34 Groups Call For Slow Down On Great Lakes Agreement

Jan 27: As the United States and Canada work toward a new Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, 34 environmental and conservation groups are telling the governments that their timeline does not allow for proper public consultation, and that this could seriously undermine the final Agreement, its implementation, and ultimately the health of the Great Lakes. John Jackson, Director of Clean Production and Toxics with Great Lakes United (GLU) said, “The governments began consulting on thinking about the Agreement in March of 2006. They only finally announced their intent to renegotiate last June, and have proceeded to sit on their hands for the past eight months. Now, they want to jam this process through by the end of the year. I’m sorry, but that’s just not good governance.”

The dissatisfaction was expressed in a letter sent to the governments earlier this week by the groups. It is a response to a presentation by Environment Canada and U.S. EPA in a web conference earlier this month [See WIMS 1/14/10]. At that time, the government agencies revealed their process for the renegotiation. Currently, they are inviting public comment on the issue of governance until February 14 -- exactly one month from the announcement. The governments have given no indication how future public comment periods will operate.

The groups, which include formal government advisors, offer six recommendations to improve the process: (1) Release a draft government position or options paper on governance issues. (2) The release of the draft government position or options paper should set off a 60-day public comment period. (3) Once the governments have negotiated draft language on governance, release it again for a public comment period. (4) For the “issues” consultations, follow a process similar to recommendations 1-3, with the release of a draft position or options paper followed by a 60-day public comment period followed by another opportunity for comment after the governments have completed their first round of negotiations on the topic. (5) Compile a web-posted summary of comments received from public input at each stage of the consultations. (6) Release a final draft of the complete revised Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement for comment prior to completing negotiations and hold public hearings in both countries on this draft.

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement was first signed by Prime Minister Trudeau and President Nixon in 1972, and subsequently revised in 1978 and 1987. The Agreement committed the two countries to protecting the health of the ecosystem, prohibiting the discharge of pollution in toxic amounts, and to virtually eliminating dangerous, persistent toxic substances.

Access a release from the groups and link to access the letter (click here). Access a Binational website on Amending the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement with further details, contacts and background information (click here).

Groups Urge Ontario Water Conservation Strategy

Aug 13: A coalition of water professionals, university think-tanks, environmental and citizen-based groups called on the Ontario government to take immediate and aggressive action on water conservation. The groups released the report of the POLIS Water Sustainability Project entitled, H2Ontario: A Blueprint for a Comprehensive Water Conservation Strategy outlines a strategy for making Ontario world-leaders in cutting wasteful water practices, and urges Ontarians to support development of a world-class action plan. They said the blueprint coincides with the release of a government white paper outlining options for a new water strategy. Peer reviewed by the country’s leading water experts, H2Ontario sets a course for the development of a progressive and pragmatic plan.

Carol Maas, author of the report and Innovation and Technology Director for the POLIS Project said, “We commend the Premier of Ontario for identifying the importance of conserving water. Investing in water efficiency and conservation will protect freshwater ecosystems, foster new innovative industries and save energy all at a fraction of the cost of expanding water infrastructure." Maas also pointed to recent research that identifies water conservation as the next frontier of municipal energy and greenhouse gas emission savings. She indicated that a province-wide increase in water efficiency of 20% over the next 20 years could save enough pumping, treatment and heating energy to power 90% of the homes in the City of Toronto.

As signatories to a key regional agreement, all ten Great Lakes states and provinces have committed to taking action on water conservation, a crucial step to protecting and restoring the Great Lakes. The Blueprint establishes a coherent strategy organized around 10 priority actions and 25 specific recommendations. Priority actions include encouraging the province to: Recognize conservation as the best form of new infrastructure – by requiring water conservation plans and providing infrastructure funds for conservation; Price it right – by encouraging volume based pricing; Support innovation – through pilot programs, education, and incentives for commercialization of new water efficient practices and technologies; and, Promote efficient fixtures – by banning 13 liter toilets and other inefficient fixtures.

