Comments Wanted On Mercury Emission Reduction Strategy

Nov 12: The Great Lakes Regional Collaboration (GLRC) announced a sixty-day public comment period for a Draft Great Lakes Mercury Emission Reduction Strategy. In fulfillment of a Collaboration Strategy recommendation, in April 2008 representatives from the Great Lakes states and U.S. EPA commenced development of a basin-wide Strategy for the reduction of mercury emissions. A draft Strategy is now available for public comment through January 12, 2010. GLRC invites comments on the Strategy itself and on how best to move forward with implementation, as well as commitments from stakeholders to implement components of the Strategy.

A copy of the initial draft document was first distributed to stakeholders for a 30-day review and comment period to provide input on the structure of the report and the emission sources to be covered in detail in the final document. The draft report reflects recommendations based on feedback received. A summary of those comments is also available.

The following information is available: Draft Great Lakes Mercury Emission Reduction Strategy, November 10, 2009; and related document: Mercury Emission Reduction Strategy Development Process and Team Structure; Mercury Emission Reduction Strategy Management Team Members; Response to Public Comments Received on Draft Outline and Background Sections of Great Lakes Mercury Emissions Reduction.

Access an announcement and links to all documents and commenting instructions (click here).

Comments Wanted On IJC Work Group Reports

Nov 3: The International Joint Commission (IJC) is inviting comments on a series of reports it released in September on its 2007-09 Priorities under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between Canada and the United States. The reports, developed by work groups of the IJC advisory boards, address critical issues of the nearshore, eutrophication, beaches and recreational water quality, chemicals of emerging concern, binational aquatic invasive species (AIS) rapid response, and the benefits and risks of Great Lakes fish consumption.

Commissioners of the IJC are encouraging persons to provide comment on the Work Group Reports during an open public comment period running now through November 30th. The Commission is developing its 15th Biennial Report on Great Lakes Water Quality based on the reports and comments received from the public at its Biennial Meeting in Windsor last month and during this open comment period [See WIMS 10/6/09].

Access the reports and provide your comments online conveniently (click here).
Access links to the key documents for the review of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) between Canada and the United States (click here).

Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force Interim Report

Sep 17: Obama Administration officials released the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force Interim Report for a 30-day public review and comment period. The Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, led by White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chair Nancy Sutley, consists of 24 senior-level officials from Administration agencies, departments, and offices. The report provides proposals for a comprehensive national approach to uphold stewardship responsibilities and ensure accountability for actions for America’s oceans, coasts and the Great Lakes.

Nancy Sutley, CEQ Chair said, “This Interim Report represents a wide spectrum of views and considerations, not just from within the federal government, but from members of the public, local officials, stakeholders and experts from coast to coast. It delivers on President Obama’s request for recommendations that will move this country towards a more robust national policy for our oceans, coasts and the Great Lakes and recognizes that we have a responsibility to protect the oceans and coasts for the benefit of current and future generations.” Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said, “America's oceans are vital to our prosperity, health, security and quality of life. This is a historic day -- for the first time, we as a nation say loudly and clearly that healthy oceans matter.”

The Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force was created by Presidential Memorandum on June 12, 2009, to develop a national policy for the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes. The Memorandum charged the Task Force with developing recommendations that include a national policy for our oceans, coasts and the Great Lakes, a framework for improved Federal policy coordination, and an implementation strategy to meet the objectives of a national ocean policy within 90 days. Within 180 days, the Task Force is charged with developing a recommended framework for effective coastal and marine spatial planning.

The Interim Report outlines a more balanced, productive and sustainable approach to ocean resources. Specifically, it highlights three key areas: A National Policy; A Robust Governance Structure; and Categories for Action. The Interim Report prioritizes nine categories for action, including ecosystem-based management, regional ecosystem protection and restoration, and strengthened and integrated observing systems, that seek to address some of the most pressing challenges facing the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes. These strategies and objectives provide a bridge between the National Policy and action on the ground.

The Task Force is now focusing its efforts on developing a recommended framework for effective coastal and marine spatial planning as charged within 180 days. In addition, the Task Force continues its public engagement activities, including holding at least five more regional public meetings scheduled to take place in the following cities: San Francisco, CA; Providence, RI; Cleveland, OH; New Orleans, LA; and Honolulu, HI. The initial meeting was held in Anchorage, AK on August 21, 2009. Expert briefings will continue while the Interim Report is available for review and public comment. The Task Force will provide a final report with all of its recommendations later this year.

