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Great Lakes
Article:
IJC to hold 14 public meetings on future
of Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
CNW Telbec
Published September 22, 2005The International
Joint Commission (IJC) is inviting the public to a series
of meetings in 14 cities across the Great Lakes and St.
Lawrence River basin in Canada and the United States in
October and November.
MONTREAL, Sept. 22 /CNW Telbec/ - Participants will be
asked to express their views on what needs to be done
to protect water quality in their communities and on the
future of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between
the two countries. The IJC will report these views to
the two governments.
First signed in 1972 and last amended nearly 20 years
ago, the Water
Quality Agreement outlines the commitment of each country
to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological
integrity of the waters of the Great Lakes basin ecosystem,
including the international portion of the St. Lawrence
River. It has resulted in cooperation between the United
States and Canada to limit the discharge of nutrients
and toxic substances into the waters, restore degraded
areas and undertake other joint activities designed to
improve water quality.
The two governments will launch a review of the Agreement's
operation and effectiveness in early 2006 and have asked
the IJC to consult residents about how it has worked so
far and whether it should be changed.
"Governments don't live on the Great Lakes, fish
on the Great Lakes or
drink water from the Great Lakes-people do," said
U.S. Section Chair Dennis Schornack. "That's why
it's so important for a broad diversity of people on both
sides of the border to speak up and help the governments
set priorities and develop new initiatives to restore
and sustain a healthy Great Lakes ecosystem."
"This is the public's opportunity to tell the governments
what they
should consider in their review of the Agreement,"
said the Rt. Hon. Herb
Gray, Chair of the IJC's Canadian Section. "This
review will likely set the
agenda for cooperation between our two countries on the
health of the Great Lakes for the next generation."
The IJC's 14 public meetings will take place at the times
and locations
listed below. For those who cannot attend, the IJC will
also conduct a Web Dialogue and accept written and oral
submissions until November 30, 2005. For more information,
call toll-free at 1 866 813-0642 or visit
www.ijc.org/glconsultations .
Monday, October 17 at 7 p.m. Monday, October 24 at 7
p.m.
Montréal, Quebec Duluth, Minnesota
City Hall Central Hillside Community Center
275 Notre-Dame Street East 12 East 4th Street
Tuesday, October 25 at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 27 at
7 p.m.
Thunder Bay, Ontario Sault Ste Marie, Ontario
City Hall, 500 Donald Street East City Council Chamber,
Civic Centre,
99 Foster Drive
Tuesday, November 1 at 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 1 at
7 p.m.
Bay City, Michigan Green Bay, Wisconsin
City Hall, 301 Washington Avenue KI Convention Center,
333 Main Street
Wednesday, November 2 at 7 p.m. Wednesday, November
2 at 3 p.m.
Chicago, Illinois Detroit, Michigan
Phelps Auditorium, Shedd Aquarium Detroit Regional Chamber
of Commerce
1200 South Lake Shore Drive One Woodward Avenue, Suite
1900
Wednesday, November 2 at 7 p.m. Thursday, November 3,
at 7 p.m.
Windsor, Ontario Cleveland, Ohio
Cleary International Centre the Rotunda of City Hall
201 Riverside Drive West 601 Lakeside Avenue
Tuesday, November 8 at 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 8 at
7 p.m.
Quebec City, Quebec Midland, Ontario
City Hall, 2 rue des Jardins Council Chambers
575 Dominion Avenue
Wednesday, November 9 at 7 p.m. Thursday, November 10
at 7:30 p.m.
Toronto, Ontario Rochester, New York
City Hall City Council Chambers
100 Queen Street West City Hall, 30 Church Street
Comments may also be submitted in writing or by telephone
until
November 30, 2005:
Contribute online www.ijc.org/glconsultations
Call toll-free (866) 813-0642
Fax (613) 993-5583
Write International Joint Commission
Great Lakes Regional Office
100 Ouellette Ave., 8th Floor or P.O. Box 32869
Windsor, ON N9A 6T3 Detroit, MI 48232
Canada United States
For further information: Paula Fedeski-Koundakjian, Ottawa,
(613) 995-0088; Frank Bevacqua, Washington, (202) 736-9024
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