Category Archives: IJC

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The H2O highway

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freightwaves-classics-st-lawrence-seaway-connects-mid-america-to-sea

‘The 63rd navigation season on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System was launched on March 22nd during an official opening ceremony.

“Moving goods by water through the Seaway ensures trade is flowing freely between the U.S.
and Canada while also reducing emissions,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
“After 62 years of operation, the binational Seaway System remains a model of international
cooperation and partnership and showcases how we can work together to address the challenges
of climate change.”

Keep reading….

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Lake Ontario: Property owners updated on funding

https://www.wnypapers.com/news/article/featured/2018/04/21/132346/lake-ontario-property-owners-updated-on-funding

Problem was, officials assigned to dole out the funding soon realized the damage totals of claims filed far exceeded the $45 million total the state initially allocated, Welch said.
“Wouldn’t you know (it), that funding was $45-50 million short,” he said.
In response, after months of delay, state officials with the governor’s office began to allocate additional monies this year, Welch said. First came a combined state Assembly-Senate $10 million funding allocation in January, followed by an additional $40 million this spring as the state budget process moved along, bringing the entire total to more than $90 million – the amount initially requested, Welch pointed out.
“With the extra $50 million, it should cover everyone’s expenses. (So) what’s the issue (as to the delays)?” he asked.

Look like IJC could rectify this somehow with the state of NY.

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U.S., Canada slow to tackle Great Lakes chemical pollution, says report | MLive.com

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/01/ijc_tap_great_lakes_report.html

“In November, the IJC issued a 25-page report advising both governments take decisive steps to protect human health and the environment by reducing polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the lakes. The brominated flame retardants, which are bioaccumulative and found in many products, have been in use since the 1970s and exposure has been linked to cancers, reproductive health, thyroid, neurobehavioral and developmental disorders.”

US and Canada efforts towards cleaning up PCBs and other toxic chemicals in Au Sable river and Lake Huron.

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Great Lakes water quality issues to be focus of public forum – News – Voice News

http://www.voicenews.com/articles/2016/09/09/news/doc57d2f5619eab5141364661.txt

Weigh in on environmental issues on Oct 4, in Toronto Canada. If you are a citizen of the US or Canada you are invited to participate. Go to IJC.ORG to find out more. So your part to protect the Great Lakes.

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Rediscovering Native American roots at pipeline protest – BBC News

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-37171280

“Since April, over 3000 Native American people have been camping in Cannon Ball, North Dakota. They are trying to stop the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, which would run underneath the Missouri river near the Cheyenne river reservation.”

Video by Anna Bressanin

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Oregon train derailment spills oil, sparks fire

https://www.yahoo.com/news/oregon-train-derailment-spills-oil-sparks-fire-204604432.html

Oil spills are preventable. Read excerpt:
“Including Friday’s accident, at least 26 oil trains have been involved in major fires or derailments during the past decade in the U.S. and Canada, according to Associated Press analysis of accident records from the two countries.

The worst was a 2013 derailment that killed 47 people in Lac-Megantic, Quebec. Damage from that accident has been estimated at $1.2 billion or higher.”

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USGS Release: Protecting Water in the Red River: There’s a Map for That (3/14/2016 5:50:23 PM)

http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=4472#.VujiACMpDqB

Introduction of a new tool to help managers make critical water decisions concerning the Red river Basin between to USA and Canada. Read on:

“Understanding the facts makes it easier to achieve cooperative solutions to complex problems such as managing nutrient pollution,” said IJC U.S. Section Chair Lana Pollack. “A geographic display of information can be a powerful aid to understanding the facts.”

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Feds: B.C. mines won’t go before international commission

http://www.ktoo.org/2015/09/16/feds-b-c-mines-wont-go-international-commission/

“The department, in responoce to our inquiry, says it’s concerned about British Columbia mining’s impacts on Alaskans, including Native groups, commercial fishermen and the tourism industry. It added that it had shared those concerns with senior levels of Canada and British Columbia’s governments.

But State Department officials say they do not anticipate referring the issue to the International Joint Commission at this time. Instead, they’re relying on increased cooperation between Alaska and British Columbia.”

We have this successful transboundary organization, the IJC, why does the federal government refuse to use?

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Historic 2011 US and Canada flooding prompts water study – Washington Times

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/17/historic-2011-us-and-canada-flooding-prompts-water/

Excerpt from WashingronTimes on historic flooding:
IJC Future steps could include recommendations for flood control structures, such as a dam that was begun in the 1930s in Quebec but was never finished.

Low-lying areas around the lake in Vermont and New York were inundated by the spring runoff that kept the lake above flood stage for more than two months in 2011.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/17/historic-2011-us-and-canada-flooding-prompts-water/#ixzz3aS5dC7cc 
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

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Higher outflows and field data collection this summer

http://m.sootoday.com/content/news/details.aspx?c=90655

“The International Lake Superior Board of Control, under authority granted to it by the International Joint Commission, expects to increase the Lake Superior outflow for the month of May.

The increased outflow is expected to exceed the capacities of the hydropower plants on the St. Marys River in May, and therefore the excess will be released through the control structure at the head of the St. Marys Rapids.

“The outflow of Lake Superior will be adjusted over the next several months to accommodate expected maintenance at the hydropower plants, and to reduce the potential for adverse consequences of high and fluctuating flows in the St. Marys Rapids.”

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