Access a release from NOAA (click here). Access information on the Interim Report (click here). Access the 38-page report (click here). Access an on-line commenting form (click here).

US-Canada Release Nearshore Areas Of The Great Lakes 2009 Report

Sep 18: Environment Canada and the U.S. EPA released the Nearshore Areas of the Great Lakes 2009 report. The report describes the current state of nearshore area environmental conditions and changes in nearshore areas of the Great Lakes since 1996, and suggests management implications related to nearshore issues. Nearshore areas of the Great Lakes are important because this is where land-based activities can impact water quality and where humans generally interact with the Great Lakes.

The report includes information on the issues of botulism, harmful algae blooms, viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS), and shoreline development, among other stressors. Experts in the United States and Canada contributed the chapters for the report, which was prepared for the State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference (SOLEC) 2008.

Access the complete report (click here, Note we experienced problems with this website). Access the State of the Great Lakes 2009 Highlights report (click here). Access EPA's SOLEC website for additional 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-M Article: Great Lakes Amazing Ecological Transformation

Jul 16: The current edition of Michigan Today, an online magazine for University of Michigan (U-M) alumni includes a magazine-length story and slide show about the diporeia project. According to researchers, the Great Lakes are in the midst of a "remarkable ecological transformation, driven largely by the blitzkrieg advance of two closely related species of non-native mussels." Though the zebra mussel is better known to the public, over the past decade it has largely been displaced in Lake Michigan by the quagga mussel, which can thrive far from shore in deep, mud-bottomed waters. David Jude, a research scientist at the U-M's School of Natural Resources and Environment said, "Fundamental, amazing change is happening in the Great Lakes right now, and it's being propagated throughout the food web, from the bottom up."

Recently, Jude and several colleagues cruised Lake Michigan aboard the 80-foot R/V Laurentian, investigating the links between the invasive mussels' spread and the recent sharp decline of a tiny, shrimplike creature called diporeia. The algae-feeder has for millennia been one of the pillars supporting the base of the Great Lakes food web. According to a release, "The study of diporeia's decline is no esoteric academic pursuit. Nearly every fish species in the Great Lakes feeds on diporeia at some point in its life cycle. The diporeia downturn is already impacting Great Lakes commercial fisheries and a sport-fishing enterprise valued at more than $4 billion per year."

Jude, a fishery biologist who has studied the Great Lakes for more than 30 years said, "A decade ago, there were no quagga mussels in Lake Michigan. Now you can find them across the entire lake, and this invasion has happened faster than anyone thought it would. We're really grappling with some of the changes that are going on in the Great Lakes as a result. We're going to lose a big chunk of that sport fishery. That will have a tremendous economic impact and will result in dramatic changes to the fisheries people have relied on in the past."

Access a release and link to the article, a video and pictures (click here).

NWF Report On Great Lakes Wetlands

Jul 8: A new report by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) illustrates how gaps in state and Federal policy threaten Great Lakes wetlands. Marc Smith, state policy manager for NWF's Great Lakes Regional Center said, “Great Lakes wetlands remain threatened. States play a vital role in protecting our wetlands, water quality and economy -- and this report illustrates that they can be doing more. Successful restoration of our Great Lakes depends on the protection and restoration of the region’s wetlands.”

The report examines state wetland policies in Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Minnesota. It assesses how well each state is protecting wetlands, identifies the barriers to better protection, and offers recommendations for improvement. According to the report, state efforts to protect and restore wetlands are hampered by incomplete wetland inventories, inadequate staffing, insufficient public engagement, and a lack of priorities to protect and restore wetlands.

Gaps in state law also undermine protection efforts. Exemptions which allow for the destruction of wetlands are generally not tracked by state agencies. Further, the quality of wetland mitigation projects is not often tracked, allowing for the destruction of high quality wetlands that are replaced with wetlands of less value to people and wildlife. The report notes that one acre of wetlands provides $10,573 of ecosystem services, according to recent estimates. Great Lakes wetlands are threatened by development. The region has lost more than 50 percent of its historic wetlands. Some coastal areas have lost more than 95 percent of wetlands.

Access a release with comments from the states (click here). Access links to the complete 114-page report and a summary (click here).

