Great Lakes Article:

U.S. and Canada Release Plain Language Version of Great Lakes Report
US Newswire
Published May 26, 2005

To: National Desk

Contact: Tony Kizlauskas of the Environmental Protection Agency, 312-353-8773

CHICAGO, May 26 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Our Great Lakes, a report released recently by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Environment Canada, takes a fresh, more user-friendly look at issues of major concern to Great Lakes area residents.

The 25-page booklet addresses the state of the Great Lakes, what is being done to restore and protect them and practical ways in which everyone can help keep the lakes cleaner and healthier. It is a simplified version of the scientific 2003 State of the Great Lakes report that summarized information presented at the 2002 State of the Lakes Ecosystem conference. Our Great Lakes will debut at the International Association of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Mayors' Conference this week in Quebec City, Canada.

"Some 33 million people live in the Great Lakes basin, the largest system of fresh, surface water on earth," said Gary Gulezian, Great Lakes National Program Office director. "Our quality of life today and the legacy we pass on to future generations demand that we all do our part to improve the well- being of this valuable resource."

Our Great Lakes focuses on six key questions: Can we drink the water? Can we swim at the beach? Can we eat the fish? How are the fish doing? How is the wildlife doing? How are non-native species affecting the Great Lakes?

This report is available online at http://www.binational.net or order a print version by contacting Lawrence Brail at 312-353- 8547 or brail.lawrence@epa.gov.

Further information about the Great Lakes is available at http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes and the State of the Great Lakes report and the State of the Lakes Ecosystem conference is available at http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/solec