Creek Power Plant, sending dirt, coal ash and mud cascading into the shoreline next to Lake Michigan and dumping a pickup truck, dredging equipment, soil and other debris into the lake. There were no injuries, and the incident did not affect power output from the plant." MJ reported that, We Energies spokesman Barry McNulty said, "Based on our land use records it is probable that some of the material that washed into the lake is coal ash. We believe that was something that was used to fill the ravine area in that site during the 1950s. That's a practice that was discontinued several decades ago." We Energies confirmed later in the day that the coal ash was likely in the debris.

Sierra Club issued a release saying, "A partial retaining bluff collapse Monday at the We Energies Oak Creek Power Plant in Wisconsin sent toxic coal ash spewing into Lake Michigan. This collapse comes just weeks after the U.S. House voted to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from protecting Americans from coal ash" [i.e. the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act (H.R.2273)] [See WIMS 10/14/11]. A similar bill, S.1751 is now before the Senate for consideration.

Sierra Club said, "We want to thank the first responders, cleanup and safety workers for their courage in helping to clean up this mess. We are very grateful that no one appears to have been injured. Unfortunately, residents of Southeast Wisconsin have been victims of We Energies negligence for years. The burning of coal is a public health menace. This incident underscores that as long as we are still mining and burning coal someone somewhere is paying the price."

Access the MJ article with picture (click here). Access the Sierra Club release (click here). Access legislative details for H.R.2273 (click here). Access legislative details for S.1751 (click here). [*Energy/Coal, *Solid, *Haz]

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Impacts Of Power Plants On Great Lakes Water Resources

2011-11-01T16:38:00.001-04:00

Nov 1: Approximately 90 percent of the electrical power in the basin is produced by thermoelectric plants, which use 26 billion gallons of water a day for cooling. A recently completed research project by the Great Lakes Commission (GLC), as part of the Commission's Great Lakes Energy-Water Nexus (GLEW) Initiative, sponsored by the Great Lakes Protection Fund, examined how water withdrawal or consumption associated with power production could impact the health of the Great Lakes basin's rivers and streams. Findings from the 18-month effort are summarized in the report entitled, Integrating Energy and Water Resources Decision Making in the Great Lakes Basin: An Examination of Future Power Generation Scenarios and Water Resource Impacts.

    Dr. Vincent Tidwell, principle member of the technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories and a technical adviser to the project said, "Although most water used for power generation in the basin comes directly from the Great Lakes, about one-quarter uses water from groundwater or a Great Lakes tributary. That's not insignificant." The report synthesizes several background reports examining technical and policy aspects of power and water in the Great Lakes basin. The technical analysis examines how changes in the type of power generation could affect sensitive watersheds in the future. That analysis is complemented by a review of relevant water and energy policies that identifies gaps and opportunities for improvements.

    According to a release from GLC, new metrics developed as part of the project revealed that approximately one-quarter of all of the watersheds in the Great Lakes basin may be ecologically vulnerable to water withdrawals under certain "low-flow" conditions conditions that are likely to be more frequent in the future as the impacts of climate change become more severe. Additionally, more than half (57 percent) of the 102 watersheds studied were found to be at moderate to high risk of degrading ecological health due to additional thermal impacts, and 36 percent have water quality that is moderately to highly impaired according to U.S. EPA and state reports. All told, one-fifth of the Great Lakes basin's sub-watersheds rank high for two or more of these risk factors.

    Professor Mark Bain of Cornell University, another project partner, said, "Because of the Great Lakes Energy-Water Nexus project, we now know which areas in the basin are most susceptible to ecological impairment from new water uses, including power production." Using a model developed by Sandia National Laboratories, five future power scenarios were analyzed for the period 2007 to 2035: 1) Business as usual, including use of open-loop cooling where water used for cooling is returned to the river, lake or aquifer from which it was withdrawn; 2) no new open-loop cooling; 3) open-loop cooling totally prohibited; 4) a renewable energy portfolio with 50 percent wind, 25 percent biofuel and 25 percent natural gas; and 5) that same portfolio with carbon capture and sequestration.

    For all five scenarios, water withdrawals would decrease, but by far the largest decreases (87 percent) would occur where there is no open-loop cooling at all. In every case except the open-loop cooling prohibited, thermoelectric water withdrawals would continue to be the basin's predominant water use through 2035. In contrast, consumptive water use would increase under all five scenarios with the largest increase in consumptive use (24 percent) occurring under the carbon capture and sequestration scenario, in part due to increased water required for this process.

    The lowest increase in consumptive use (7.6 percent) would occur under the renewable energy portfolio, reflecting the considerably lower water use associated with natural gas combined cycle technologies as well as wind power generation, which uses no water. Under all scenarios, consumptive uses from the thermoelectric power sector would be lower when compared to industrial and municipal water use sectors. Tim Eder, executive director of the Great Lakes Commission said, "The GLEW project takes us one step further in our understanding of how our energy choices today could impact our water resources in the future."

Access a release from GLC (click here). Access the summary report and background papers (click here).

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Back To The Supreme Court On Asian Carp Issue

2011-10-26T16:10:00.001-04:00

Oct 26: Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced he has filed a request for appeal with the United State Supreme Court to review a U.S. Court of Appeals decision that denied the request of five Great Lakes states for an immediate injunction requiring a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study on ecological separation to be greatly sped up and the installation of nets to stop the advancement of Asian carp toward Lake Michigan. Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin originally filed the suit in July 2010 against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Chicago Water District in Federal court. Schuette said, "We need to close the Asian carp superhighway, and do it now. Time is running out for the Great Lakes, and we can't afford to wait years before the federal government takes meaningful action."

On August 24, 2011, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit in Chicago issued a ruling on the preliminary injunction request concluding that Michigan's lawsuit had "a good or even substantial likelihood of success on the merits of their public nuisance claim." [See WIMS 9/6/11]. Despite the recognition of the real threat posed by Asian carp, the Court denied the states' request. The states then decided to appeal. Schuette's office today submitted a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari also signed by the attorneys general of Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The petition asks the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the 7th Circuit decision and order the following:

Require the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to install block nets in the Little Calumet and Grand Calumet rivers, two open pathways between the Mississippi River and Great Lakes basins that are vulnerable to Asian carp invasion; and
Require the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite the completion of its study of permanent ecological separation between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins, so that the part of the study focused on the Chicago Area Waterway is completed within 18 months, not five years.

The filing with the Supreme Court poses two questions to be decided as follows: "This multi-sovereign dispute involves the imminent invasion of Asian carp into the Great Lakes ecosystem. Although the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that catastrophic harm has a "good" or "perhaps even a substantial" likelihood of occurring, Pet. App. 4a5a, it affirmed the district court's denial of even the plaintiffs' most modest requests for injunctive relief. The Seventh Circuit's opinion raises two questions for this Court's review: 1. Whether a request for multiple types of preliminary-injunctive relief requires a balancing of harms with respect to each form of relief requested[; and] 2. Whether a party's statement that it is 'considering' implementing the relief requested in a motion for injunction is a ground for denying the injunction."

On April 26, 2010, The U.S. Supreme Court for the third time declined to address the debate between Great Lakes states on issues and actions necessary to control the spread of Asian Carp into the Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes [See WIMS 4/26/10].

Schuette noted a recent study commissioned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and conducted by independent scientists at the Center for Aquatic Conservation at the University of Notre Dame identified the Chicago Waterway as a "major pathway" for the spread of invasive species, concluding that "the canal represents a potential highway to environmental havoc for many species that pose a high risk to both the Great Lake and the Mississippi basins."

In addition to his ongoing legal efforts to combat the threat of Asian carp, in September 2011, Schuette organized a national coalition of 17 attorneys general who urged Congress to act on a legislative solution to the threat posed by invasive species traveling through the Chicago Waterways. The coalition called on congressional leaders to support the Stop Asian Carp Act, introduced earlier this year by sponsors Representative Dave Camp (R-MI) (H.R.892) and Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) (S.471).

Access a release from Attorney General Schuette (click here). Access the 32-page Petition for a Writ of Certiorari (click here). Access the complete opinion from the Seventh Circuit (click here). Access multiple postings on the Supreme Court's consideration of the Asian Carp issue on the WIMS Great Lakes Environment Blog(click here).

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Economic Study Of Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System

2011-10-24T16:28:00.001-04:00

Oct 18: October 18, the marine industry released the results of a year-long study of the economic impacts of the entire Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway navigation system. According to a release, for the first time, the economic impacts have been measured for both the U.S. and Canada, at the same time, using the same methodology. The purpose of the report is to provide the navigation community, transportation planners, government policy makers and the general public with a realistic assessment of the contributions made by the Great Lakes-Seaway system to federal, state/provincial and local economies.

The study found that maritime commerce supported 227,000 jobs; contributed $14.1 billion in annual personal income, $33.5 billion in business revenue, and $6.4 billion in local purchases; and added $4.6 billion to federal, state/provincial, and local tax revenues. North American farmers, steel producers, construction firms, food manufacturers, and power generators depend on the 164 million metric tons of essential raw materials and finished products that are moved annually on the system. Additionally, marine shipping saves companies approximately $3.6 billion per year in transportation costs compared to the next least-costly land-based alternative.

The study was commissioned by members of the marine shipping industry, in partnership with U.S. and Canadian government agencies. Martin Associates of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a global leader in transportation economic analysis and strategic planning, was retained to conduct the study. In order to ensure defensibility and accuracy, the study methodology and results of the analysis was peer reviewed by leading U.S. and Canadian economists in academia and the private sector.

The impacts of 2010 cargo movements were calculated at 32 U.S. and Canadian ports along the system. Chapter 1 lays out study methodology; Chapter 2 presents the system-wide impacts; Chapter 3 breaks down those economic impacts by vessel flag; Chapter 4 evaluates the data exclusively for commerce utilizing the St. Lawrence Seaway; Chapter 5 reveals the impact from the perspective of the New York ballast water regulations; and Chapter 6 presents information on related users along the system.

Access a release on the study and link to an executive summary and the complete 98-page study (click here).

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Climate Change May Increase Great Lakes Water Levels

2011-10-19T16:36:00.001-04:00

Oct 19: Previous studies of future climate change scenarios on the Great Lakes have pointed to falling water levels, but a new study by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) in Ann Arbor, gives a more optimistic outlook. Researchers have devised a new approach to modeling future water levels. Their work, now available online in the Journal of Great Lakes Research, predicts either a smaller drop or an actual rise in lake water levels under varying climate change scenarios. The impact of climate change on Great Lakes water levels is a critical question for the region's economy and environmental resources, as well as for one of the nation's key shipping corridors.

Brent Lofgren, Ph.D., a GLERL scientist and lead author of the study said, "Even small drops in lake water levels create problems for shipping and navigation, hydroelectric energy production, and recreational boating. While there are still many unknowns about how climate change will unfold in the Great Lakes region, our results indicate less loss of water than earlier studies." The researchers used a different method than previous studies to account for how water evaporates into the atmosphere from the soil and plants in the drainage basin that surrounds the lakes, i.e. evapotranspiration. Earlier studies used air temperature alone to estimate this variable. The new GLERL study uses an "energy budget-based approach" to better reflect the balance between energy coming in from the sun and energy given off from the Earth, which drives evaporation.

Access a release from NOAA and link to information on obtaining the article online (click here).

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Great Lakes Fish & Wildlife Restoration RFP

2011-10-18T16:34:00.001-04:00

Oct 18: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS or Service) has issued request for proposal (RFP) from interested entities for restoration, research and Regional Project proposals for the restoration of the Great Lakes Basin fish and wildlife resources, as authorized under the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act (16 USC 941c). The purpose of the Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act (GLFWRA) is to provide assistance to States, Indian Tribes, and other interested entities to encourage cooperative conservation, restoration and management of the fish and wildlife resources and their habitats in the Great Lakes Basin. Regional Projects are authorized activities of the Service related to fish and wildlife resource protection, restoration, maintenance, and enhancement impacting the resources of multiple States or Indian Tribes with fish and wildlife management authority in the Great Lakes Basin.

The Service will be responsible for accomplishing Regional Projects on behalf of the State and/or Tribal agencies submitting the Regional Project proposal. Supported in part by President Obama's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), a total of $2 million will be available to support projects this fiscal year. Available funding and project awards are subject to final Congressional appropriations for Fiscal Year 2012. Up to 33% of the total Congressional appropriation to the GLFWRA is eligible to fund Regional Projects.

Restoration and research projects require a 25% non-federal match. Regional projects selected shall be exempt from cost sharing if the Service Director determines that the authorization for the project does not require a non-Federal cost-share. The two page pre-proposals and Regional Project proposals are submitted to the Service for review. Successful restoration and research applicants are invited to submit full proposals, which are reviewed and ranked. Successful restoration and research projects have ranged from $2,300 to $2,000,000 with the average project at $102,908. Pre-proposals and Regional Project proposals are due on Monday, December 12, 2011, by 10:00 PM EST.

Access links to the complete RFP, Pre-Proposal and Regional Project application (click here).

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IJC Report On Great Lakes Water Quality Since 1987

2011-10-17T16:46:00.001-04:00

Oct 14: The International Joint Commission (IJC) released a draft report that is a preliminary effort to describe changes in the health of the Great Lakes over the past quarter century. The report, released during the IJC's Biennial Meeting on Great Lakes Water Quality at Great Lakes Week in Detroit, measures some of the progress made by the U.S. and Canada in fulfilling their respective commitments to protect and restore their shared waters under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA), first signed in 1972 and amended in 1987. At present, the governments of Canada and the United States are working to renew this Agreement to better meet current challenges facing the Great Lakes. IJC is accepting comments on the report until November 30, 2011.

Canadian Section Chair Joseph Comuzzi said, "Our two countries have made major investments to restore and maintain Great Lakes water quality over the decades. We need to take stock of the results as we set goals for the coming decades. Although the results are mixed, they show that there has been progress and there is a clear need to update the Agreement to better address emerging threats." U.S. Section Chair Lana Pollack said, "The Great Lakes are at the heart of our economy and quality of life. We need good up-to-date-science based information to assess how well Canada and the United States are protecting these waters. This draft report is an important step toward understanding the larger picture."

The draft report indicates that levels of many older chemicals have decreased in herring gulls, fish and sediments, especially from 1987-2000. However, results differ for some newer chemicals, such as PBDE (flame retardants) levels in fish increased considerably from 1987 to 2000. In addition, 34 non-native aquatic species were introduced into the Great Lakes, but none have become established since 2006. The burrowing mayfly and lake sturgeon have started to return, but lake trout populations have not changed measurably. Diporeia, a small shrimp-like crustacean that is a key part of the aquatic food web has almost disappeared.