State Of The Great Lakes 2009 Highlights Report

Jun 19: U.S. EPA and Environment Canada have released, The State of the Great Lakes 2009 Highlights, report. The Highlights report is based on environmental indicator reports and information on the nearshore that was prepared for the State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference (SOLEC) in Niagara Falls, Ontario, October 22 23, 2008. Many experts on various components of the Great Lakes basin ecosystem contributed to the process. Data sources and contact information for each indicator are included in the technical report, State of the Great Lakes 2009. For the nearshore components, similar information can be found in the report Nearshore Areas of the Great Lakes 2009.

This assessment is in accordance with the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Indicator reports are supported by scientific information and, to the extent feasible, assessed by Great Lakes experts from Canada and the United States, along with a review of scientific papers and use of best professional judgment. Indicators are organized into nine categories: Coastal Zones and Aquatic Habitats (combined in this report), Invasive Species, Contamination, Human Health, Biotic Communities, Resource Utilization, Land Use-Land Cover, and Climate Change.

Overall assessments and management challenges were prepared for each category to the extent that indicator information was available. The State of the Great Lakes 2009 Highlights report is derived from a more detailed State of the Great Lakes 2009 report.

Access the Highlights report (click here). Access additional SOLEC information, previous reports and other publications (click here). Access EPA's SOLEC website for additional information (click here).

ATSDR Report On Chemical Releases In The Great Lakes Region

Jan 27: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), announced the official availability of the report, ATSDR Studies on Chemical Releases in the Great Lakes Region [74 FR 4751]. The report responds to a request from the International Joint Commission (IJC), the binational organization that works to implement the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) between the U.S. and Canada. The GLWQA calls for the two nations to define "the threat to human health from critical pollutants" found in the Great Lakes basin.

The report summarizes previously-published public health assessment products and chemical release information for the 26 U.S. Areas of Concern (AOCs) and 54 counties that are in close geographic proximity to those AOCs. ATSDR says, "It is a descriptive report that does not make associations between health outcomes and chemical exposures." The compilation of environmental data, gathered by ATSDR and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is intended to help decision-makers set future priorities.

The originally controversial report, which had been suppressed for nearly a year was revealed on February 7, 2008, by the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) which announced that a massive 400-page study, originally entitled, Public Health Implications of Hazardous Substances in the Twenty-Six U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern [AOCs], and completed in July 2007, was being withheld [See WIMS 2/8/08]. The suppression of the study was the subject of an inquiry and investigation from Representatives John Dingell (D-MI), then Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Bart Stupak (D-MI), the Chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee [See WIMS 3/14/08].

Access the FR announcement (click here). Access links to the final report and extensive background information (click here).

EPA Assessment Of U.S. Coastal & Great Lakes Waters

Dec 16: According to a release from U.S. EPA, the overall condition of the nation’s coastal waters has improved slightly, based on an environmental assessment based on data that is several years old. The National Coastal Condition Report III (NCCRIII) is the third in a series of environmental assessments of U.S. coastal and Great Lakes waters. The report is a collaboration of the EPA; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS); coastal states; and the National Estuary Program. The report is based on data collected primarily in 2001 and 2002. The next National Coastal Condition Report is expected to be released in 2011 and will provide an assessment of the status of U.S. coastal waters from 2003 to 2006, along with trends in condition since the 1990s.

The report provides an assessment of America’s coastal conditions using five indicators of condition: water quality, sediment quality, benthic community condition (the health of the water’s bottom-dwelling invertebrate species), coastal habitat loss as indicated by changes in wetland area, and fish tissue contaminants. The overall condition of America’s coasts is rated as “fair,” based on the five indicators. Comparison of the condition scores shows that overall condition in U.S. coastal waters has improved slightly since the 1990s. Coastal conditions improved in the Northeast and the West, but there were slight decreases in conditions in the Southeast and Gulf of Mexico. The conditions in the Great Lakes and Puerto Rico remained the same.

The report rates the overall condition of the Great Lakes coastal areas as "fair to poor." The overall condition score is 2.2. The water quality and fish tissue contaminants indices for the Great Lakes are rated fair, the sediment quality index is rated poor, and the coastal habitat and benthic indices are rated fair to poor. The overall condition and index ratings were derived from indicator findings and the ecological condition of the St. Lawrence River, each of the five Great Lakes, and the St. Clair River-Lake St. Clair-Detroit River Ecosystem presented in the document State of the Great Lakes 2003 (Environment Canada and U.S. EPA, 2003). The next National Coastal Condition Report (NCCR IV) will present and discuss data presented in the report State of the Great Lakes 2005 (Environment Canada and U.S. EPA, 2005) to generate updated condition estimates.