The groups noted that the government of Ontario had proposed a white paper, entitled “Stewardship, Leadership, Accountability: Safeguarding and Sustaining Ontario’s Water Resources for Future Generations,” which was posted on the Environmental Registry and is open for public comment until October 4, 2009. The proposal indicates, "Water supports a diverse economy, population and ecosystem in Ontario and the province has a strong history in managing our water in a sustainable way. In the face of current and future stresses to water quantity, such as population growth and climate change, some aspects of water management in Ontario need to be enhanced."

Access a release from the groups listing the supporting organizations (click here). Access links to the H2Ontario report and an executive summary (click here). Access the POLIS project website for more information (click here). Access the Ontario proposal in the Registry (click here).

U.S. & Canada To Update Great Lakes Agreement

Jun 13: At a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Boundary Waters Treaty between Canada and the U.S. in Niagra Falls, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the two countries have agreed to update the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. She said we have "to update it to reflect new knowledge, new technology, and, unfortunately, new threats."

She said, "The Agreement was last amended in 1987 and since then, new invasive species have appeared in our lakes, new worrisome chemicals have emerged from our industrial processes, our knowledge of the ecology of the region and how to protect it has grown considerably. In its current form, the Great Lakes Agreement does not sufficiently address the needs of our shared ecosystem. So I’m pleased to announce that Canada and the United States have agreed to update the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. We look forward to working closely with state, provincial, and local governments throughout Canada, as well as other stakeholders, in the coming months to produce an agreement that reflects our best knowledge and our unshakable commitment to preserving this vital natural resource.

"Now, as we work together on this, we must also strengthen our response to other environmental threats, especially climate change, one of the most urgent problems facing our world which endangers our world’s water sources, the safety of coastal regions, the future of agriculture and health, and the stability of communities everywhere. It is a paramount threat, and it demands effective and bold action, which can only be achieved through partnership. . ."

Great Lakes United applauded the announcement. John Jackson, Director of Clean Production and Toxics at Great Lakes United said, “Citizens and organizations from across the region have been calling on the Canadian and United States governments to truly commit to the binational protection of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. With this announcement I’m more optimistic than ever that our governments will reinvigorate their dedication to shared responsibility and stewardship over these vital waters. Any renegotiation must involve the public, and it must build a framework for addressing the issues that the Great Lakes will face over the coming years and decades. Making the announcement is the easy part. The real work has only just begun.”

Access the full text of Secretary Clinton's comments (click here). Access the press conference Q&A text (click here). Access a release from GLU (click here). Access a report on Great Lakes Governance from the Centre for Engineering and Public Policy at McMaster University (click here).

Canadian Enviros Decry Lack Of Great Lakes Funding

Mar 2: Canadian environmental organizations are applauding the Obama Administration leadership on Great Lakes issues on the U.S. side of the border, while harshly criticizing the Canadian Federal government. They say the last Canadian Federal budget did not even mention the Great Lakes.To the contrary, the point out that the White House announced its proposed budget for 2010 last week, including a 34 percent increase in funding for U.S. EPA and an extra $475 million in Great Lakes restoration [See WIMS 2/26/09]. Derek Stack, Executive Director of Great Lakes United, responding to Prime Minister Harper’s recent publicity blitz of New York City said, “What we need to see from Stephen Harper is a national investment in the Great Lakes, not the Manhattan theatrics that he is passing off as Canada-U.S. relations. This is the same cycle we’ve seen for years -- the U.S. commits hundreds of millions of dollars to the Great Lakes and Ottawa does nothing.”

They said, during the presidential campaign, Obama pledged to create a $5 billion fund to jumpstart the recovery of the Great Lakes [See WIMS 9/16/08]. The budget package signals a commitment to following through on this pledge. It also comes in the wake of Great Lakes Day [See WIMS 2/26/09], an annual event that brings environmental and conservation groups to Washington DC, to press the need for renewal of the region. Aaron Freeman, Policy Director of Environmental Defence said, “This is a serious budget commitment, and one that is in stark contrast to that of our own Federal government, which has earmarked virtually nothing for Great Lakes clean up. It is clear that the Obama administration understands that environment and economy are two sides of the same coin. In Canada, our federal politicians seem mired in a totally outdated ‘environment versus economy’ mentality.”