One observation of the report is that while the Commission reviewed the 2009 SOLEC (State of the Lake Ecosystem Conference) indicators to see to what degree they can be used to evaluate progress since 1987 and to see how well they address the Commission's Task Force recommendations to address swimmability, fishability and drinkability. The Commission found only several of the 80 indicators were useful for evaluating progress since 1987. Several of the sources for this report came from outside of SOLEC. The Commission continues to be concerned that excessive effort is expended on too many indicators that have limited utility. Selecting and reporting on a smaller and continued set of core indicators should be the priority. The core set should include some with historical data back to 1987, some on the nearshore and some on human health. The indicators and a report assessing progress based on those indicators should be provided by the governments in the next reporting period.

Access an announcement with commenting instructions and link to the complete 173-page report (click here).

Groups Push For Great Lakes Commons & Public Trust Status

2011-10-12T16:34:00.001-04:00

Oct 12: Flow for Water, a coalition of several national and state organizations, Council of Canadians, and On the Commons are presenting their proposals at the at the International Joint Commission's (IJC) Biennial Meeting being held in Detroit at Great Lakes Week regarding overarching principles for integrating water pollution concerns from the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement with the Boundary Water Treaty's treatment of flows, levels, and quantities. They said this is one step in the campaign to address the need for providing lasting protection of our waters in the form of a public trust.

According to a release, a Great Lakes Basin commons would reject the view that the primary function of the Great Lakes is to promote the interests of industry and give them preferential access to the Lakes' boundaries. Jim Olson, a leading U.S. water law expert and Chair of Flow for Water said, "We need overarching twenty-first century principles to address massive twenty-first century threats that transcend an obsolete twentieth century legal framework. The International Joint Commission took the lead when it addressed pockets of pollution in its landmark 1972 Water Quality Agreement. It can take the lead again by looking to adopt a broad framework of principles, like commons and the public trust, which will assure rights of shared use and duties of shared respect for the Great Lakes for generations to come."

As part of the overall effort to save the Great Lakes from the myriad threats from the past and this century, the groups are asking that the IJC to consider the Great Lakes a commons and public trust and in doing so, acknowledge the threats facing the Great Lakes and its ecosystem and take steps to reenvision the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement as was done when it was enacted as a landmark step in 1972. They said, "The public trust principles are about a broader picture for the health of our waters and citizens and the IJC has an opportunity to acknowledge that."

Access a posted release from the organizations (click here). Access the Flow for Water website for background and more information (click here).

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Great Lakes Still Has A Significant Mercury Pollution Problem

2011-10-06T16:20:00.001-04:00

Oct 6: The Biodiversity Research Institute has announced it will release a report entitled, Great Lakes Mercury Connections: The Extent and Effects of Mercury Pollution in the Great Lakes Region, a synthesis of new research by 170+ scientists based on 35 peer-reviewed papers published this month in the journal Ecotoxicology and soon to be published in Environmental Pollution. According to an announcement, despite decades of progress, the Great Lakes region still has a significant mercury pollution problem.

The report is a collaboration of the Biodiversity Research Institute in Gorham, Maine, the Great Lakes Commission based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The report is the product of a binational, scientific synthesis sponsored by the Great Lakes Commission through its Great Lakes Air Deposition Program, funded by the U.S. EPA.

On October 11, during Great Lakes Week in Detroit, and in a webinar, scientists will present new policy-relevant research, as the deadline nears for U.S. EPA Utility Air Toxics Rule, including: new information on the severity of the mercury problem in the Great Lakes region; new research on the wildlife effects of mercury; and new analysis of progress made by pollution control efforts to date and the contribution of emissions sources in the Great Lakes region. Speakers will include: Tim Eder Executive Director, Great Lakes Commission; James Wiener, Ph.D. Wisconsin Distinguished Professor, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse; David C. Evers, Ph.D. Executive Director, Biodiversity Research Institute; and Charles T. Driscoll, Ph.D. University Professor and National Academy Member, Syracuse University.

According to an abstract of a paper in Ecotoxicology, "This special issue examines bioaccumulation and risks of methylmercury in food webs, fish and wildlife in the Laurentian Great Lakes region of North America, and explores mercury policy in the region and elsewhere in the United States and Canada. A total of 35 papers emanated from a bi-national synthesis of multi-media data from monitoring programs and research investigations on mercury in aquatic and terrestrial biota, a 3-year effort

involving more than 170 scientists and decision-makers from 55 different universities, non-governmental organizations, and governmental agencies. Over 290,000 fish mercury data points were compiled from monitoring programs and research investigations. The findings from this scientific synthesis indicate that (1) mercury remains a pollutant of major concern in the Great Lakes region, (2) that the scope and intensity of the problem is greater than previously recognized and (3) that after decades of declining mercury levels in fish and wildlife concentrations are now increasing in some species and areas. While the reasons behind these shifting trends require further study, they also underscore the need to identify information gaps and expand monitoring efforts to better track progress. This will be particularly important as new pollution prevention measures are implemented, as global sources increase, and as the region faces changing environmental conditions."

Access the announcement from Biodiversity Research Institute with further details and contacts (click here). Access the Special Issue of Ecotoxicology on Mercury in the Great Lakes to access various papers (click here).

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2011 GLRI Quality Technical Conference: Dec. 6-8

2011-10-05T16:31:00.001-04:00

Oct 5: The 2011 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Quality Technical Conference will be held in Chicago, on December 6-8, 2011. The primary purpose of this year's conference is to facilitate implementation of quality practices for projects being conducted under the GLRI by providing training, tools, resources, and a forum for communication among GLRI collaborators as they implement their projects. The 2011 GLRI Quality Technical Conference will provide an opportunity to work together to improve quality practices for GLRI projects and ultimately, the environment.

The first conference day will include the meeting welcome, and plenary and technical sessions. Day two will offer a choice of two concurrent sessions: Session I will include training sessions and Session II will include a series of technical sessions on implementation of quality. The morning of conference day three will be dedicated to presentations by GLRI collaborators. The Quality Program Lead for each GLRI collaborator will present the status of quality implementation for their GLRI projects.

Access complete conference information including registration details, agenda and contacts (click here).

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NAS Report Casts Doubt On Effects Of Renewable Fuel Standard
Gulf Coast Task Force Releases Ecosystem Restoration Strategy
Enviros Sue To Stop Early Clearing On Keystone XL Pipeline Route
EPA Announces Three Combined Heat & Power Awards
Administration Accelerates Grid Modernization Pilot Projects
Efficient Water Heating Can Save Consumers Nearly $18 Billion
USDA Announces $115+ Million In Water & Sewer Loans & Grants
New Mexico Group Sues To Save State's Carbon Reduction Law

IJC Great Lakes Priority Issue Reports For Comment

2011-10-04T16:18:00.000-04:00

Oct 4: For the past two years, experts from the International Joint Commission (IJC) Water Quality Board, Science Advisory Board, Council of Great Lakes Research Managers, Health Professionals Task Force and International Air Quality Advisory Board (and other experts) have been developing findings and recommendations regarding six key research areas: the Nearshore Framework; Chemicals of Emerging Concern, Harmful/Nuisance Algae; Aquatic Invasive Species; Benefits and Risks of Fish Consumption; and Beaches Recreational Water Quality. Most draft reports are now posted (or will be soon) and available for public comment. Following the IJC Biennial Meeting (October 12-14) and the incorporation of comments received, the reports will become the foundation for the 16th Biennial Report, to be released in 2012.

Access the reports, related information and commenting instructions by clicking on the links above. Access complete information on the IJC Biennial Meeting and Great Lakes Week in Detroit (click here).

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Mining Association Sues To Stop Cross-State Air Pollution Rule
Senate Committee Hears From Shale Gas Advisors
Trade Agreements For Korea, Colombia & Panama
DOI Report On Impacts Of Climate Change On Freshwater Resources
DOE Receives 1st Entry In Commercial Air Conditioner Challenge
Senate Hearing On Nutrient Reduction Approaches
Maryland Man Sells $9 Million In Phony Renewable Fuel Credits
Raritan Baykeeper v. NL Industries, Inc.

$2.4 Million For Lake Erie GLRI Projects

2011-10-03T16:19:00.000-04:00

U.S. EPA announced funding for three Toledo-area Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) projects totaling nearly $2.4 million. The projects will help to restore Lake Erie and put people back to work, using a conservation corps model to hire unemployed workers to improve habitat and clean up shoreline. The three Toledo-area projects were selected from 44 proposals totaling almost $25 million, which were submitted in response to a $6 million challenge that EPA issued in August to encourage Federal agencies to sign up unemployed workers to implement restoration projects in federally-protected areas, on tribal lands and in Areas of Concern (AOCs) in the Great Lakes Basin. To qualify for funding, each project is required to provide jobs for at least 20 unemployed people.

Susan Hedman, EPA Great Lakes National Program Manager said, "The tremendous response to EPA's challenge underscores the large backlog of Great Lakes restoration projects that are ready to be implemented and the strong support that exists for using a conservation corps model to get the job done. Over the next week, EPA will be announcing a total of eight restoration projects worth $6.6 million as part of this challenge. Each project will produce immediate, direct ecological benefits and will help to put unemployed people back to work." The announcement in the Toledo area includes: $1 million to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to control invasive plants in the Lower Black River; another $811,252 to restore habitat in the Maumee River AOC; and $480,000 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for conservation, restoration and outreach at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge on the southwest shore of Lake Erie.

Access a release from EPA Region 5 (click here, posted soon). Access more information on GLRI (click here).

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DOE Approves $4.743 Billion In Solar Project Loan Guarantees
SCOTUS Denies Challenge To CA Indirect Air Source Rule
DOE Finalizes Rule For NEPA Categorical Exclusion
NASA Says Arctic Ozone Hole Is "Unprecedented"
DOI Completes Reforms Of Old Minerals Management Service
GAO Finds Problems With NOAA Historical Climatology Network
EPA Adds State Enforcement Actions Map To ECHO
Agencies Partners On Health & Safety Of Commercial Imports

Technical Workshop On Army Corps Channel Stability Tool

2011-09-30T14:30:00.001-04:00

Sep 30: The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) advises that over the last year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Detroit District has developed a stand-alone Channel Stability Tool that can be used by local stakeholders to design maintained channels in clay soils, with the goal of limiting bank failures, erosion, and sediment delivery to rivers and streams and, subsequently, to Lake Superior. The project was made possible by funding under the Great Lakes Tributary Modeling Program, which is a joint initiative between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Great Lakes Region) and the Great Lakes states.

The Corps of Engineers Detroit District will host a technical workshop on October 18, 2011, to introduce this new tool that can be used to estimate the stability of maintained channels and ditches in clay soils. The workshop will be held at the Minnesota Pollution Control Offices, located at 525 S. Lake Ave, #400, Duluth, MN 55802, from 1:00 3:00 PM. Organizations interested in learning to use the Channel Stability Tool and providing constructive feedback are invited to participate in this technical workshop.

The tool incorporates the effects of cohesive soils, vegetation, and hydraulic scour. Representatives from the Corps of Engineers Detroit District will be demonstrating the tool and soliciting feedback on the user interface in order to ensure that the final product is useful to stakeholders. The final version of the tool, incorporating suggestions gathered during the October 18 meeting, will be released later this fall.

Access an announcement from GLC with further details (click here). Access more information on the Great Lakes Tributary Modeling Program (click here).

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Major Enviros Sue Administration On Shell Oil Arctic Drilling Plan
$132.4 Million Loan Guarantee For Kansas Cellulosic Ethanol Plant
Six Winners Of The i6 Green Innovation Challenge
EPA Seeks 125 Smart Growth Communities For $1.5 Million Funding
SAB Okays Assessment Of Hg Exposures To Subsistence Fishers
DOE Releases First Quadrennial Technology Review Report
Global Change Strategic Plan Outline & Public Comment Period

17 Attorneys General Press For Asian Carp Control

2011-09-27T16:32:00.001-04:00

Sep 26: Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced that the newly formed national coalition of seventeen attorneys general fighting the spread of Asian carp and other aquatic invasive species though Chicago waterways have sent a letter to the leaders of three Congressional committees calling for them to move Federal legislation (H.R.892, S.471) that would force a quicker resolution to the on-going study currently being conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In particular, the coalition called for legislation to:

Slash three years off the current Army Corps of Engineers' study, from the end of 2015 to the end of 2012;
Direct the President (or his designee) to oversee the study and ensure it is completed on time;
Require the Army Corps to use information found in independent studies of the problem rather than duplicating such efforts, thereby speeding up the process;
Force the Army Corps to use the Congressionally-mandated standard of "preventing" the spread of invasive species instead of their unilateral decision to instead look for ways to merely "reduce the risk" of such a spread.

    Schuette said, "These states understand that the job-killing invasive species flowing freely though the wide-open doorway in Chicago must be stopped now. We are turning up the heat on federal officials dragging their feet at our expense. It is too bad we need legislation to do this, but it is time for the Army Corps of Engineers to get to work."

    Schuette recently announced the results of his efforts to build a coalition beyond the Great Lakes, which resulted in 16 states joining with Michigan so far: Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

    In July 2011, the Army Corps of Engineers released a list of 40 aquatic invasive species with the highest risk of traveling through the waterway in either direction. Of those species, 30 pose a high-risk to the Mississippi River Basin and ten, including Asian carp, pose a high-risk to the Great Lakes Basin. Current invasive species control efforts in the Chicago waterway, like electrical barriers, are temporary and experimental and do not address the threat of all 40 species, especially those that may travel downstream.

The Stop Asian Carp Act was introduced earlier this year by sponsors Representative Dave Camp (R-MI) (H.R. 892) and Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) (S.471). The coalition letter and supportive briefing paper were both sent to Chairmen and Ranking Members of the following congressional committees charged with reviewing the legislation: the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the House Committee on Natural Resources, and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Schuette noted a recent study commissioned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and conducted by independent scientists at the Center for Aquatic Conservation at the University of Notre Dame identified the Chicago Waterway as a "major pathway" for the spread of invasive species, concluding that "the canal represents a potential highway to environmental havoc for many species that pose a high risk to both the Great Lake and the Mississippi basins."

In the letter the AGs explain, "H.R. 892 has been referred to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment as well as the House Natural Resources Committee Subcommittees on Water and Power and on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs. S. 471 has been referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Unfortunately, no further action has been taken on these bills while the threat of invasive species

migration through the Basins grows."