Access the links to the complete 329-page report or individual sections and executive summaries (click here). Access the National Coastal Condition Reports website for background and additional information (click here). Access the 14-page Great Lakes section on the report (click here).

Report Looks At "Ecological Separation" Of Great Lakes & Mississippi

Nov 12: The Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC) and the Great Lakes Fishery Trust (GLFT) announced the release of a three-year study by the Alliance for the Great Lakes (Alliance) that takes a first look at stopping the transfer of invasive species between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River systems. While an electrical dispersal barrier currently provides some control on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship canal, long term solutions are needed to further reduce the risk of invasions.

The report -- Preliminary Feasibility of Ecological Separation of the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes -- co-funded by the Fishery Trust and the Fishery Commission, is the first systematic look at commercial and recreational traffic on the waterway and at potential, long term solutions to prevent biological transfers. The study was funded pursuant to a recommendation from an Invasive Species Summit meeting convened in 2003 by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley that called for a project to examine long-term solutions to reduce the risk of invasive species in the waterway.

According to a release from GLFC and GLFT, the Chicago Waterway System, a series of canals built in the 1800s that famously “reversed the flow” of the Chicago River to improve sanitation, artificially connects the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins. The waterway serves as a transportation corridor and provides access for recreational boaters. The connection, however, also is a conduit for invasive species, with zebra mussels and round gobies moving from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi basin and with Asian carp currently threatening to enter the Great Lakes from the Mississippi. With increasing global trade, the threat of invasive species is only expected to grow.

Rebecca Humphries, Chair of GLFT and Director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) said, “Invasive species continue to pose one of the biggest threats to the future of the Great Lakes and the Chicago waterway is a direct link for species to enter Lake Michigan. This study helps establish a course to address this important link." GLFC Chair Michael Hansen, a professor at the University of Wisconsin -- Stevens Point said, “With the benefit of hindsight the Great Lakes and Mississippi systems should never have been connected in so direct a way. Our task now is to find permanent and effective solutions to the threat that this waterway poses. The commission calls upon the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to consider the Alliance’s recommendations and launch a full-scale study, with the ultimate goal of achieving long term separation between the two basins.”

According to a release from the Alliance leading Great Lakes advocates are calling for Federal leadership and funding for “ecological separation” of the Great Lakes from the Mississippi River basin to protect both great watersheds from the perils of invasive species. Alliance VP for Policy Joel Brammeier, lead author of the report said, “The Great Lakes and the Mississippi River are at risk because of a connection that’s nothing natural. Fifteen miles of water and an experimental electric barrier are all that’s standing between the Great Lakes and Asian carp. We’ve got to get serious about a real solution.”

Herb Gray, Canadian Section chair of the International Joint Commission (IJC) said, "We must find a way to stop Asian Carp and other species before they use the Chicago Sanitary Canal to invade the entire Great Lakes system that is shared by Canada and the United States." A release from IJC indicates, "The IJC strongly supports the maintenance of the electric fish dispersal barrier and construction of a second electrical barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, but recognizes the limitations of these measures. While not endorsing any specific long-term strategy, the IJC is impressed with the creative effort to engage as many stakeholders as possible and to carefully examine a range of actions to stop the movement of invasive species between the two watersheds while taking the economic and social dimensions into account."

Access a release from GLFC and GLFT (click here). Access a release from the Alliance with links to related information (click here). Access a release from IJC (click here). Access an Executive Summary of the report (click here). Access the complete 112-page report (click here).

IOM Says CDC Great Lakes Reports Have Shortcomings

Sep 5: According to a release and a review by the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine (IOM), two drafts of a yet-to-be-finalized report [See WIMS 3/14/08] looking at health and pollution data from the Great Lakes region have problems that diminish the documents' scientific quality. These shortcomings limit the usefulness of the drafts -- prepared by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- in determining whether health risks might be associated with living near the lakes.