Access a joint release from the groups (click here).

Groups Seek Signatures For Toxics-Free Great Lakes Pledge

Oct 2: Environmental groups are asking the leaders of the Canadian Federal parties to put their name to a pledge to make toxic pollution in the Great Lakes region a top priority. They said the Pledge for a Toxics-Free Great Lakes establishes the first steps for cleaning up the Great Lakes. The groups include: Canadian Environmental Law Association; Great Lakes United; and Ecojustice.

Specifically, the pledge asks leaders to: (1) Support the vision of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, signed by Canada and the United States, to work toward the elimination of persistent toxic substances in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin. (2) Support the call for zero discharge of persistent toxic chemicals and other toxic substances in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River ecosystem by: Establishing a phase out and elimination strategy for toxic substances; applying a reverse onus that will require chemical users, manufacturers, importers and sellers to demonstrate safety of chemicals before use; assessing and implementing safe alternatives; and applying the precautionary principle. (3) By 2012, complete all actions need for delisting 10 Areas of Concern, and all actions completed for the remaining Areas of Concerns in Canada by 2015. (4) Create a Great Lakes Clean Water Infrastructure fund to upgrade and 'green' municipal wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.

Access a release (click here). Access links to background information, the pledge and find out who signs it (click here).

Council Of Canadians Calls For Compact Correction

Sep 24: Canada's largest citizens’ organization, the Council of Canadians, issued a release, "demanding that the Canadian government intervene to secure an amendment to the Great Lakes Compact which has now received approval of both the U.S. House and Senate [See WIMS 9/23/08]. The organization is calling for an elimination of the loophole that would grant bottled water corporations unlimited access to Great Lakes water in 20 litre [actually 5.7 gallons] containers. Maude Barlow, national chairperson of the Council of Canadians said, “Although we welcome the Compact’s ban on diversions through pipelines and other means, the bottled water exception is a gaping hole that would undermine the agreement’s ability to truly protect the Great Lakes. In remaining silent on this issue, the Harper government has abdicated its responsibility to protect the Great Lakes and the Canadian public interest.”

The Council said while the Compact sets out to prevent diversions from the Great Lakes, the definition of diversions does not apply to water as a “product” and they are concerned about the trade implications of this definition. Meera Karunananthan, national water campaigner for the Council of Canadians said, “Once their access to Great Lakes water is entrenched in the Compact, it will be difficult to regulate corporations taking water out of the Great Lakes in containers because they will be further protected in international trade agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement.”

Access a release from the Council (click here).

Canadian Mayors Call For Great Lakes Commitments

Sep 22: According to a release from the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, mayors representing over 7 million Canadians in Ontario and Quebec issued a letter calling on the five Federal political leaders in the Canadian election to publicly declare their proposals for protecting the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. Thunder Bay Mayor Lynn Peterson, chair of Cities Initiative said, "Canadian municipalities are spending over $4 billion a year on Great Lakes and St. Lawrence protection. Given the national and international importance of this massive fresh water resource, it is time we have a substantial commitment from our federal government."

Canadian members of the Cities Initiative issued the letter a day after presidential candidates in the United States raised the importance of Great Lakes protection in their federal election campaign. Toronto Mayor David Miller said, "We are encouraged that, through the activities of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and other organizations, both U.S. presidential candidates are acknowledging the critical importance of protecting this vital resource. Senator Barack Obama has come forward with his proposal and Senator John McCain has made known his concern for the future of the Great Lakes. It is time our federal party leaders stepped up and made their voices heard."

Access a release from the Cities Initiative (click here). Access the Cities Initiative website (click here).