Access a release from AG Schuette (click here). Access the detailed letter that includes links to related information (click here). Access legislative details for H.R.892 (click here). Access legislative details for S.471(click here).

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Industry & Enviros At Odds Over Advancement Of Oil & Gas Regs
UN Documents Global Urban Air Pollution
Shutdown Avoided; Budget Offsets For Disaster Relief Delayed
FWS 90-Day Finding On 374 Rare Southeastern Species Under ESA
First Two Green Power Communities Announced
Ceres Revamps Corporate Sustainability Awards Program
American Trucking Associations, Inc. v. The City of Los Angeles

Army Corps To Increase Carp Barrier Voltage This Fall

2011-09-13T16:41:00.001-04:00

Sep 9: As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to pursue all actions needed to contain the Asian carp threat below the Electric Dispersal Barriers in the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS), the Agency announced plans to increase the operation of the barriers to slightly higher parameters. The increase will occur this fall. The Corps released an Optimal Operating Parameters Report including the safety tests used to inform the decision to raise the operating parameters, along with two additional reports: the Independent External Peer Review (IEPR) to test for Asian carp environmental DNA (eDNA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Scoping Report for the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS).

While extensive research and monitoring indicate that small Asian carp currently are not within the vicinity of the fish barriers, and all field telemetry research indicates the barrier is highly effective, the Corps is taking this conservative approach to operating the barrier out of an abundance of caution. The Efficacy Study Interim Report IIA, one of three updates released by the Corps, assesses the safety and effectiveness of the barrier at these higher operating parameters. The aspect of the report regarding safety summarizes a series of in-water tests on the barrier that include addressing field-strength mapping, sparking potential during barge fleeting and collision, voltage potentials between barges traversing the barriers, personnel in-water shock potential, stray-current corrosion potential, and optimal settings for the parasitic barrier system.

The testing shows there is no appreciable increase in risk to public safety with an increase of operational parameters from the current settings of 2.0 volts per inch, 15 hertz and 6.5 millisecond pulse to the new settings of 2.3 volts per inch, 30 hertz, and 2.5 millisecond pulse length. However, it also shows that operating barriers IIA and IIB concurrently increases the area of risk for a person in the water and an increased potential for sparking in adjacent fleeting areas. The Corps does not intend to operate barriers IIA and IIB simultaneously.

Access a lengthy release from the Corps and links to all documents (click here).

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GLWQA Amendments, Forums, Webinar, & Comments

2011-09-08T16:31:00.001-04:00

Sep 8: The Governments of Canada and the United States (the Parties) recognize the importance of engaging the Great Lakes community as they proceed with the negotiations to amend the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA). As the Parties near the end of the negotiation process, they are providing an opportunity for the public to input into this process through two in-person Public Forums (one in Canada and one in the United States), and a webinar. The purpose of the meetings will be to review significant changes being contemplated for an amended Agreement. Additionally, the public may also provide written comments.

In the U.S. a public forum will be held in Chicago on September 13, at the U.S. EPA Region 5 headquarters from 9 AM to 1 PM(CDT). Additionally a public webinar will be held the same day from 1 PM 4 PM (CDT). Written comments on the significant changes being contemplated for an amended GLWQA may be submitted until September 20, 2011. The Parties have also released the presentation that will be presented at the public forums and webinar entitled, Negotiations to Amend the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) Binational Public Forum.

On September 7, Great Lakes United (GLU) and allied organizations submitted recommendations that they view to be essential elements of a successful agreement that will step up to the scale of environmental threats in the lakes, and also provide governing systems, leadership and strategies to implement the Agreement. The groups indicated their frustration that, "to date, almost no information has been available to the public about the substance and scope of the new Agreement, making it difficult for concerned citizens to ascertain what modernization looks like, or to provide meaningful feedback in public forums."

Access an overview and links to meeting and webinar details, registration, contacts and the Presentation on Amendments (click here). Access the existing GLWQA (click here). Access a release on the letter from GLU and link to the letter (click here). Access the Great Lakes United Agreement Watch blog for extensive information and (click here). [#GLakes]

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Great Lakes Commission; IJC, AOCs Meetings & Great Lakes Week

2011-09-08T16:30:00.001-04:00

Sep 8: On October 11 & 12, Commissioners from the eight Great Lakes states and the provinces of Ontario and Québec will be meeting at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel in Detroit, as part of Great Lakes Week, discussing Great Lakes issues of priority interest including: the Great Lakes as engines of economic recovery; Great Lakes ports in the 21st Century; lessons learned from algal blooms and dead zones in Lake Erie; the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; renegotiation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement; and the proposed ecological separation of the Mississippi and Great Lakes watersheds to thwart the spread of Asian carp.

Also, the International Joint Commission (IJC) will be holding its Biennial Meeting on the campus of Wayne State University in Detroit from October 11-14. Under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the IJC reports on progress toward restoration and engages the public in discussions regarding fishability, swimmability and drinkability. Additionally, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition will be holding its Seventh Annual Great Lakes Restoration Conference on October 12-14; and the U.S. Areas of Concern (AOC) will conduct its Program Annual Meeting on October 13-14 -- both at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel in Detroit.

Great Lakes Week represents a new partnership to improve the places around the basin where people live, work, learn and play. The week's activities will bring representatives of the U.S. and Canadian governments together with a broad coalition of public and private groups to highlight efforts to implement solutions for the lakes' most pressing problems. Great Lakes Week also gathers the annual meetings and conferences of various organizations in one place, making it one of the most wide-ranging Great Lakes summits in history.

Access a summary of all events during Great Lakes Weeks and links to details on registration and agendas for each (click here). [#GLakes]

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State of Michigan v. United States

2011-09-06T19:20:00.001-04:00

Aug 24: In the U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, Case No. 10-3891. Appealed from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division. In this important 57-page decision regarding Great Lakes States' continuing attempt to stop the spread of Asian Carp to the Great Lakes, the Appeals Court upheld the district court's ruling denying preliminary relief. However, importantly, unlike the lower court which said the "plaintiffs had shown only a minimal chance of succeeding on their claims"; the Appeals Court said "plaintiffs presented enough evidence at this preliminary stage of the case to establish a good or perhaps even a substantial likelihood of harm." The Appeals Court also agreed with plaintiffs that, "If the invasion comes to pass, there is little doubt that the harm to the plaintiff states would be irreparable." The case involves the State of Michigan, et al and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians versus the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Chicago, et al.

As explained by the Appeals Court, "Ambitious engineering projects that began at the time that the City of Chicago was founded have established a waterway in northeastern Illinois that connects Lake Michigan to the Mississippi watershed. (Additional links between the Mississippi and the Great Lakes exist elsewhere, from northern Minnesota to New York.) The system of canals, channels, locks, and dams, with which we are concerned, known today as the Chicago Area Waterway System (or CAWS, as the parties call it in their briefs), winds from the mouth of the Chicago River and four other points on Lake Michigan to tributaries of the Mississippi River in Illinois. The navigable link has been a boon to industry and commerce, and it supports transportation and recreation. Public health crises that once were common because the Chicago River emptied the City's sewage into the lake -- the City's freshwater supply vanished thanks to the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, which reversed the flow of the Chicago River so that it now pulls water from the lake, into the CAWS, and down toward the Mississippi. During heavy rains and seasonal high waters in the region, the CAWS is used to control flooding.

"This effort to connect the Great Lakes and Mississippi watersheds has not been without controversy. At the turn of the 20th century, Missouri sued in the Supreme Court to stop Illinois from opening the Sanitary and Ship Canal. An opinion by Justice Holmes rejected Missouri's challenge; the Court concluded that the state had not presented enough evidence to establish that the flow of sewage toward the Mississippi would create a public nuisance. Missouri v. Illinois, 200 U.S. 496 (1906); see also Missouri v. Illinois, 180 U.S. 208 (1901). Several years later a broader fight erupted among the states bordering the Great Lakes, and the Court began to issue decrees setting the maximum rate at which Illinois may divert water away from Lake Michigan and into the CAWS. E.g., Wisconsin v. Illinois, 449 U.S. 48 (1980); Wisconsin v. Illinois, 388 U.S. 426 (1967); Wisconsin v. Illinois, 311 U.S. 107 (1940); Wisconsin v. Illinois, 278 U.S. 367 (1929). Nor has opening a pathway between these bodies of fresh water come without costs. This appeal requires us to consider one of those costs: the environmental and economic harm posed by two invasive species of carp, commonly known as Asian carp, which have migrated up the Mississippi River and now are poised at the brink of this man-made path to the Great Lakes. The carp are voracious eaters that consume small organisms on which the entire food chain relies; they crowd out native species as they enter new environments; they reproduce at a high rate; they travel quickly and adapt readily; and they have a dangerous habit of jumping out of the water and harming people and property.

"In an attempt to stop the fish, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, all states bordering the Great Lakes, filed this lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (the District), which together own and operate the facilities that make up the CAWS. The plaintiff states allege that the Corps and the District are managing the CAWS in a manner that will allow invasive carp to move for the first time into the Great Lakes. The states fear that if the fish establish a sustainable population there, ecological disaster and the collapse of billion-dollar industries that depend on the existing ecosystem will follow. They say that the defendants' failure to close down parts of the CAWS to avert the crisis creates a grave risk of harm, in violation of the federal common law of public nuisance, see American Electric Power Co., Inc. v. Connecticut, 131 S. Ct. 2527 (2011), and they advance a related claim against the Corps based on the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), 5 U.S.C. § 702. The states asked the district court for declaratory and injunctive relief and moved for a preliminary injunction that would require the defendants to put in place additional physical barriers throughout the CAWS, implement new procedures to stop invasive carp, and expedite a study of how best to separate the Mississippi and Great Lakes watersheds permanently. Other parties intervened to protect their interests -- the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians on the side of the plaintiffs, and the City of Chicago, Wendella Sightseeing Company, and the Coalition to Save Our Waterways as defendants. The district court denied the motion for a preliminary injunction, and the states appealed immediately. See 28 U.S.C. § 1292(a)(1).

"We conclude that the court's decision to deny preliminary relief was not an abuse of discretion. Our analysis, however, differs in significant respects from that of the district court, which was persuaded that the plaintiffs had shown only a minimal chance of succeeding on their claims. We are less sanguine about the prospects of keeping the carp at bay. In our view, the plaintiffs presented enough evidence at this preliminary stage of the case to establish a good or perhaps even a substantial likelihood of harm that is, a non-trivial chance that the carp will invade Lake Michigan in numbers great enough to constitute a public nuisance. If the invasion comes to pass, there is little doubt that the harm to the plaintiff states would be irreparable. That does not mean, however, that they are automatically entitled to injunctive relief. The defendants, in collaboration with a great number of agencies and experts from the state and federal governments, have mounted a full-scale effort to stop the carp from reaching the Great Lakes, and this group has promised that additional steps will be taken in the near future. This effort diminishes any role that equitable relief would otherwise play. Although this case does not involve the same kind of formal legal regime that caused the Supreme Court to find displacement of the courts' common-law powers in American Electric Power, on the present state of the record we have something close to it. In light of the active regulatory efforts that are ongoing, we conclude that an interim injunction would only get in the way. We stress, however, that if the agencies slip into somnolence or if the record reveals new information at the permanent injunction stage, this conclusion can be revisited."

The Appeals Court indicated in its concluding remarks, "We take very seriously the threat posed by the invasive species of carp that have come to dominate parts of the Mississippi River basin and now stand at the border of one of the most precious freshwater ecosystems in the world. Any threat to the irreplaceable natural resources on which we all depend demands the most diligent attention of government. As the case proceeds, the district judge should bear in mind that the risk of harm here depends upon both the probability of the harm and the magnitude of the problem that would result. In the end, however, the question whether the federal courts can offer meaningful equitable relief either preliminary or permanent -- to help abate a public nuisance in the face of agency action is factual in nature. It depends on the actual measures that the agencies have implemented already and those that they have committed to put in place going forward. Our ruling today is tied to our understanding of the current state of play. We recognize that the facts on the ground (or in the water) could change. The agencies currently working hard to solve the

carp problem might find themselves unable to continue, for budgetary reasons, because of policy changes in Washington, D.C., or for some other reason. If that happens, it is possible that the balance of equities would shift. Similarly, new evidence might come to light which would require more drastic action, up to and including closing locks on Lake Michigan for a period of time. If either situation comes to pass, then the district court would have the authority to revisit the question whether an exercise of its equitable powers is warranted, taking into account the principles we have discussed in this opinion. As things stand now, however, preliminary relief is not appropriate. The district court's judgment is affirmed."

Access the complete opinion (click here). [*GLakes, *Wildlife, #CA7]

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GLU On Ontario's Potential "Great Lakes Protection Act"

2011-09-06T17:06:00.001-04:00

Sep 5: Ontario's governing Liberal Party released its platform in advance of the October 6 provincial election, promising a Great Lakes Protection Act, if elected. From the Great LakesSt Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement signed by Premier McGuinty in 2005 to the Ontario Water Opportunities and Water Conservation Act of 2010, "Ontario has done a pretty good job of leading efforts that improve Great Lakes health," according to Derek Stack, Executive Director of the bi-national environmental group Great Lakes United (GLU). He said, "Now Ontario is poised to be the first among Great Lakes states and provinces to legislate a Great Lakes Protection Act."

The platform details an investment of $16 million over four years through a Great Lakes Protection Act. Stack said, "With promises to fund beach clean-up properly implemented, the province can seriously promote Great Lakes health. It's simple, the number one reason people work to protect the Great Lakes is that they use and appreciate the resource. A fund to promote beach clean-up and recreation will help to foster a higher public profile for the Great Lakes in the provincial psyche. While this is a positive step forward, even if it is well-targeted, less than $1M a year per Great Lake is hardly a windfall."

GLU indicated in a release that, "The Americans, despite a much bleaker financial outlook at all levels, are investing hundreds of millions of dollars into 'on the ground' actions that restore Great Lakes health, in addition to billions more for infrastructure upgrades. In all fairness, that's primarily a federal contribution. The Canada-Ontario Agreement details that kind of fiscal transfer from the federal government. And that Agreement will need to comply with the regulations set out in the CanadaUS Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement currently being renegotiated."

Access a posted release from GLU (click here). Access the Liberal Party platform (click here).