Questions about the scientific quality of the drafts and concern following the unauthorized publication of one of the interim drafts on a public website [See WIMS 2/8/08] led CDC to ask the IOM for an independent review of the documents. The drafts originated with an international commission's request for CDC's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to evaluate the public health implications of hazardous materials present in certain areas within U.S. states in the Great Lakes basin. The IOM committee focused on a 2007 draft and a 2008 version that was prepared after directors within ATSDR expressed apprehension about the 2007 draft's methodology and conclusions and postponed its public release. No final report has been released.

"We found problems in how each draft was developed, which data were used, and what conclusions the authors drew," said Robert Wallace, Irene Ensminger Stecher Professor of Epidemiology and Internal Medicine, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, and chair of the committee that wrote the report. "Our task was to focus solely on the scientific quality of the drafts and not to assess whether pollution around the Great Lakes poses health concerns," he added. "The problems we found in the drafts would limit the ability of officials and others to draw conclusions from them about whether any health risks are associated with living in or near certain places around the Great Lakes."

Most of the concerns about the 2007 draft raised by CDC's peer reviewers and ATSDR directors -- particularly how data were selected and used -- are valid, the committee concluded. Pollution and health data were lumped together despite differences in where and when the information was collected and despite lack of supporting evidence or explanation of how particular contaminants could lead to any of the identified health problems. The release indicates that, "This juxtaposition of data without explanation or support could lead readers to assume links between contamination and health problems regardless of whether they actually exist. Furthermore, some data that might have provided useful evidence apparently were not considered, and the drafts contained little explanation for why the data used were chosen."

The Committee concluded, "The 2008 draft provides only a summary of selected data on chemical releases and contamination and does not add substantially to the understanding of pollution around the Great Lakes. Though the authors' decision to leave out the health data in the 2008 draft is understandable given its incompatibilities with the available contamination data, it significantly changed the nature of the resulting draft and scope of response to the original request to CDC." The committee also noted problems with using the selected contaminant data as indicators of actual exposures. Moreover, the draft lacks information on other potential sources of contaminants or ways that people could be exposed.

Access a release from the IOM and link to the complete 50-page report (click here). Access the ATSDR website for the Great Lakes report which contains extensive links to background information, the Statement of Concern, the 2004 & 2007 & 2008 drafts, and more (click here).

Report On Water Conservation & The Compact

Aug 5: Environment Michigan (EM) issued a new report on water efficiency to boost its case for the Great Lakes Compact that is moving in Congress. The report -- Using Water Wisely -- calculates that six Southwestern states could save as much as 1.86 trillion gallons of water per year by dramatically improving efficiency of water use. The Soutwestern states include: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah. EM says the Compact would both bar Great Lakes water from being transferred to places like the Southwest and require states in the Great Lakes region to practice water efficiency and conservation themselves.

John Rumpler, Environment Michigan’s Great Lakes program director said, “This finding of huge efficiency potential supports the Great Lakes Compact in two ways. First, it decisively shows that, with a little discipline and ingenuity, the Southwest can meet its own water needs, without siphoning from our Lakes. And second, it shows that here at home, there’s tremendous potential for us to conserve water -- thereby protecting the Lakes’ ecology while allowing for further economic growth.”

The report documents potential water savings in key sectors of the economy -- including agriculture, residential, commercial, and power generation. For example, the fast-growing city of Denver, CO is expected to save 1.5 million gallons of water per year with a program that pays businesses to switch to water-saving technologies. In other instances, mandatory standards could reduce water waste even more dramatically. The report says that by using existing water efficiency technologies and adopting effective programs to conserve water regionwide, six states in the Southwest could save as much as 5.7 million acre-feet of water per year.

Access a release from Environment Michigan (click here). Access a summary and link to the complete 29-page report (click here).

NRC Recommends Adoption Of IMO Standards To Control Invasive

Jul 16: A new report -- TRB Special Report 291: Great Lakes Shipping, Trade, and Aquatic Invasive Species -- from the National Academies' National Research Council (NRC) says that the United States should follow Canada's lead and adopt standards identical to those proposed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to prevent invasive species from entering the Great Lakes. Both nations should ensure that only vessels adhering to these standards gain access to the lakes, and binational surveillance measures should be in place to monitor the presence of aquatic invasive species. These actions should be part of a suite of preventive measures designed to evolve over time in response to practical experience and technological advances. The committee that wrote the report also stated that many of its recommendations could be enacted within the next two to three years. Delaying beyond this time frame would leave the Great Lakes, which are already home to over 180 aquatic invasive species, in danger of future invasions.

