Speak Out At Three WI/MN Locations On Great Lakes Water Level Concerns

From the International Joint Commission that manages the Great Lakes:

News Release
June 18, 2012

International Joint Commission invites Public
Comment on Upper Great Lakes report

The International Joint Commission (IJC) announced today that it is inviting public comment on the final report of its International Upper Great Lakes Study Board, Lake Superior Regulation: Addressing Uncertainty in Upper Great Lakes Water Levels. 

Comments will be accepted at public hearings and by mail, email and on-line until August 31, 2012.

The report [pdf, here] examines whether the regulation of outflows from Lake Superior through the compensating works and power dams on the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie might be improved to take into consideration the evolving needs of users on Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan and Erie. 

The report also examines the potential future impacts of climate change, a management strategy to better anticipate and respond to future extreme water levels, the feasibility and implications of restoring water levels in lakes Michigan-Huron and multi-lake regulation and its impacts throughout the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence system.  The report and related supporting documents and peer review are available at the Upper Great Lakes Public Hearings website. 

 “We are asking people who live on the Great Lakes to tell us if the Study Board’s recommendations for managing water supplies on the Upper Great Lakes meet their needs or if other changes need be considered,” said Joe Comuzzi, chair of the IJC’s Canadian Section.

“Commissioners will carefully consider all concerns regarding the regulation of water levels in the Great Lakes before arriving at a decision that balances and suitably protects the interests of all,” said Lana Pollack, chair of the IJC’s U.S. Section.

Commissioners invite the public to present comments at hearings that will be held the following dates and locations:

Monday, July 9	Tuesday, July 10	Wednesday, July 11	Thursday, July 12
Sarnia, ON 7:00 pm EDT Lambton College, Room A223 1457 London Rd.	Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 7:00 pm EDT The Grosse Pointe War Memorial, Activity Room 32 Lakeshore Drive	Port Clinton, OH 7:00 pm EDT Sutton Center 1848 E. Perry St	Holland, MI 7:00 pm EDT Doubletree Hotel 650 East 24th Street
Thunder Bay, ON 7:00 pm EDT Lakehead University, ATAC Room 1001 955 Oliver Road	Duluth, MN 6:00 pm CDT Labovitz School of Business & Economics 1318 Kirby Dr.	Fish Creek, WI 6:00 pm CDT Door Community Auditorium 3926 Wisconsin Hwy 42	Milwaukee, WI 6:00 pm CDT University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Great Lakes Water Institute 600 E. Greenfield Ave.
Saturday, July 14	Sunday, July 15	Monday, July 16	Tuesday, July 17
Sault Ste. Marie, ON 1:00 pm EDT Algoma University Great West Life Theatre, 1520 Queen Street East	Little Current, ON 1:00 pm EDT Northeast Manitoulin and the Islands Recreation Center 9001 Hwy-6 S	Parry Sound, ON 2:00 pm EDT Bobby Orr Community Centre 7-17 Marry Street Midland, ON 7:00 pm EDT North Simcoe Sports and Recreation Centre 527 Len Self Boulevard	Collingwood, ON 1:00 pm EDT Cranberry Resort 19 Keith Ave, RR#4

Video conference technology will be used to link the hearings scheduled from July 9 – 12 and to allow the participation of some commissioners from other locations.

Two teleconferences will be held for those people who are not able to attend the meetings. One will be held in English and the other in French. Details of the teleconferences will be provided in a subsequent news release. 

Written comments may be submitted to the IJC for receipt by August 31, 2012 from the Upper Great Lakes Public Hearings website or to either address below:

U. S. Section Secretary	Canadian Section Secretary
International Joint Commission 200 L Street NW, Suite 615 Washington, DC 20440 Fax: 202-632-2006 commission@washington.ijc.org	International Joint Commission 234 Laurier Avenue West, 22nd Floor Ottawa, ON K1P 6K6 Fax: 613-993-5583 commission@ottawa.ijc.org

Technical questions should be sent in writing to the Commission if a detailed response is expected. 

The International Joint Commission was established under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 to help the United States and Canada prevent and resolve disputes over the use of the waters the two countries share.  Its responsibilities include considering applications for projects that affect the natural levels and flows of boundary waters.  For more information, visit the Commission's website at www.ijc.org.

Contacts:
Ottawa	Bernard Beckhoff	(613) 947-1420
Washington	Frank Bevacqua	(202) 736-9024