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$6 Million Challenge To Restore Great Lakes & Create Jobs

2011-09-06T17:05:00.001-04:00

Aug 23: U.S. EPA announced that the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) is setting aside approximately $6 million for Federal agencies to sign up unemployed workers to implement restoration projects in Federally-protected areas, on tribal lands and in Areas of Concern (AOCs) in the Great Lakes basin. EPA will fund individual projects up to $1 million. To qualify for funding, each proposed project must provide jobs for at least 20 unemployed people. EPA Great Lakes National Program Manager and Region 5 Administrator Susan Hedman said, "These projects will help to restore the Great Lakes and put Americans back to work. In a sense, we will be using these funds to create a small-scale 21st century Civilian Conservation Corps."

Funded projects will advance the goals and objectives of the GLRI Action Plan, developed by EPA with 15 other Federal agencies in 2010. Projects must provide immediate, direct ecological benefits; be located in areas identified as federal priorities such as national lakeshores or areas of concern; include a detailed budget, and produce measurable results. EPA will award funding for selected projects by the end of September. The Agency said it will provide details on the selected projects as soon as that information is available. EPA noted that the Great Lakes provide some 30 million Americans with drinking water and support a multi-billion dollar economy.

According to a release from EPA, the GLRI Action Plan, which covers FY 2010 through 2014, ensures accountability by including measures of progress and benchmarks for success over the next three years. It calls for aggressive efforts to address five urgent priority "Focus Areas" including: Cleaning up toxics and toxic hot spot areas of concern; Combating invasive species;
Promoting near-shore health by protecting watersheds from polluted run-off; Restoring wetlands and other habitats; and, Tracking progress, education and working with strategic partners.

Access a release from EPA and link to more information on the GLRI and the Action Plan (click here).

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WIMS Publication Break

2011-08-24T11:36:00.000-04:00

WIMS is on our late summer break.

We will return on September 6, 2011

Thank you very much for visiting our blog.

Click here for more information on our

Daily Environmental News

Great Lakes Protection Fund Redesigned Website

2011-08-19T16:19:00.000-04:00

Aug 19: The Great Lakes Protection Fund (GLPF) announced that it has redesigned its website and invites interested parties to explore the site and provide comments. The site is designed to help generate dynamic content. GLPF indicates it is "determined to deliver more information about the results of Fund-supported projects, the content of our current project portfolio, and guidelines" used to evaluate funding opportunities.

    The Governors of the Great Lakes states created the Great Lakes Protection Fund in 1989 to help them protect and restore their shared Great Lakes resources. The Fund is the first private, permanent endowment created to benefit a specific ecosystem. The Governors established the Fund to ensure the continuous development of new technologies, innovative methods, and practical tools to improve the natural and economic vitality of the Great Lakes. Since inception, the Fund has committed over $59 million to 236 projects to meet those objectives. The Fund has also returned over $42 million to its member states so that they can pursue their Great Lakes priorities.

    Access an announcement on the redesigned website (click here). Access the GLPF website (click here).

NY Law Will Comply With Compact On Water Withdrawal

2011-08-16T16:37:00.000-04:00

Aug 15: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced he will sign a new law to protect New York's waters and the Great Lakes by requiring a state permit for the withdrawal of large volumes of water from the state's rivers, lakes, streams and groundwater. Significantly, the law will enable the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to comply with commitments under the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact (Compact) by regulating all significant water withdrawals occurring in the New York portion of the Great Lakes Basin. The law also directs DEC to establish an effective water conservation and efficiency program, which is another key responsibility of states under the Compact. The legislation (A5318-2011 S3455-2011) also increases penalties to deter violations that threaten the quality and quantity of the State's water resources.

The new law is designed to foster responsible conservation practices and economic growth while protecting water bodies and wildlife habitats. The permitting process will ensure a continued water supply to existing municipal, agricultural and industrial users, and will help identify areas that could support new water-dependent businesses. The law requires approval before operating or proposing a system with the capacity to withdraw 100,000 gallons or more per day of surface and groundwater.

Access a release from the Governor (click here). Access additional information (click here).

Lake Erie Watersnake Removed From Endangered & Threatened List

2011-08-16T16:36:00.001-04:00

Aug 15: Department of Interior (DOI) Secretary Ken Salazar announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS or the Service) removed the Lake Erie watersnake, a harmless species found on offshore islands in western Lake Erie in Ohio and Ontario, from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. The snake becomes the 23rd species to be delisted due to recovery. DOI indicated in a release that under the Endangered Species Act, the Service has worked to successfully stabilize our nation's most imperiled species in part by fostering partnerships, employing scientific excellence, and developing a workforce of conservation leaders who promote conservation programs that help species recovery.

Salazar said, "Today the Lake Erie watersnake joins species such as the bald eagle, the American alligator, and the peregrine falcon that have rebounded from the threat of extinction and no longer require the protection of the Endangered Species Act. These species and the hundreds of others whose extinction has been prevented by the Act -- are living testimonies to its ability to bring species back from the brink by protecting them and conserving and restoring their habitat." The final rule will publish in the Federal Register on August 16, 2011, and become effective on September 15, 2011.

The Service listed the Lake Erie watersnake as a threatened species in 1999. Threats to the species included intentional killing and loss of its shoreline habitat on Lake Erie to development. In 2003, the Service finalized a recovery plan that called for protecting habitat and providing outreach to reduce threats to the species. In cooperation with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife (ODNR) and other partners, biologists worked to minimize and reduce the threats to the snake by sustaining and protecting summer and hibernation habitat and ensuring the permanent protection of shoreline habitat.

Recovery criteria include a combined population of at least 5,555 snakes on the U.S. islands, sustained for six years, and protection of key habitat. Through continued habitat protection and public education, the Lake Erie watersnake population grew to about 11,980 in 2009, and has exceeded the minimum recovery level since 2002. About 300 acres of inland habitat and 11 miles of shoreline have been protected for the snake since it was listed. The Act requires that a species be monitored for a minimum of 5 years after delisting to ensure that the species remains stable after its protections are removed. The Service and the ODNR have developed a post-delisting monitoring plan to verify that the species remains secure from risk of extinction after the protections of the Act no longer apply. Lake Erie watersnakes remain listed as endangered by the state of Ohio so killing them is still illegal under state law.

Access a release from DOI and link to a fact sheet, a prepublication copy of the final rule and other information about the Lake Erie watersnake and the ESA (click here).

Asian Carp eDNA Found Northeast Of Minnesota Twin Cities

2011-08-12T16:31:00.001-04:00

Aug 11: The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MnDNR) indicates that water samples from the St. Croix River have tested positive for genetic material from silver carp (i.e. environmental DNA or eDNA), suggesting the invasive, leaping Asian species may be present in the river as far north as the dam at St. Croix Falls. According to a release, to date, no silver carp have been caught in the St. Croix River, either by anglers or commercial fishing operators. Only two bighead carp, a different Asian species, have been caught in the river one in 1996 and another on April 18 of this year.

MnDNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr said, "Our immediate goal is to mobilize as much effort as possible to confirm the presence of live silver carp in the St. Croix. The results raise the profile and the level of urgency around the Asian carp issue not just for the MnDNR, but for all agencies, conservation groups, municipalities and river users who have a stake in the health of the St. Croix and the Mississippi." The MnDNR will soon contract with commercial fishing operators to begin using nets on the St. Croix to try to capture live silver carp in the same areas where eDNA tests were positive. MnDNR staff will also use nets and boats outfitted with electric shocking capabilities to search for fish. MnDNR operations could start next week; commercial netting operations are expected to start by the end of August.

MnDNR officials said they will proceed with development of a bubble or sonic barrier at the mouth of the St. Croix River at Prescott, WI, pending results of the additional carp sampling. Scientists believe such a barrier would not be a 100-percent deterrent to Asian carp, but if the populations are low, the barrier could help keep additional carp out of the river while other population control methods are developed. MnDNR is considering a variety of funding sources, including requesting assistance from the Minnesota Legislature, for the barrier. A recent estimate put the barrier's construction cost (for materials alone) at $7 million.

U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) indicated in a media report, "The likely presence of Asian carp in the St. Croix River is very troubling and could have a disastrous impact on Minnesota's rivers. The fishing and boating industries contribute billions of dollars to Minnesota's economy and depend on the health of the state's waterways. I will continue to fight to prevent the spread of Asian carp into the Great Lakes, and I'll do everything I can to help protect the ecosystem and fisheries of Minnesota from this invasive fish."

Access a release from MnDNR and link to the complete study (click here). Access a summary of Minnesota actions to stop the spread of Asian Carp (click here). Access a FAQ document on Asian Carp in Minnesota waters (click here). Access a media report from HometownSource.com (click here). Access a Great Lakes Basin map for indication of possible connective, interbasin migration routes (click here). Access a Google map near St. Croix Falls, WI (click here).

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No Asian Carp Found After Intensive Monitoring Around Lake Calumet

2011-08-10T16:28:00.001-04:00

Aug 9: The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC) detailed the results of intensive monitoring efforts in and around Lake Calumet within the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) and announced no Asian carp were seen or captured during a four-day response. The ACRCC began a Level 1 monitoring response under its Monitoring and Rapid Response Plan on August 1, after three consecutive rounds of Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling yielded positive results for Asian carp DNA in and around Lake Calumet [See WIMS 8/1/11].

At present, eDNA evidence cannot verify whether live Asian carp are present, whether the DNA may have come from a dead fish, or whether water containing Asian carp DNA may have been transported from other sources, such as bilge water. While the Lake Calumet area is regularly monitored for the presence of Asian carp, a level 1 response intensified efforts over a four-day period of time with commercial fishing crews, electrofishing boats, larger sweeping nets called seines, and additional sampling gear such as tandem trap nets and hydro acoustic surveys to determine whether live Asian carp were present in the area.

John Goss, Asian Carp Director for the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) said, "Our rapid response plan did what it was designed to do -- use aggressive monitoring and the best available technology to confirm there is no establishing population of Asian carp above the electric barrier. We will continue to follow our comprehensive Asian carp control strategy to aggressively monitor the Chicago Area Waterway System, ensure the security of the electric barrier, and use and develop the most advanced technologies to protect the Great Lakes from Asian carp."

The Lake Calumet response action concluded on August 4, 2011 after more than 1,066 person-hours on the water using a crew of 38 state and Federal agency biologists and commercial fishermen aboard 11 vessels. A variety of nets and methods were used during the operation, including gill/trammel netting, electrofishing, tandem-trap netting, and hydro acoustic surveys. In total, crews fished more than 11 miles of gill/trammel nets, eight fyke nets, and completed 22.5 hours of electrofishing. In all, 8,668 fish were collected, including large numbers of buffalo and gizzard shad , indicating that fish that share Asian carp habitat preferences were being trapped and identified.

Access a lengthy release from ACRCC with additional details and links to more information (click here).

New Blog To Engage & Monitor GLWQA Renegotiations

2011-08-10T16:27:00.001-04:00

Aug 9: Agreement Watch is a new blog hosted by Great Lakes United (GLU) to help citizens engage in the renegotiation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA). GLU will provide periodic updates on the site as new information becomes available and post short articles and opinion pieces on various issues related to the Agreement. Concise and constructive comments are welcome.

GLU reports that negotiating teams for the United States and Canada are actively engaged in drafting the first major changes to the Agreement since 1987. The window for official public input is expected to close by September 20, 2011. On August 4, the U.S. and Canadian governments announced the following as the final opportunities for public input into the GLWQA renegotiations:

Late August: the governments will post a consultation presentation on binational.net
A binational public forum will be held in Toronto on the afternoon of September 8.
A binational public forum will be held in Chicago on the morning of September 13.
A basin-wide webinar will be held on the afternoon of September 13.
Written comment period for the public ends September 20.

GLU indicates that one of the major requests from many groups over the past couple of years is that the public be given the opportunity to see the specific language of a draft revised GLWQA before the final round of public meetings. The governments have refused to do so. In a letter sent to Great Lakes United on July 29, 2011, the U.S. State Department and Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade responded: "While the restraints of international negotiations prevent us from sharing a draft of the agreement for public comment, we will be providing descriptive written materials to be shared ahead of the public forums." GLU notes there is no indication yet as to how specific the "descriptive written materials" will be.

Access the Agreement Watch blog for extensive information and (click here). Access the Binational.net website for additional information from the governments (click here). Access the GLU website for more information (click here).

ANS White Paper & Conference Call August 10

2011-08-09T16:31:00.001-04:00

Aug 9: The US Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) in collaboration with study partners have published the Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) White Paper: Non-Native Species of Concern and Dispersal Risk for the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study. The purpose of the ANS White Paper is to catalog potential non-native species within the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins and identify which high-risk species will be an initial focus in the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS).

According to an announcement, forty (40) aquatic nuisance species are identified in the ANS White Paper as high-risk species for GLMRIS Focus Area I -- the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS):10 are high-risk to the Great Lakes Basin and 30 are high-risk to the Mississippi River Basin. ACOE has prepared a table and information on the 40 Focus Area I high-risk species. The purpose of the ANS White Paper is to catalog potential non-native species within the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins and identify which high-risk species will be an initial focus in GLMRIS. ACOE will host a conference call tomorrow, August 10, 2011, at 11:00 AM (central) for interested parties to ask questions of the technical team that developed the Aquatic Nuisance Species White Paper.

Access the ACOE ANS website for the table more information (click here). Access the ANS White Paper (click here). Access more information on the White Paper release and details form the conference call (click here). Access the GLMRIS website for complete background information (click here).

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Community-Based Climate Adaption Plans In The Great Lakes

2011-08-08T16:36:00.001-04:00

Aug 4: The Superior Watershed Partnership (SWP) in cooperation with Climate Solutions University (CSU) announced a funding opportunity for developing community-based climate adaption plans in the Great Lakes. The Model Forest Policy Program has developed a Climate Adaptation program called Climate Solutions University: Forest and Water Strategies (CSU) and is seeking applications from Great Lakes rural forested communities to participate in 2012. Applications to participate in 2012 are now available at with a deadline of September 19, 2011.

According to an announcement the CSU program works to empower local, rural communities in the U.S. to become resilient in the face of a changing climate by protecting their forest and water resources and their resource-dependent livelihoods. The program invests in a multi-year engagement with communities to assess their climate risks and develop a climate readiness plan to be implemented over the next several years. The CSU training and coaching process begins with a 10-month rigorous curriculum of distance learning with a monthly webinar, a monthly conference call, plus individual coaching and assistance. This will be complemented by extensive work by the local Great Lakes project leader and their local organization's planning team. CSU offers a direct $10,000 scholarship to support local staff time plus an estimated $50,000 in the value of the CSU educational and coaching process. The local community leader is expected to provide a $10,000 in-kind match so as to assure at least a half-time person dedicated to leading the project with the help of their local stakeholder team.