Since the opening of the seaway, ballast water has been the source of 55 percent to 70 percent of the aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes, including the zebra mussel, one of the most successful invaders to date. In addition, invasive species can enter the lakes via recreational boating, bait fishing, disposal from home aquariums, and many other avenues. Because there are so many ways that an invasive species can enter the lakes, even closing the St. Lawrence Seaway altogether would not stop future invasions, and closure of the seaway would not enhance regional trade. Therefore, the NRC report says, "the best option is to require ballast water management by all international ships entering the seaway as well as ships coming from the coasts of the U.S. or Canada."

Because the Great Lakes are a freshwater ecosystem, one method ships use to kill potential invaders is to either fill or flush out their ballast tanks with saltwater, which kills freshwater species. Another option is to use water treatment, such as filtering the ballast water or adding chemicals to it. Although the effectiveness of these water treatment systems is believed to be greater than that of saltwater, most of these technologies are currently either unproven or technically challenging onboard ship, said the committee.

A number of ballast water management regulations are already in place within the Great Lakes region. However, Canada and the United States have different requirements, and the United States allows states to set their own standards. Michigan has adopted specific requirements for ships accessing its ports, and other states are considering following suit. These inconsistencies can create confusion within the shipping industry and make monitoring compliance difficult. According to the committee, the entire Great Lakes region should have a uniform set of standards for combating invasive species. The United States should also adopt ballast water management standards identical to those proposed by the IMO, which require specific saltwater exchange or flushing protocols and monitoring for organisms after treatment. Canada adopted regulations identical to the IMO rules in 2006, but the United States is still considering legislation options.

Although there have been calls for the United States to follow standards even stricter than the IMO's, the committee noted that cost-effective, accurate tools do not yet exist to monitor effectiveness or compliance with standards beyond those of the IMO. The uncertain and inconsistent nature of the Great Lakes current regulatory environment might even hinder technological development of water treatment and monitoring compliance, said the committee. Adopting uniform requirements would remove that uncertainty, and innovative technology may develop more quickly if a clear market exists. Uniform ballast water standards in the Great Lakes could be the first step in converting a system currently fragmented between two nations and multiple agencies into a comprehensive, cooperative, and coherent binational system of governance.

Access a release from the Academies (click here). Access links to a number of Commissioned Papers on ballast water management issues (click here). Access a 4-page summary of the report (click here). Access the complete 148-page report (click here).

Latest U.S.-Canada Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy Report

Jul 17: Environment Canada and U.S. EPA announced the release of the 2007 edition of the U.S.-Canada Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy (GLBTS) Progress Report. Over the past ten years, the governments of Canada and the U.S., along with stakeholders from industry, academia, state/provincial and local governments, Tribes, First Nations, and environmental and community groups have worked together toward the achievement of the Strategy’s challenge goals. Of the Strategy’s 17 challenge goals that were established in 1997, 13 have been achieved and significant progress has been made toward the remaining four challenge goals.

According to an announcement, compared to 1988 levels, Canada achieved over 98 percent reduction in sources, uses and releases for alkyl-lead; eliminated the use, generation or release of octachlorostyrene and five Level 1 pesticides; met its 90 percent reduction goal for mercury and dioxins and furans; and reduced emissions of hexachlorobenzene and benzo(a)pyrene by 73 percent and 52 percent, respectively. Furthermore, Canada destroyed 90 per cent of high-level PCBs in storage, compared to 1993 levels; and achieved a reduction of nearly 70 percent of high-level PCBs in service since 1989.

Similarly, the U.S. eliminated the use of alkyl-lead in automotive gasoline; eliminated the use, generation or release of octachlorostyrene and five Level 1 pesticides; achieved its 50 percent reduction goal for mercury and 75 percent goal for dioxins and furans, and reduced its benzo(a)pyrene emissions by 77 percent, in addition to significantly reducing its hexachlorobenzene releases and PCB equipment in service.

Looking ahead beyond the reduction of legacy contaminants, Canada and the U.S. have also created two new Groups under the Strategy to focus on substances of emerging concerns and sectors of importance in the Great Lakes Basin. These new efforts will enable the identification of management options for addressing the current and future releases of persistent toxic substances into the Great Lakes Basin.

Access the complete 120-page 2007 Report (click here). Access a detailed 22-page overview of the GLBTS (click here). Access links to previous reports and related information (click here). Access additional information about the GLBTS, the innovative public-private binational partnership aimed at reducing toxic chemicals in the Great Lakes (click here).

Climate Change In The Great Lakes

Jun 3: Michigan State University (MSU) has held two recent conferences on “Climate Change in the Great Lakes: Decision Making Under Uncertainty,” with diverse attendees including researchers, decision makers, educators, activists, businesspeople, and citizens. During the conferences, participants identified key messages for decision makers: areas where there is consensus or at least very broad agreement. The key messages relate to (a) effects of climate change in the region; (b) ways of making climate-related decisions given uncertainty; (c) research needs; and (d) prescriptions for action.

Access a MSU report summarizing the conferences (click here). is available at: Access more information including conference presentations (click here).

USGS Great Lakes Consumptive Water Use Report

May 23: The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has released a major 191-page report entitled, Consumptive Water-Use Coefficients for the Great Lakes Basin and Climatically Similar Areas. The report addresses issues of how much of the water is removed from the Great Lakes for use in everyday products such as food, ethanol, household chemicals or paper products; what is not returned; and what type of uses are most likely to cause losses. The new report will be used by water-resource managers and planners in the Great Lakes as they develop policies to encourage efficient and sustainable water use.

Kimberly Shaffer, hydrologist with the USGS and author of the report said, "We found that irrigation and livestock had the largest losses compared with total water withdrawn from the Great Lakes basin. Of the total water withdrawn for irrigation, 70-100 percent was lost to the basin." The authors examined seven consumptive water-use categories: domestic and public supply, industrial, electric power, irrigation, livestock, commercial, and mining. Consumptive water use is water that is evaporated, transpired, incorporated into products or crops, consumed by humans or livestock, or otherwise removed from the immediate environment. It is usually reported as a percentage of the amount of water withdrawn.

USGS said the study is relevant to the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement, between eight states and two Canadian provinces that would prohibit major diversions of water beyond counties bordering the basin. For this report USGS compiled, mapped, graphed, and statistically analyzed consumptive water use numbers from more than 100 sources as a starting point for facility managers, water managers, and scientists in determining the amount of water consumed in seven water-use categories. For comparison purposes, consumptive use information for basins and states that have climates similar to the Great Lakes basin are included in the report. Methods for computing and estimating consumptive use are also presented, as is an extensive bibliography.

Access a release and links to a fact sheet, the complete report and related information (click here).

Using Computer Models In Great Lakes Decision-Making

May 2: A new publication by researchers at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) and the University of Michigan -- The Use of Models in Great Lakes Decision Making, An Interdisciplinary Synthesis -- examines how computer simulation models were used in four case studies in the Great Lakes. The four cases were chosen because they represent the increasing demands being placed on both environmental managers and computer modelers. They covered high interest topics as diverse as fish stocking and lake levels. Dr. Jack Manno of ESF said, “Computer models have been used for a long time, but no one asked how to do the modeling to best promote good decision making. The issue is whether the models really answer the right questions.”

Manno said the researchers looked at how models were used and which ones worked well in addressing the issue at hand and communicating the model's meaning to stakeholders. He said the publication suggests a process that can be used when facing a policy issue that has environmental aspects. The research project, “The Development and Use of Predictive Models in Great Lakes Decision-Making: An Interdisciplinary Synthesis,” was funded with a one-year, $65,330 grant from New York Sea Grant.

Access an announcement of the report (click here). Access a copy of the 96-page publication (click here).

Controversial AOC Health Report Released For Comments

Apr 30: Dr. Henry Falk, Director, Coordinating Center for Environmental Health and Injury Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), announced that the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) had issued a revised report for public comment on what is known about environmental contaminants and human health in 26 Great Lakes “Areas of Concern” (AOCs). The controversial report which had been suppressed for nearly a year responds to a request from the International Joint Commission (IJC) to define the threat to human health from critical pollutants found in the Great Lakes basin. The report analyzes many sources of data on environmental exposures and on human health in the Great Lakes basin. The report is open for public comment for 60 days.