By the end of 2011, 14 communities will have completed the CSU process with excellent results in the climate adaptation plans they have developed and some beginning to implement in 2011. Their goals are location specific, driven by local decision makers, and aimed at benefiting the social, environmental and economic needs of the community.

Access a posted announcement with links to more information (click here). Access a registration form to obtain program guidelines and a complete application (click here). Access the SWP website for more information (click here).

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Indiana DNR State Of Lake Michigan Conference

2011-08-08T16:26:00.001-04:00

Aug 8: The Indiana Department of Natural Resources announced the 7th biennial State of Lake Michigan (SOLM) and the 11th annual Great Lakes Beach Association Conference. The joint conference will be held at the Stardust Event Center, located a few blocks from the southern shores of Lake Michigan in Michigan City, Indiana, on September 26-28. The conference brings together elected officials, scientists, resource managers, planners, students, and citizens working to improve Great Lakes beaches and Lake Michigan, as outlined in the Lakewide Management Plan. Activities and events include field trips, workshops, and a reception with speakers from local, state, and federal government and John Goss, President Obama's Carp Czar.

Access complete conference details and agenda and link to online registration (click here).

Chemicals & Chemical Byproducts In The Great Lakes

2011-08-04T16:13:00.001-04:00

Aug 4: A study released by the Alliance for the Great Lakes takes a hard look at the existing data on chemicals and chemical byproducts in the Great Lakes, and at what science tells us that could mean for our health. According to a release, the discovery of pharmaceutical byproducts in Lake Michigan and more recently, Lake Erie, is raising concerns about the potential health risk to the more than 40 million who rely on the Great Lakes for drinking water -- as well as concerns about what else might be circulating in the water.

    The Alliance indicates that more troubling is that "these pharmaceuticals represent just a fraction of the chemical contaminants that make up what some researchers look upon as a vast chemical soup stretching from Minnesota to New York." The study reports that many emerging contaminants are found in the Great Lakes today, among them flame retardants, modern pesticides, pharmaceuticals, the antibacterial and antifungal agent Triclosan, and the insect-repellent DEET. The now-notorious bisphenol A (BPA), commonly used in a wide variety of plastics such as baby bottles and food packaging, was found in more than half the water samples analyzed in all the studies to date.

    The report, Emerging Contaminant Threats and the Great Lakes: Existing science, estimating relative risk, and determining policies, says there's too little data from the lakes and not enough understanding of the effects of these emerging contaminants. "What is known, it concludes, is worth worrying about." Dr. Rebecca Klaper, Shaw Associate Professor at the Great Lakes WATER Institute in Milwaukee and lead author of the report said, "Exposure to some of these chemicals . . . is cause for consternation for people and concern over fish and wildlife impacts."

    The Alliance is calling for legislation to reform the federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the 1976 law from which EPA derives its authority to require reporting, record-keeping and testing of chemical substances. Among the needed reforms they are calling for: Grant the EPA administrator the ability to act immediately on chemicals we know are dangerous, such as persistent and bioaccumulating toxics, asbestos and formaldehyde; Require chemical manufacturers to provide basic information on the health and environmental hazards associated with their chemicals, and grant the public full access to information about a chemical's safety; and Ensure chemicals meet a standard of safety for all people -- including children, pregnant women and workers.

There are currently nine co-sponsors to a bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) which they said "calls for a comprehensive approach to managing chemicals." The Safe Chemicals Act of 2011 (S.847) would increase chemical safety, curb emerging contaminants from entering the environment in the first place, and address chemicals that are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. The following five Great Lakes senators are co-sponsoring the legislation: Dick Durbin (D-IL), Al Franken (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar, (D-MN), and Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

Access a release from the Alliance and link to the complete report, executive summary and fact sheet and (click here).

New App Provides Beach Water Quality & Information

2011-08-04T16:12:00.001-04:00

Aug 4: The Great Lakes Commission (GLC), in partnership with LimnoTech and the Great Lakes states, has developed a smartphone application that provides more options and opportunities for public access to beach advisories and other environmental information. Funded by the U.S. EPA-led Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), the myBeachCast application (app) provides the public with real-time information on beach water quality advisories, weather and water conditions in a form that is location-aware and easy to access. The app allows users to discover local beaches based on the user's location, save favorite beaches, and quickly locate other nearby beaches in the case of a water quality advisory at their favorite beach.

Currently in the beta testing phase, the app retrieves advisory and closure data from the states of Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, all of which utilize BeachGuard, a centralized reporting database for monitoring data collected by health departments across each state. Data from the other Great Lakes states will be incorporated in time for the app's full launch in May 2012. The app was designed for the Android platform by LimnoTech, a water resources and engineering company based in Ann Arbor, MI, in partnership with GLC and the states. A mobile-enhanced website available on the Great Lakes Information Network will offer complementary information for other mobile devices. Funding is being sought to develop a corresponding native app for the iPhone.

Access a posted release on the app with contact information (click here). Access the myBeachCast app (click here). Access the BeachGuard for more information (click here).

Great Lakes Coalition Announces $115,000 In Grants

2011-08-03T16:28:00.001-04:00

Aug 3: The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition (HOW) announced $115,000 in grants that will be awarded to nine organizations poised to jump-start restoration projects on four of the five Great Lakes. The coalition grants will help conservation organizations participate in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a federal program to clean up toxic pollution, confront aquatic invasive species and restore habitat and wetlands.

According to a release, one organization funded by the coalition last year -- the Alliance for the Great Lakes -- leveraged a $15,000 grant into a recently announced $150,000 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative award to improve 28 acres of habitat along Lake Michigan in northeastern Illinois. Jeff Skelding, campaign director for HOW said, "We're excited to be working with local groups to continue progress on Great Lakes restoration. Restoration projects produce results -- but there is more work to do. These grants will address a variety of issues that are important to the health of the Great Lakes and economy."

The coalition awards grants of up to $15,000 to groups in five geographic priority areas: The St. Louis River and St. Louis Bay in Lake Superior; the waters of Lake Michigan in the Chicagoland area; Lake Huron's Saginaw Bay; western Lake Erie and eastern Lake Ontario. This year, the coalition awarded grants to three Michigan groups; two Minnesota organizations; two New York groups; and two Ohio organizations.

The 2011 implementation grants will support efforts to: Reduce phosphorus pollution and Control the invasive reed Phragmites in western Lake Erie; Reduce noxious algae and improve water quality in Lake Ontario's Sodus Bay; Restore the lower Salmon Creek watershed in New York; Restore the Rifle River in Michigan and remove a dam in the Shiawassee River that limits upstream fish passage from Lake Huron's Saginaw Bay; Replace invasive Phragmites in Saginaw Bay with native wild rice; and Restore streams that flow into Lake Superior's Duluth Harbor and increase public awareness of restoration projects underway in the St. Louis River.

Access a lengthy release from HOW with details on each of the grants and links to the organizations (click here). Access the HOW website for more information (click here).

Autumn Leaves (Litterfall) Mercury Pathway Equals Precipitation

2011-08-02T16:43:00.001-04:00

Aug 2: Recent U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research indicates that fallen autumn leaves transfer as much, if not more, hazardous mercury from the atmosphere to the environment as does precipitation each year. USGS indicates mercury is an environmental contaminant that accumulates in fish and food webs and poses a health risk to humans and wildlife. Precipitation is a major avenue by which mercury is transferred from the atmosphere into the environment, but new studies by the USGS and partners show that litterfall -- the leaves and needles that drop to the forest floor each year -- delivers at least as much mercury to eastern U.S. ecosystems as precipitation, and precipitation has been increasing in the Great Lakes region.

USGS research hydrologist Martin Risch said, "Before these studies, we didn't know the extent of litterfall as a mercury pathway in different types of forests across the eastern U.S. Our research found that annual amounts of mercury deposited in autumn litterfall from deciduous forests were equal to or exceeded the annual amounts deposited in precipitation." Most of the mercury that eventually ends up in fish and food webs comes from the air, and much of the mercury in the air comes from human sources such as coal-fired power plants, industrial boilers, cement manufacturing, and incinerators. Forest canopies naturally remove mercury from the air and incorporate the mercury into and onto the leaves and needles of trees.

USGS scientists researched mercury levels in litterfall from forests over a three-year period in 15 eastern U.S. states. When they compared the results to those from a separate study of mercury in precipitation within the Great Lakes region, they found similar geographic patterns for mercury in litterfall and mercury in precipitation: Both types of mercury deposition were generally high in the same areas and low in the same areas. Risch said, "The similar geographic patterns indicate that the same mercury emissions sources affecting mercury levels in precipitation in an area also may affect mercury levels in forests and litterfall in that same area."

Furthermore, USGS said the precipitation study found no improvement in the amount of atmospheric mercury deposited by precipitation in the Great Lakes region over a 7-year period, and found that the amount of precipitation in the region had increased during this time. This precipitation study covers a time period that precedes new regulations by U.S. EPA to reduce mercury emissions in the U.S.

Access a release from USGS and links to the two studies' abstracts and full text online for purchase in the journal Environmental Pollution (click here).

ACRCC Steps Up Monitoring With More Positive eDNA Results

2011-08-01T16:41:00.000-04:00

Jul 29: The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC) announced intensive monitoring action will begin in Lake Calumet and surrounding areas today (August 1), after three consecutive rounds of Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling yielded positive results for Asian carp DNA. The ACCRC's 2011 Monitoring and Rapid Response Plan calls for a Level 1 response to three consecutive rounds of positive eDNA results in one area. While Lake Calumet is regularly monitored for the presence of Asian carp, a level 1 response adds commercial fishing crews as well as additional electrofishing boats, larger sweeping nets, called seines, and additional sampling gear to the area during an intensive four day fishing period.

At present, eDNA evidence cannot verify whether live Asian carp are present, whether the DNA may have come from a dead fish, or whether water containing Asian carp DNA may have been transported from other sources, such as bilge water. The monitoring response is designed to intensify resources and use the best available technology to search for live Asian carp in the Lake Calumet area. Eight previous monitoring trips to Lake Calumet since March 2011 have identified 4,500 fish and indicated no Asian carp presence.

John Goss, Director of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) said, "Finding three or more consecutive sets of positive eDNA samples in the same area triggers us to use significant resources to try to find a physical specimen. Through the ACRCC's comprehensive Asian carp control strategy, we remain vigilant both in monitoring to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes, and also in investigating all possible sources of Asian carp DNA to minimize the human transfer element such as people unknowingly using Asian carp as bait or other activities that could transfer them to the Great Lakes."

Biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will be on the water with commercial fishermen and biologists from Southern Illinois University and the Illinois Natural History Survey beginning Monday August 1st through Thursday August 4th. The crews will lay various net types throughout the Lake Calumet area, including half-mile long seine nets to sweep large portions of the area. Electrofishing boats will sample fish in shoreline areas and will be used to drive fish towards the nets. Commercial and private vessel traffic will be able to proceed with minimal interference from the monitoring activity. Three separate eDNA samples sets were taken at Lake Calumet between June 15 and July 19 and revealed 11 positives (all Silver carp DNA) out of 328 samples taken.

Access a release from ACRCC with some eDNA sampling details (click here). Access full eDNA sampling details can be found on the ACOE website (click here). Access background and more information on the ACRCC website (click here).

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Businesses Form WOC To Participate In Marine Spatial Planning

2011-07-29T16:38:00.001-04:00

Jul 29: The World Ocean Council (WOC) convened the first-ever meeting of ocean industries at the National Business Forum on Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), Washington DC, July 13-14, 2011, to foster, facilitate and plan for cross sector business involvement in the U.S. MSP process. Forum participants included representatives from offshore oil and gas, offshore renewable energy, shipping, fisheries, marine recreation, mining, marine technology, marine law, marine environmental services, and other sectors.

On July 19, 2010 the Task Force released a set of final recommendations that set a new direction for improved stewardship of the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes. The recommendations provide: (1) our Nation's first ever national ocean policy; (2) a strengthened governance structure to provide sustained, high-level, and coordinated attention to ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes issues; (3) a targeted implementation strategy that identifies and prioritizes nine categories for action that the United States should pursue; and (4) a framework for effective coastal and marine spatial planning.

The NOAA Ocean Policy Task Force defines coastal and marine spatial planning (CMSP) as "a comprehensive, adaptive, integrated, ecosystem-based, and transparent spatial planning process, based on sound science, for analyzing current and anticipated uses of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes areas. Coastal and marine spatial planning identifies areas most suitable for various types or classes of activities in order to reduce conflicts among uses, reduce environmental impacts, facilitate compatible uses, and preserve critical ecosystem services to meet economic, environmental, security, and social objectives."

According to a release, the recently initiated MSP agenda pursuant to President Obama's National Ocean Policy is moving rapidly, creating a critical opportunity for the ocean business community to actively engage in a coordinated, multi-sectoral manner. In 2010, the Federal government established an interagency National Ocean Council (NOC), and marine spatial plans are to be developed by nine regional planning bodies as early as 2015. The NOC issued a Strategic Action Plan Outline in June 2011 and held a national workshop soon after to prepare government agencies for the task of developing the government's MSP Strategic Action Plan. Unlike the ocean industry community, the environmental community has had a national MSP coalition for several years and is actively involved in the MSP process.

WOC indicates that the ocean business community needs to get equally well organized and integrated into the discussion on MSP. To address this, the WOC brought together leadership companies and associations concerned about access to ocean space and resources in a National Business Forum. The Forum was co-presented by Battelle Memorial Institute with additional sponsorship from the National Ocean Industries Association and Blank Rome.

The Forum was designed for ocean industries to develop a clear understanding of MSP, define and examine the potential business impacts and benefits of MSP, ensure the business community is informed about U.S. MSP processes and plans, and identify the next steps to facilitate and coordinate business involvement in MSP in the U.S. The participants emphasized that MSP must be well-balanced, well-informed and consider socio-economic value and benefits as a key part of the process. Private sector input was clear that MSP needs to have the business community and economic actors involved throughout the process.

The business community voiced concerns that opportunities for ocean industries to formally contribute to MSP have not targeted engaging those industries which contribute significantly to the U.S. economy and need to become a more structural part of the US MSP process. To address the lack of formal engagement, industry participants at the Forum emphasized the value and strength in bringing together diverse ocean industry sectors to engage with MSP decision makers in a coordinated manner, and to establish formal avenues for frequent and ongoing information exchange and involvement.

Access a release from WOC (click here, posted soon). Access a list of corporate members (click here). Access the WOC website for more information (click here). Access the NOAA CSMP website for more details and background information (click here).