On February 7, the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) announced that a massive 400-page study, originally entitled, Public Health Implications of Hazardous Substances in the Twenty-Six U.S. Great Lakes Areas of Concern [AOCs], completed in July 2007, was being withheld [See WIMS 2/8/08]. Subsequently, an inquiry and investigation from Representatives John Dingell (D-MI), the Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Bart Stupak (D-MI) caused the study to be publicly released [See WIMS 3/14/08]. The latest 2008 draft report released for comment is now entitled, Selected Information on Chemical Releases Within Great Lakes Counties Containing Areas of Concern (AOC).

According to a CDC announcement, the key conclusions of the revised report include: 1) available environmental health data provide a useful but only a partial picture of the burden of chemical exposures people in the region face; 2) current health and environmental data collection cannot define the threat to human health from critical pollutants in the Great Lakes region; and 3) need for additional data collection and analysis to permit scientists, decision makers, and members of the public to define the threat to human health from pollutants in the Great Lakes basin. CDC indicates that comments should be submitted by email to: greatlakes@cdc.gov.

Access the CDC announcement (click here). Access the ATSDR website for the Great Lakes report which contains extensive links to background information, the Statement of Concern, the 2004 & 2007 & 2008 drafts, and more (click here). Access the 2008 draft report (click here).

Ending Ocean-Vessel Access Could Increase Jobs & More

Apr 9: In follow up research into transportation costs of ocean-vessel shipping on the Great Lakes [See WIMS 11/7/05], Grand Valley State University (GVSU) researchers have found that ending ocean-vessel access to the lakes would increase transportation sector jobs and have little impact to air quality or highway congestion. John Taylor, lead author from GVSU said, “Our ongoing work has been focused on presenting transportation scenarios that would both facilitate trade and address current problems on the Great Lakes. Such scenarios for moving freight have previously been ignored. Our recent report examines and refutes assertions that transhipment would destroy jobs, increase air pollution, and clog roads and rail lines. We hope this research provides an objective basis for public discourse and additional investigations. While we are not suggesting ocean ships be stopped to create domestic jobs, assertions that an end to ocean shipping on the Great Lakes would cost jobs are just plain wrong.”

The Phase II report addresses many of the questions raised by their first report, which found that a cessation of ocean-shipping on the Great Lakes would incur a $55 million cost increase by the use of alternative modes of transportation. The report marked a turning point in the public debate on what action to take to combat the introduction of aquatic invasive species to the Great Lakes by suggesting the use of alternative transportation modes as a solution. Ocean-vessel transportation is the main vector by which aquatic invaders like the zebra mussel have entered the Great Lakes in recent years. The researchers estimate of the costs of existing invasives range from $200 million to as high as $5 billion per year.

James Roach, president of the transportation consulting firm JLRoach Inc. said, “Critics argued that stopping ocean-vessels would cost jobs and drastically increase the number of trucks on the region’s highways -- we wanted to see if that was indeed the case. In fact our research found that over 1,300 new domestic jobs would be created in the U.S. and Canada, and the impact on our highways negligible.” The research finds many of these jobs would stay in the Great Lakes region, employing workers on lake vessels, barges, trains and trucks. Some jobs would re-locate to Canadian ports on the St. Lawrence River, and some to the east coast and Gulf of Mexico.

According to the study, truck traffic would increase by less than 1 per cent, and would only approach that on Highway 401 west of Montreal, where there would be an additional 89 trucks per day. The number of trucks would be far less on other routes. Shipping interests have stated that transhipment and the use of truck and rail to move the cargo currently transported on ocean-vessels would have a significant impact on air quality. Air emissions were compared across all three modes. But according to the study, for tonnage that does not move by alternative waterborne modes, the likely rail alternative is comparable to waterborne transportation on three pollutant categories, and the rail mode is actually significantly better than ocean on two pollutants.

As a result of the study, conservation and organized labor organizations issued a release saying they are reaffirming that, in the absence of stringent ballast water regulations, the cessation of ocean-vessel shipping on the Great Lakes can protect the Great Lakes ecosystem. Jennifer Nalbone, Campaign Director for Great Lakes United said, “Until the problem of aquatic hitchhikers is solved, ocean vessels do not belong on the world’s largest fresh water ecosystem. We will continue to work diligently in support of federal regulations, but research continues to emerge that shows the use of transportation alternatives and a cessation of ocean-shipping on the Great Lakes is a viable option.” The various interest groups issuing the release included: Great Lakes United; Canadian Auto Workers Local 1520; and the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition.

Access an announcement of the recent study (click here). Access links to both reports and related information (click here). Access a release from the interest groups (click here).