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Lake Carriers' Association v. U.S. EPA

2011-07-25T16:40:00.001-04:00

Jul 22: In the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit, Case No. 09-1001, consolidated with 09-1010, 09-1076, 09-1115. On Petitions for Review of a Final Action of U.S. EPA. Trade associations representing commercial ship owners and operators petition for review of a nationwide permit issued by U.S. EPA for the discharge of pollutants incidental to the normal operation of vessels. The petitioners raise a number of procedural challenges, all related to EPA's decision to incorporate into the permit, conditions that states submitted to protect their own water quality. The Appeals Court rules, "Because we find that the petitioners have not shown that the additional procedures they request would have had any effect on the final permit, we deny the petition for review."

The Appeals Court explains the background saying Shortly after the CWA was enacted, EPA promulgated a regulation exempting incidental vessel discharges from the permitting (and therefore the certification) requirements of the Act. Exempted discharges included "sewage from vessels, effluent from properly functioning marine engines, laundry, shower, and galley sink wastes, or any other discharge incidental to the normal operation of a vessel." 40 C.F.R. § 122.3(a). The regulation was in force for more than thirty years. Then, in 2008, the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court decision vacating the regulation, finding that EPA lacked authority to exempt incidental vessel discharges. Northwest Envtl. Advocates v. EPA, 537 F.3d 1006 (9th Cir. 2008) [See WIMS 7/24/08]. After a stay to allow EPA time to implement a means of issuing permits for vessel discharges, the regulation was finally vacated on

February 6, 2009.

In response to the Ninth Circuit's decision, EPA developed a general permit, pursuant to section 402 of the CWA, to cover the incidental vessel discharges previously exempted by the regulation. See Final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for Discharges Incidental to the Normal Operation of a Vessel, 73 Fed. Reg. 79,473 (Dec. 29, 2008) [See WIMS 12/22/08]. The agency estimated that the Vessel General Permit (VGP) would cover discharges from approximately 61,000 domestic-flagged commercial vessels and 8,000 foreign-flagged vessels. Id. at 79,481. And unlike the majority of permits issued under section 402, which cover discharges originating in only a single state, the VGP would cover discharges in waterways throughout the United States.

On December [29], 2008, EPA's final VGP became effective. Final NPDES General Permit, 73 Fed. Reg. at 79,47[3]. Part VI of the permit, which was not included in the draft VGP, is composed of approximately 100 state certification conditions. U.S. EPA, VESSEL GENERAL PERMIT (VGP) (2008), at 62-104 (J.A. 825-67). Vessels covered by the permit are required to adhere to the general provisions of the VGP with respect to all discharges, and are further required to adhere to any Part VI certification condition imposed by a state into the waters of which the vessel is discharging pollutants.

In 2009, Lake Carriers' Association, Canadian Shipowners Association, and American Waterways Operators filed petitions for review of the final VGP. The petitions were consolidated into the single suit now before us. The trade associations raise three challenges. First, they contend that EPA erred in failing to provide notice and an opportunity for comment on the final VGP, which contained the state certification conditions. Second, they charge that it was arbitrary and capricious for EPA to issue the permit without considering the possible ill-effects of the state certification conditions. Finally, they allege that EPA failed to consider the costs of compliance with state conditions in assessing the impact of the permit on small businesses, as required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), 5 U.S.C. § 601 et seq.

The Appeals Court notes in part, ". . .we note that EPA's resolution of this matter does not leave the petitioners without recourse. If they believe that the certification conditions imposed by any particular state pose an inordinate burden on their operations, they may challenge those conditions in that state's courts. . . If they believe that a particular state's law imposes an unconstitutional burden on interstate commerce, they may challenge that law in federal (or state) court. See Am. Trucking Ass'n, 600 F.3d at 628 n.1. And if neither of these avenues proves adequate, they are free to ask Congress to amend the CWA, perhaps by reimposing the exemption for incidental vessel discharges."

The Appeals Court concludes in part, "In sum, given the case law and the arguments that EPA had before it, the agency correctly concluded that it did 'not have the ability to amend or reject conditions in a [state's] CWA 401 certification.' EPA Response to Comments, at 14-11 to 14-12 (J.A. 1062-63) (citing Am. Rivers, Inc. v. FERC, 129 F.3d 99, 107, 110-11 (2d Cir. 1997)). Under those circumstances, providing notice and an opportunity for comment on the state certifications would have served no purpose, and we decline to remand to require EPA to do a futile thing. . . The petitioners' remaining arguments fail for the same reason that their notice-and-comment argument fails. . ."

Access the complete opinion (click here). Access extensive information on the Final Vessel General Permit from U.S. EPA (click here). [#NPDES]

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Great Lakes Regional Body & Compact Council To Meet

2011-07-25T16:38:00.001-04:00

Jul 25: The Council of Great Lakes Governors (CGLG) announced that the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Water Resources Regional Body (Regional Body) will hold a special meeting on August 4, 2011 at 2:00 PM EDT. The conference call meeting will be open to the public and will include an opportunity for public comments. An agenda and materials are available from the links below. Additionally, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Council (Compact Council) will also hold a special meeting on August 4, 2011. The meeting will begin immediately following the adjournment of the Regional Body, expected at approximately 2:20 PM EDT. The Compact Council conference call meeting will also be open to the public and will include an opportunity for public comments.

CGLG notes that less than 30 days notice is given for these special meetings because the sole substantive focus will be to vote on budget resolutions for both organizations for FY 2012 (July 1, 2011-June 30, 2012) that were previously posted to both organizations' websites on May 10, 2011. Pursuant to the By-Laws of the Compact Council, the budget serves as authorization for the Executive Director to make expenditures on behalf of the Compact Council. The CGLG serves as Secretariat to the Regional Body and the Compact Council.

Access a posted announcement of the meetings (click here). Access an agenda and materials for the Regional Body meeting is available (click here). Access an agenda and materials for the Compact Council (click here). Access the CGLG website for additional information (click here). [#Compact]

Asian Carp: 85 eDNA Samples Beyond Electrical Barriers; 7 New

2011-07-22T16:47:00.001-04:00

Jul 21: Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) has posted new environmental DNA (eDNA) test results online for Asian carp in the Chicago Area Waterway System that include seven new positive detections for silver carp beyond all electrical barriers. The positive test results, bringing the total since 2009 to 85, were found on June 23, in Lake Calumet, less than six miles from Lake Michigan. Schuette said, "We often wonder after a tragedy if there had been any warning signs that we missed. We now have 85 warning signs that Asian carp are an impending tragedy for the Great Lakes. Yet the Federal government continues on its five-year study as invasive species continue to move freely in both directions. Losing the Great Lakes is not an option. We don't need any more studies. We need to act. And we need to act now."

In a release, Schuette indicated that despite the past efforts of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and others to downplay the significance of positive eDNA results, the tests have been validated through publication in a prestigious peer-reviewed scientific journal. The eDNA method is the best and most sensitive means of detecting invading Asian carp because even the federal government's leading expert on the subject has admitted the fish are exceptionally difficult to capture with conventional techniques, such as netting and electrofishing.

Schuette said that Michigan's Federal lawsuit, which calls for a permanent ecological barrier between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins in a much shorter period of time than the Corps current time frame, continues on with the support of the Attorneys General of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. He also said he supports the passage of Federal legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, which would force similar action.

Michigan U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D), who introduced a companion bill to Rep. Camp's bill, Stop Asian Carp Act in the Senate issued a statement saying, "This has got to serve as a wake-up call that this is an urgent situation for the Great Lakes. I strongly urge the Army Corps to close the locks now while they continue to determine the best way to permanently separate the Chicago Area Waterway System from the Great Lakes. If we do not see action, the Great Lakes will continue to remain vulnerable to irreversible disaster."

Access a release from AG Schuette (click here). Access the ACOE eDNA surveillance results (click here). Access the ACRCC website for more information (click here). Access the statement from Sen. Stabenow (click here).

Registration Open For SOLEC 2011

2011-07-20T16:49:00.001-04:00

Jul 19: Registration is now open for the SOLEC 2011. SOLEC, the State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference, provides Great Lakes decision-makers and scientists with the opportunity to receive the most comprehensive, up-to-date information on the state of the Great Lakes. The Conference, "Linking Land to the Lakes" will be held October 26 & 27, 2011, at the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie, Pennsylvania and will include thought-provoking presentations and opportunities to network with hundreds of stakeholders. SOLEC focuses on the condition of the Great Lakes based on indicator assessments. The conference is hosted by Environment Canada and the U.S. EPA on behalf of Canada and the United States, in response to reporting requirements of the binational Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

Access complete conference and registration information (click here). Access more information on SOLEC and State of the Great Lakes reporting (click here).

OH Governor Vetoes Bill That Would Violate Compact

2011-07-18T16:46:00.001-04:00

Jul 15: Ohio Republican Governor John Kasich vetoed HB 231, legislation related to Ohio's participation in the Great Lakes Compact, an agreement between the eight Great Lakes states and two Canadian provinces to provide for management of Great Lakes water [See WIMS 7/14/11]. In vetoing the bill Kasich issued a statement saying, "Lake Erie is an incredible resource that demands our vigilant stewardship to maximize its environmental, recreational and commercial potential for Ohioans. The Great Lakes Compact ensures that Great Lakes states and provinces work together to protect the lakes and the water resources in the basin, and Ohio's legislation is intended to further Ohio's compliance with the compact. While most of HB 231 fulfills Ohio's obligations without concern and helps meet the needs of Ohio's industrial, energy and agricultural water users, portions of it must be improved. Namely, Ohio's legislation lacks clear standards for conservation and withdrawals and does not allow for sufficient evaluation and monitoring of withdrawals or usage. I look forward to working with the General Assembly to make the necessary improvements to the legislation."

The bill was supported by the Coalition for Sustainable Water Management including: Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Ohio Manufacturers Association, Ohio Petroleum Council, Ohio Chemistry Technology Council, Ohio Soft Drink Association, Greater Cleveland Partnership, and Ohio Aggregates & Industrial Minerals Association.

A July 15, letter from U.S. Representative Candice Miller (MI-10), co-chair of the House Great Lakes Task Force (GLTF), along with fellow co-chairs of the House GLTF sent a letter to Governor Kasich expressing concern the bill which they said would allow an excessive amount of water to be withdrawn from Ohio's portion of Lake Erie and its tributaries without any oversight. In the letter the House GLTF members wrote that: "Ohio House Bill 231, amongst other things, would allow an excessive amount of water to be withdrawn from Ohio's portion of Lake Erie and its tributaries without any oversight. Under this legislation a water user would not have to seek a permit unless there was a new withdrawal of five million gallons of water a day averaged from Lake Erie, two million gallons a day averaged from a river or groundwater source, and 300,000 gallons of water a day averaged from a high-quality, small stream.

"These threshold numbers surpass the states and provinces surrounding Lake Erie and the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes are a shared resource. Withdraws that occur in Ohio's Lake Erie basin do not only impact Ohio, they also impact Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ontario, and Pennsylvania's waters. Three years ago, Ohio made a commitment to the Great Lakes states and provinces to conserve and sustainably use Lake Erie waters. Ohio House Bill 231 does not live up to this commitment and will jeopardize the Great Lakes and the surrounding states and provinces."

In a letter to Ohio Senate leaders on June 27, one of the authors of the Great Lakes Compact, Sam Speck, Director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources from 1999 to 2006, who chaired the Great Lakes Commission said, "I am concerned that Substitute House Bill 231 will undermine the resource protections that the Commission worked so hard to establish in the Compact. Should the General Assembly pass the bill as currently written Ohio will adopt legislation that violates the Great Lakes Compact. What's more, Ohio will adopt the weakest water supply protections of all of the Great Lakes states. . ."

Access a release from Governor Kasich (click here). Access a release and the letter from the House GLTF (click here). Access a release from the Nature Conservancy and link to the Speck letter (click here). Access a legislative analysis for HB231 (click here). Access further legislative details for HB231 (click here).

House Subcommittees Hearing On Ballast Water Discharge Regs

2011-07-14T16:07:00.001-04:00

Jul 13: The House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Committee, Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, chaired by Representative Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), and the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, chaired by Representative Bob Gibbs (R-OH), held a hearing to explore current ballast water and incidental discharge management, as well as potential ways to implement cost effective and common sense approaches to future regulations.

According to a Republican Committee release, in order to maintain stability during transit, most ocean going vessels fill internal tanks with ballast water during the loading of cargo and then release it during unloading. Ballast water has long been recognized as one of several pathways by which invasive species are transported globally and introduced into coastal waters where they did not live before. The EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) released a report on the effects of ballast water discharges, which found that any ballast water management strategy that is more stringent than the one being imposed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is not currently achievable [See WIMS 7/13/11]. However, some states are pushing for more stringent standards.

The discharge of ballast water and other substances from vessels are currently regulated by the Coast Guard, the U.S. EPA, 26 states, 2 Indian Tribes and a U.S. territory. The release indicates, "The current overlapping and contradictory patchwork of ballast water regulations hampers the flow of commerce, threatens international trade, unduly burdens vessel operations in U.S. waters, undermines job creation and hurts our economy."

Chairman LoBiondo said, "We have to overcome this mindset that mandating a dozen different, unachievable standards, each more stringent than the next, somehow protects our environment. It does not. The time has finally come to enact a clear, effective, and uniform national standard that utilizes available and cost effective technology to reduce the risk of future aquatic invasions. We cannot afford to delay any longer as ballast water continues to threaten our environment and our economy." Chairman Gibbs said, "As we consider ballast water standards, we should not burden our shippers with unobtainable, unrealistic, expensive regulations that have not demonstrated a significant environmental benefit. Instead we need a common sense approach that can be enacted quickly, protects the environment, reduces red tape, grows maritime jobs and opens the flow of maritime commerce."

Thomas Allegretti, President and CEO of the American Waterways Operators testified to the strong economic impacts of ballast water management saying, "We hope that Congress will seize the opportunity to fix this broken system because the economic stakes are very high. Each year, barges and towing vessels -- just one segment of the domestic and international maritime industry that is harmed by the current regulatory patchwork -- safely and efficiently move more than 800 million tons of cargo critical to the U.S. economy such as coal, grain, petroleum products, chemicals, steel, aggregates, and containers. The economic impact of this commerce extends far beyond the maritime industry, to the shippers, producers, and communities that rely on the safe, efficient, and cost-effective transportation of critical commodities, including commodities for export."

Other witnesses testifying at the hearing included: Vice Admiral Brian Salerno, Deputy Commandant for Operations, U.S. Coast Guard; James Hanlon, Director Office of Wastewater Management, U.S. EPA; the Chair EPA Science Advisory Board; the Chair Committee on Numeric Limits for Living Organisms in Ballast Water, National Research Council; and the President Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association. The hearing focused on options to improve current regulations to ensure the free flow of commerce, grow maritime jobs, and protect the environment.

Access a Republican release on the hearing (click here). Access the Republican hearing website for background, testimony, video and statements (click here).

SAB Final Review Of Ballast Water Treatment Systems

2011-07-13T17:01:00.001-04:00

Jul 12: U.S. EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) has issued its finalized advisory report -- Efficacy of Ballast Water Treatment Systems -- responding to a request from the Agency's Office of Water (OW) [See WIMS 5/24/11]. OW requested SAB to provide advice on technologies and systems to minimize the impacts of invasive species in vessel ballast water discharge. Vessel ballast water discharges are a major source of non-indigenous species introductions to marine, estuarine, and freshwater ecosystems of the United States.

Ballast water discharges are regulated by the EPA under authority of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) under authority of the National Invasive Species Act (NISA). At present, Federal requirements for managing ballast water discharges rely primarily on ballast water exchange; however changes to federal ballast water regulations are under consideration. On August 28, 2009, the USCG proposed revising their existing rules to establish numeric concentration-based limits for live organisms in ballast water. The proposed rule would initially require compliance with a "Phase 1 standard" that has the same concentration limits as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) D-2 standard and subsequently require compliance with a more stringent "Phase 2 standard." EPA's existing CWA general permit for vessels will expire on Dec. 19, 2013. In its revisions to the vessel general permit, the EPA is considering numeric standards that limit the number of live organisms in discharged ballast water.

To prepare the report, the SAB Panel reviewed a "Background and Issues Paper" prepared by OW and USCG (June 2010) as well as information on 51 existing or developmental ballast water management systems (BWMS) provided by OW and the public, although detailed data were available for only 15 BWMS.

In addition to responding to four specific charge questions, the SAB Panel indicated, ". . .the Panel's overarching recommendation is that the EPA adopt a risk-based approach to minimize the impacts of invasive species in vessel ballast water discharge rather than relying solely on numeric standards for discharges from shipboard BWMS. The Panel found that insufficient attention has been given to integrated sets of practices and technologies that could be used to systematically advance ballast water management. These practices include managing ballast uptake to reduce the presence of invasive species, reducing invasion risk through operational adjustments and changes in ship design to reduce or eliminate the need for ballast water, development of voyage-based risk and/or hazard assessments, and treatment of ballast water in onshore reception facilities. The Panel recommended that a comprehensive analysis be done to compare biological effectiveness, cost, logistics, operations and safety associated with shipboard BWMS and onshore reception facilities."

Access the complete 154-page review (click here). Access the Ballast Water Advisory panel website for background information and further details (click here).

NWF Assessment Of Progress On Great Lakes Compact

2011-07-13T17:00:00.001-04:00

Jul 12: A report by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) provides an "honest critique" of the states' progress in efforts to implement the Great Lakes Compact. Marc Smith, senior policy manager for NWF's Great Lakes Regional Center said, "This report is a wake-up call to the states to step it up. The future of the Compact remains bright, but our Great Lakes need a renewed commitment by the states and the region to address the bad -- and prevent the ugly." The Compact is an agreement between the Governors of New York, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and the Premiers of Ontario and Quebec which ban new diversions of water from the Great Lakes basin and provide for coordinated conservation, use and data collection efforts.

NWF indicates that the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact (Compact) is at a critical juncture. The Compact, a binding agreement among the Great Lakes states to protect the water resources of the Great Lakes Basin from diversions and excessive withdrawals, became law two and a half years ago. Together with a similar agreement between the states and the Great Lakes Canadian provinces, the Compact set minimum requirements for water use across the Basin. Each state agreed to implement the Compact by meeting a series of deadlines over five years, subject to regional oversight. Today, implementation of the Compact is at the halfway point. Two deadlines have already passed, and the final deadline is December 8, 2013.

Sara Gosman, water resources attorney for the National Wildlife Federation's Regional Center, and author of the report said, "Halfway to the five-year mark, implementation of the Great Lakes Compact is progressing at a snail's pace. While some states have taken their obligations under the Compact seriously, and indeed chosen innovative approaches, many have opted for the lowest common denominator. All have failed to meet one or more of the deadlines. The Compact Council has not stepped up and held the states accountable. The Council is operating on a shoestring budget from a foundation grant and cannot even muster the resources to bring the state representatives together for a formal meeting more than once a year."

The report -- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Implementation of the Great Lakes Compact" reviews the current status of state and regional implementation of the Compact in three critical areas: diversions out of the Basin; water conservation and efficiency; and water withdrawal permitting. For each area, the report gives examples of "the good, the badand the downright ugly."

Among other examples cited as good in the report, NWF says that Michigan's groundbreaking online screening test for withdrawals, which has won three national awards, is a novel means of predicting resource impacts and providing users with a quick determination. However, the report identifies as "bad" that, "Michigan has failed to apply its permitting standard to proposed large withdrawals in a way that is consistent with its obligations under the Compact."

The report points out that highlighting a case of "the ugly," the Ohio General Assembly recently passed legislation which NWF says "sinks to a new low in the annals of Compact implementation. This unbalanced bill is drastically at odds with the Great Lakes Compact and threatens water flows and concentrated pollutants, placing recreation, tourism, and wildlife at risk." Kristy Meyer, agricultural and clean water director with Ohio Environmental Council said, "As the Lake Erie state with the most to lose, Ohio has the distinction of having the weakest permitting program of all Great Lakes states, while clearly violating the Compact. Lake Erie could see increased harmful algal blooms, reduction in critical habitat for sport fish, such as walleye, perch and steelhead; and a loss of recreational opportunities."

New York Representative Brian Higgins (D-NY), a member of the Congressional Great Lakes Task Force, sent a letter today (July 13) urging Ohio Republican Governor John Kasich to veto legislation in his state that would allow businesses to remove 5 million gallons of water a day from Lake Erie. Rep. Higgins, whose district borders Lake Erie, warned that tapping into the Great Lakes would be "devastating environmentally and economically," and questioned the action from an "ethical and legal standpoint" saying the effort may violate the Great Lakes Compact approved by Congress in 2008.

Access a release and link to the complete report, executive summary and related information (click here). Access a release and letter from Rep. Higgins (click here).

Scientists Address Great Lakes & Mississippi River Basins Separation

2011-07-01T16:39:00.001-04:00

Jul 1: A group of Great Lakes and Mississippi River scientists have published a technical paper in the Journal of Great Lakes Research entitled, Dividing the waters: The case for hydrologic separation of the North American Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins. According to an abstract, legislation has been introduced this year in the U.S. Congress, but not yet enacted, that would direct the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete a study of the options that would prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins.

The abstract indicates that, "Hydrologic separation is the only option which closes the aquatic connection between the two basins and does not require continuous operation and maintenance of various technologies that have some risk of failure. The one-time, capital cost to separate the two basins is widely acknowledged to be high, and the outstanding question is whether the costs are justified given the significant risk of future ecological damages and long-term economic losses. Interests opposing separation have mounted a public campaign that the news media have picked up to deny that hydrologic separation should be considered or that a problem even exists."

The abstract continues, "The campaign rests on four assertions: (1) existing electric barriers in the Chicago canals are effective; (2) it is too late -- the carps are already in the Great Lakes or soon will be; (3) Asian carps will not thrive in the Great Lakes due to inadequate food and spawning habitat; and (4) Asian carps are unlikely to cause serious harm. Our review of these assertions and the ecological and socio-economic threats to both basins supports our recommendation that the pending legislation be passed and that it include analysis of hydrologic separation of the two basins." The scientists indicate in the paper that the potential victims of the current campaign to discredit proposals to separate the basins are the 40 million in the region who look to the Great Lakes for everything from drinking water to recreation to economic stability, as well as those living throughout the Mississippi River Basin already damaged by the zebra mussel and other southbound invaders from the Great Lakes.

A number of environmental organizations issued a release on the paper indicating that the "researchers affirm what the environmental community has been urging even before the first November 2009 Asian carp DNA find inside an electric barrier that serves as the last line of defense between the Great Lakes and carp-riddled Mississippi River Basin." They said, "As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stalls on congressionally ordered studies to find a permanent solution -- resorting to fish kills and other short-term tactics to stop the carp's lakeward migration -- environmentalists and a growing chorus of lawmakers continue to push for physically separating the two basins."

Joel Brammeier, President and CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes said, "Extraordinary evidence demands extraordinary solutions, and the evidence is piling up in favor of separation. Declaring independence between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River is the only option." Robert Hirschfeld of Prairie Rivers Network said, "The artificial connection between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River is a revolving door for wave after wave of invasive species to infest the 30 states of the Mississippi River Basin and do untold ecological and economic damage."

The groups issuing the joint release on the scientific paper included: Alliance for the Great Lakes; Freshwater Future; Great Lakes United; Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition; National Wildlife Federation; Natural Resources Defense Council; Prairie Rivers Network; and Sierra Club.

Access a release from the groups (click here). Access the Journal of Great Lakes Research with abstract and information on obtaining the paper (click here). Access an online posting of paper from Michigan State University (click here). Access a fact sheet on the scientists' paper from the organizations (click here).

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Senate Confirms Two New IJC Appointments

2011-07-01T16:37:00.001-04:00

Jun 30: The U.S. Senate has confirmed the Presidential appointments of Dereth Britt Glance, of New York and Richard M. Moy, of Montana to be Commissioners on the part of the United States on the International Joint Commission (IJC) [See WIMS 3/10/11]. The two new appointees will join Lana Pollack who was appointed as Chair of the U.S. Section, International Joint Commission, by the effective on June 26, 2010. The appointees will replace former U.S. Commissioners Irene B. Brooks and Sam Speck.

Ms. Glance is currently the Executive Program Director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment, a non-profit citizens environmental and public health advocacy organization in New York and Connecticut. Rich Moy is a Senior Fellow at the Center of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy at the University of Montana and a land and water consultant.

Access further information on the appointment approvals (click here); and (click here). Access a 3/9/11 release from the White House with further details on the nominees (click here). Access the IJC website for additional information (click here).

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EPA Science Advisory Board Meetings On GLRI Review

2011-06-15T18:02:00.000-04:00

Jun 15: U.S. EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) has announced a public face-to-face, 2-day meeting of the SAB panel to review the interagency Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Action Plan (FY 2010-FY2014) that describes restoration priorities, goals, objectives, measurable ecological targets, and specific actions for the Great Lakes. The meeting will be held on July 12, 2011 from 9 AM to 5:30 PM and on July 13, 2011 from 8 AM to 5 PM (Central Time) at the Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago.

EPA is leading the interagency Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to protect and restore the chemical, biological, and physical integrity of the Great Lakes. The GLRI is designed to target the most significant environmental problems in the region, as documented in extensive scientific studies and by stakeholder review. To guide the efforts of the GLRI, EPA and its Federal partners, through the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force, developed a comprehensive multi-year Action Plan. The GLRI Action Plan identifies outcome-oriented performance goals, objectives, measurable ecological targets, and specific actions for five major focus areas: toxic substances and areas of concern; invasive species; near-shore health and nonpoint source pollution; habitat and wildlife protection and restoration; and accountability, education, monitoring, evaluation, communication, and partnerships. The EPA Great Lakes National Program Manager has requested the SAB to review the GLRI Action Plan to assess the appropriateness of its measures and actions to achieve its stated priorities and goals. On June 1, the SAB issued a determination memo announcing the 16 members SAB Panel for Review of Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan.

Access the Federal Register announcement of the meeting with further details and links to related information (click here). Access the SAB GLRI Panel website for complete information, documents and meetings related to the review (click here).

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IJC 2011 Great Lakes Water Quality Biennial Meeting

2011-06-15T18:01:00.000-04:00

Jun 15: The International Joint Commission (IJC) announced that the 2011 Great Lakes Water Quality Biennial Meeting will be held October 12-14 on the campus of Wayne State University in Detroit. The theme of the meeting is "H2O NOW", emphasizing the pressing need for the public, industry, environmental groups and governments to take action and work together to protect and restore the Great Lakes. Lana Pollack, U.S. Co-Chair of the IJC said, "At the Biennial Meeting in Detroit, the public can learn firsthand about the health of the Great Lakes and how to press for action," H2O NOW is a reflection of the urgent need for action, not just by governments, but by everyone who uses the lakes to swim, fish and drink the water."

For the first time, the IJC Biennial Meeting will be held in conjunction with the annual meetings of the Great Lakes Commission and the Healing Our Waters Coalition (an organization of more than 100 environmental groups), among other organizations. In addition to holding their respective meetings, all of the groups will meet jointly for a half day afternoon session on October 12 that will feature reports on progress toward Great Lakes restoration from top government officials and a public town hall meeting [See WIMS 6/14/11].

The Biennial Meeting is a critical opportunity for citizens throughout the Great Lakes basin community to become involved in the work of the IJC. Over the past two years expert work groups have been tasked by the Commission's Great Lakes advisory boards to undertake research in six key priority areas: the Nearshore Framework; Chemicals of Emerging Concern; Harmful and Nuisance Algae; Aquatic Invasive Species; Benefits and Risks of Fish Consumption; and Beaches and Recreational Water Quality. On October 13th, the public can participate in workshops on each of the priorities and provide comments on the findings and recommendations regarding draft reports that will be published later this summer. The public input will inform the 16th Biennial Report on Great Lakes Water Quality, a responsibility of the IJC under the U.S.-Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, to be published in 2012.

Access a release from IJC (click here). Access the Biennial Meeting website for complete information including a detailed schedule and registration (click here).

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EPA, Et Al Announce Great Lakes Week

2011-06-15T14:31:00.001-04:00

Jun 13: U.S. EPA and other participating organizations will announce on June 15, the details of the first-ever Great Lakes Week scheduled for October 2011 in Detroit. The theme of Great Lakes Week is "Working Together, Taking Action" and will bring representatives of the U.S. and Canadian governments together with a broad coalition of public and private groups to highlight efforts to implement solutions for the lakes' most pressing problems.

Great Lakes Week is designed to advance the Administration's Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), deemed "the largest investment in the Great Lakes in two decades." The special week will also gather the annual meetings and conferences of various organizations in one place from October 11-14, making it one of the most wide-ranging Great Lakes summits in history. EPA and the other organizations will host a conference call to provide details about Great Lakes Week. The call will feature: Cameron Davis, Senior Advisor to the EPA Administrator (Great Lakes); Lana Pollack, U.S. Section Chair, International Joint Commission; Jennifer Hill, Field Director, Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition; and Dr. Carol J. Miller, Chair, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Wayne State University.

Access a release from EPA Region 5 (click here). Access a list of organizational meetings and events and register information (click here). Access the GLRI website for more information (click here).

Sen. Collins Introduces National Mercury Monitoring Act

2011-06-14T16:26:00.001-04:00

Jun 13: U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced legislation to create a comprehensive new program to measure mercury levels across the United States. The bipartisan "Comprehensive National Mercury Monitoring Act" (S.1183) is cosponsored by Senator Tom Carper (D-DE). Senator Collins said, "This legislation would build on existing environmental monitoring efforts to create a comprehensive nationwide mercury monitoring network to provide sound mercury measurements that EPA sorely needs." Through the program, mercury monitoring sites would be established across the nation to measure mercury levels in the air, rain, soil, lakes and streams, wildlife and the fish that people eat. Senator Collins has made reducing the mercury threat to our people and wildlife one of her priorities in the Senate. In 2002, the Senate unanimously passed her legislation to ban the sale of mercury fever thermometers, the source of some 17 tons of mercury in solid waste every year.

Sen. Collins said, "Mercury is one of the most persistent and dangerous pollutants that threatens our health and environment today. This powerful toxin affects the senses, the brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver. It poses significant risks to children and pregnant women, causing an elevated risk of birth defects and problems with motor skills. It is estimated that approximately 410,000 children born in the U.S. each year are exposed to levels of mercury in the womb that are high enough to impair neurological development. While mercury exposure has gone down as mercury emissions in the United States have declined, levels remain unacceptably high."

The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) issued a release praising the legislation. GLC indicated that since 2003, members of the scientific community have been calling for a national network to track mercury in the environment and are strong supporters of Collins' bill. GLC said, "With fish consumption advisories in every state in the nation and scarce monitoring to track how mercury levels in the environment are changing over time, the time has come to advance this common sense legislation. The National Mercury Monitoring Network (MercNet) established by this bill would systematically track mercury in the environment to help safeguard our fisheries, protect public health, and evaluate the impact of policy decisions." In October 2010, the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) adopted a resolution calling for comprehensive, collaborative, long-term mercury monitoring and research programs within and outside of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River basin.

Access a release from Senator Collins (click here). Access legislative details from S.1183 (click here). Access a posted release from the GLC (click here).

Options For Restoring Lake Michigan-Huron Water Levels

2011-06-10T16:32:00.001-04:00

Jun 10: The International Upper Great Lakes Study (IUGLS) released a 187-page peer review report that says "there are positives and negatives to placing structures and other engineering measures in the St. Clair River to restore Lake Michigan-Huron water levels." The exploratory analysis doesn't make any recommendations, and is an informational analysis undertaken at the request of the International Joint Commission (IJC). The IJC asked IUGLS to investigate the impacts of raising the levels of Lake Michigan-Huron for five different restoration scenarios, from a base case of 0 cm to 10 cm (3.9 in), 25 cm (9.8 in), 40 cm (15.7 in), and 50 cm (19.7 in), to account for various channel changes and drops in water levels from navigational and other dredging projects dating back to the mid-1800s.

    Four previously proposed structures and two other engineering options were evaluated, and an assessment was done on the potential impacts to the Lake Huron to Lake Erie corridor and the Upper Great Lakes. The structures and engineering options examined include a series of submerged sills in the Upper St. Clair River, estimated to cost from $71.1 million-$222.5 million for up to 13 sills; and an adjustable, inflatable flap gate across the river's east channel at Stag or Fawn islands, estimated to cost $134 million-$171.1 million. The report indicates that these structures could achieve a maximum increase of 25 cm in water levels. The analysis found that inflatable rubber weirs have only been tested in small and shallower systems. Further, the analysis found that in-stream turbines for restoration are only in the exploratory stages.

    The analysis found that restoration is technically achievable through a combination of engineering solutions, but that there are a mixture of benefits and costs for various sectors. Under economic effects, the report indicates benefits to navigation, but losses to net hydropower generation and shoreline damages for restoration especially greater than 25 cm. A mix of positive and negative environmental impacts also were identified. For the St. Clair and Detroit River system, the analysis found uniformly negative ecological effects, because the system is home to five endangered or threatened aquatic species, including the Lake Sturgeon. Lake Sturgeon spawning and habitat areas are located in the same deep areas where restoration structures would need to be built to raise water levels and still allow ships to continue to pass through the channel. In the Upper Lakes region, the analysis shows positive ecological impacts for Georgian Bay, Ontario, especially for its wetlands. However, negative ecosystem impacts were identified for Lake St. Clair, along with negative wetland impacts for Lake Erie.

    The report indicates that one key factor in estimating the impacts of restoration is Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA), which has the effect of gradually tilting the land surface of the Great Lakes basin over time. Additionally, the report says that major works in the St. Clair River are estimated to take decades due to the need for government approvals, environmental assessments, engineering and design.

    The exploratory analysis will become part of the Study's final Phase 2 report, which will focus on an improved regulation plan for Lake Superior outflows at Sault Ste. Marie, multi-lake regulation and climate change adaptation. In July and August, IUGLS plans to hold a series of public meetings throughout the Great Lakes basin, to provide a presentation on the status of the Phase 2 findings. Also planned are informational opportunities via traditional mail, email and the Internet. The final, peer-reviewed Phase 2 report is expected to be submitted to the IJC in March 2012. After that time, the IJC may choose to hold public meetings on that Phase 2 report.

Access a release from IUGLS (click here). Access links to the complete report and the peer review comments and responses and an earlier draft (click here).

Oceans & Great Lakes Proclamation, Policy, Plans & Meetings

2011-06-03T16:36:00.001-04:00

Jun 2: President Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation on National Oceans Month. Within the proclamation the President said, "Last year, I signed an Executive Order directing my Administration to implement our Nation's first comprehensive National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes [See WIMS 7/20/10]. This policy makes more effective use of Federal resources by addressing the most critical issues facing our oceans. It establishes a new approach to bringing together Federal, State, local, and tribal governments and all of the ocean's users -- from recreational and commercial fishermen, boaters, and industry, to environmental groups, scientists, and the public -- to better plan for, manage, and sustain the myriad human uses that healthy oceans, coasts, and the Great Lakes support. . . I call upon Americans to take action to protect, conserve, and restore our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes."

In conjunction with the Proclamation, the Obama Administration took another step to implement the nation's first comprehensive ocean policy by launching a series of events aimed at gathering public input from the communities and economies that depend on and care for our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes. Feedback and comments gathered through this public engagement will assist the National Ocean Council as it implements a new National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Our coasts, and the Great Lakes.

Under the Executive Order issued by President Obama last July that established the National Ocean Policy, the National Ocean Council is charged with implementing that policy. The National Ocean Council will host a series of public listening sessions across the country starting next week. Listening sessions will be held throughout the month of June in Washington, DC; Barrow, AK; Anchorage, AK; Chicago, IL; Jacksonville, FL; Honolulu, HI; Exeter, NH; Galveston, TX; Ocean Shores, WA; San Francisco Bay Area, CA; West Long Branch, NJ; and Portland, OR.

According to a release, these listening sessions mark the latest milestone in implementing a robust ocean policy that will address the most critical issues facing the oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes and ensure that Federal resources in these domains are used wisely. The National Ocean Council's efforts will bring together State, local, and tribal governments and all of the ocean's users -- including recreational and commercial fishermen, boaters, industry, environmental groups, scientists, and the public -- to better plan for, manage, harmonize, and sustain the uses that healthy oceans, coasts, and the Great Lakes support.

In addition, the National Ocean Council has launched a month-long online public review period for nine draft strategic action plan outlines. These strategic action plans will propose attainable goals and specific, measureable actions the Federal government can take to address key challenges facing our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes. The National Ocean Council will host The National Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP) Workshop in Washington, DC, on June 21-23. The first day of the Workshop will be a dedicated public and stakeholder session.

The nine draft outlines have been released for public comment, including: (1) incorporating ecosystem-based management; (2) implementing coastal and marine spatial planning; (3) informing decisions and improving understanding to respond to changes and challenges facing our resources; (4) improving coordination and support for Federal, state, tribal, local and regional management of our resources; (5) addressing changing conditions in the Arctic; (6) enhancing water quality; (7) implementing a regional ecosystem restoration and protection strategy; (8) strengthening and integrating ocean, coastal and great lakes observations, mapping and infrastructure; and, (9) strengthening the resiliency of coastal communities and their abilities to adapt to climate change impacts. The outlines were drafted with input from a wide range of stakeholders.

Access the Presidential Proclamation (click here). Access a release on the meetings and plan outlines (click here). Access the National Oceans & Great Lakes Policy website for background, copies of the strategic action plan outlines and to provide comments (click here). Access details on the public meetings (click here). Access further information on the Chicago meeting and webinar (click here); and (click here).

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GLOS RFQ On Acoustic Telemetry Observing System

2011-06-03T16:34:00.001-04:00

Jun 3: The Great Lakes Observing System is issuing a Request for Quotes (RFQ) for services to develop an interactive, web-based map search tool for the Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observing System (GLATOS) database of fish tags, acoustic receivers, and related project information. Please see the attached RFQ including contact information for questions. The deadline for quotes is Friday, June 24, 2011.

Access the RFQ posted on the GLOS website (click here).

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Great Lakes Cities To Hold Annual Conference

2011-06-01T16:36:00.001-04:00

Jun 1: Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative will hold their Annual Meeting and Conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario, June 15-17, 2011. Keynote Speakers include: Consul General Kevin Johnson, U.S. Consulate; Minister John Wilkinson, Ontario Ministry of the Environment; Karel Mayrand, Québec Director General of the David Suzuki Foundation; and Chair Lana Pollack, U.S. Chair of the International Joint Commission. Panel Sessions will include: Green CiTTS High Returns on Blue Investments; Spills on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence are we ready?; Exchange with Mayors; Lessons for Cities on Shale Gas and Other Energy Exploration; and Cities In Action.

Access complete conference information (click here). Access the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative website for more information (click here).

Great Lakes Governors Release Latest Newsletter

2011-06-01T16:35:00.001-04:00

Jun 1: The Council of Great Lakes Governors (CGLG) has released its June 2011 edition of THE COMPASS newsletter. Highlights in the issue include: A Message from Council Co-Chair Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels; Regional Body and Compact Council to Hold Meetings on June 9; Naftzger Authors Chapter in New Book; State Trade Directors Strategize Regional Economic Development; Council participates in Taiwan Delegation; Council to Present at 54th IAGLR Conference; and U.S. Ambassador Visits with Great Lakes of North America.

Access the CGLG newsletter (click here). Access the CGLG website for more information (click here).

Latest Asian Carp Monitoring & Rapid Response Plan

2011-05-24T16:21:00.001-04:00

May 23: The Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC) released its 2011 Asian Carp Monitoring and Rapid Response Plan (MRRP), outlining what they said was an aggressive set of actions to track and remove Asian carp in the Upper Illinois River and the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) to prevent this invasive species from establishing in the Great Lakes.

In 2010, Federal and state partners dedicating more than 16,000 hours to surveying and removing Asian carp in more than 200 miles of Illinois waterway. On-the-ground actions ranged from scientific analysis of water samples for Asian carp DNA to intensive use of traditional fishing methods such as electro-fishing and netting. These actions were part of the Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework first released by the Obama Administration in May 2010. The 2011 MRRP summarizes the monitoring results from 2010, continues and intensifies the monitoring and sampling actions and outlines a strategy for rapid response in the event an Asian carp is found above the barrier system in the CAWS.

John Goss, Asian Carp Director for the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) said, "This plan represents an intensive and collaborative response to Asian carp in Illinois waters and is a key part of the Obama Administration's comprehensive and long term strategy to protect our Great Lakes from Asian carp. By unifying Federal and state action, conducting vigilant monitoring, and developing and using cutting edge technologies, we are ensuring the most coordinated and effective response at all levels to safeguard the health of the Great Lakes and Great Lakes communities."

The 2011 MRRP represents an estimated $7 million Federal investment and is designed with the flexibility to respond to new threats. Project plans can be categorized geographically as occurring either upstream or downstream of the electric dispersal barrier and grouped into the following five categories: Monitoring; Barrier Effectiveness Evaluations; Removal Projects; Technology Effectiveness Evaluations and Development Projects; and Alternative Pathway Surveillance.

Access a release with further details (click here). Access the complete 111-page 2011 Monitoring and Rapid Response Plan (click here). Access the ACRCC website for more information (click here). [*GLakes]

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Great Lakes Regional Body & Compact Council To Meet

2011-05-11T16:36:00.001-04:00

May 11: The Council of Great Lakes Governors (CGLG), which serves as Secretariat to the Regional Body and the Compact Council announced that the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Water Resources Regional Body (Regional Body) will meet on June 9, 2011, at 2:00 PM EDT. The conference call meeting will be open to the public and will include an opportunity for public comments. An agenda, materials to be discussed and call-in information for those wishing to participate are available on the website below.

Additionally, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Council (Compact Council) will meet the same day at 2:45 PM EDT. The conference call meeting will be open to the public and will include an opportunity for public comments. An agenda, materials to be discussed and call-in information for those wishing to participate are available on the website below.

Access the announcement from CGLG (click here). Access the agenda and information for the Regional Body (click here). Access the agenda and information for the Compact Council (click here). Access the CGLG website for more information Access (click here).

Proceedings From Asian Carp Marketing Summit

2011-05-11T16:34:00.001-04:00

May 11: An announcement from the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) indicates that even though Asian Carp is considered a nuisance by many in the Great Lakes and Mississippi regions, the fish have been a popular food in China for thousands of years. Because of this fact, experts who took part in IISG Asian Carp Marketing Summit (ACMS) have proposed that the invasive species be exported in high numbers back home to Asian markets. The ACMS was held so various stakeholder groups could discuss opportunities and impediments to commercial marketing of Asian carp as a way to slow the spread of these fish. In addition to exporting, participating experts agreed that another solution could be marketing high-value Asian carp fillets to restaurants and retailers. They also recommended converting Asian carp by-products into pet food or treats to eliminate waste and maximize profit opportunities. Attending the meeting were commercial fishers, processors, natural resource managers, marketers, researchers, conservation organizations, aquaculturists, distributors, and restaurateurs from eight different states.

Access the IISG announcement (click here). Access a report that summarizes the background of the issue and lists the multiple solutions proposed by ACMS attendees (click here).