A D V I S O R

Vol. 11 No. 3 Guest editorial May/June 1998 One lake’s problems mirror larger pollution Inside issues facing region Lake St. Clair By Rep. William Callahan, Member, Delegation to the Cleanup— Great Lakes Commission ake St. Clair, as many of you know, has numerous problems. Local Even though this is just one lake—and not even one of the environmental L Great Lakes—its problems are symptomatic of the larger pol- action gets lution issues facing the . One of the biggest prob- results lems facing Lake St. Clair is combined sewer overflow and high bacte- ria counts, which have resulted in closed beaches during the summer season. Lake St. Clair is of particular importance to the state of Michigan, In this issue with 60 percent of southeast Michigan’s drinking water derived from it. Also found in the Lake St. Clair system are numerous beaches, fishing, boating and other recre- Commission Briefs...... 2 ational and wildlife opportunities. It is easy to identify that there is pollution in a body of water, especially when there are as Another surprise for Great Lakes many problems as we’ve had with Lake St. Clair. The “closed beach” signs along our shore- community * Legislative and line in Macomb County bluntly show the public the severity of the problems. But identify- appropriations priorities * River ing pollution sources and developing solutions to the problems are much more difficult and basin organizations * Beneficial use involved processes. workshop * RAP Summit * Great I worked closely with 30 other members of Lakes Spill Protection Initiative * We have long pointed to Sediment transport modeling * the Blue Ribbon Commission on Lake St. Clair, Upgrade for regional water use which was formed in 1997 to address pollution industrial waste and other database * Mayors' Conference * problems in the area. The commission’s sub- pollution as the sources of GLIN trip to Paraguay and Bolivia groups investigated discharges into the Clinton all water quality problems. * Waterborne commerce listening and St. Clair rivers; agricultural and residential session runoff, including pesticides and fertilizers; sew- However, this is not the age treatment and storm water concerns; and case. Agriculture runoff biological contaminants. Some of the Blue Rib- bon Commission’s important recommendations and storm sewers have Around the Lakes...... 7 in its final report were tremendous impacts on diversion proposal * • Better enforcement of existing state and our water... Drought mitigation workshop * Blue local water pollution laws; Ribbon Commission on Lake St. • Public education on the causes and effects of water pollution; Clair * Lake St. Clair facts * • Encouragement of environmentally sensitive land use; Legal Institute of the Great Lakes * • Inspection of septic fields; Seaway Port Pacesetter awards * • Continuous in-stream monitoring programs; and Great Lakes art exhibit * Sustain- • Examination of ballast water and its impact on the increase of exotic species. able coastal development workshop The report was a good first step, but we need to generate public support and financial re- series * Poe Lock * Nationwide sources and foster a sense of cooperation throughout the local, state and federal levels to global climate change assessment * accomplish our goals. Clean Water Action Plan In addition to participating on the Blue Ribbon Commission, I developed two pieces of legislation to help reduce pollution. These bills had overwhelming support in both

Calendar...... 12 Continued on page 9

• The ADVISOR is published bimonthly by the Great Lakes Commission • The Great Lakes Commission is an eight-state compact agency established in 1955 “to promote the orderly, integrated and comprehensive development, use and conservation of the water resources of the .” Donald R. Vonnahme, Chair; Michael J. Donahue, Ph.D., Executive Director Argus II Building • 400 Fourth Street • Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103-4816 • Phone: 734-665-9135 Fax: 734-665-4370 • E-mail: [email protected] • Web: www.glc.org Commission Briefs

Great Lakes Commission The Great Lakes Commission, an eight-state Surprised again! compact agency founded in state and federal In the last ADVISOR, my com- mit action took the Great Lakes law and dedicated to the use, management ments focused on the short-lived des- policy community by surprise. and protection of the water resources of the Great Lakes basin, provides leadership in the ignation of Lake Champlain as a Interjurisdictional notification and implementation of principles of sustainable Great Lake. And, alluding to the un- consultation were entirely lacking. development throughout the basin. In partnership with the Great Lakes states, the settling precedent that such a designa- To be fair, it appears that no treaties, Commission addresses issues of resource tion would establish, I called for re- laws or agreements were violated management, environmental protection, transportation and economic development by newed vigilance to protect our re- when the permit was approved. The serving as an accurate and objective source of sources from ill-advised “surprises” permit process essentially “fell through information; an effective forum for the development and coordination of public that threaten the in- the cracks.” In so do- policy; and an active and committed advocate tegrity of the lakes or Commission ing, it highlighted an of basin interests. the infrastructure News and immediate need to Executive Committee that has evolved to Views harmonize manage- Chair Donald R. Vonnahme (IL) manage them. The ment approaches in proverbial ink on my By Michael J. Donahue, Ph.D. all jurisdictions and Vice Chair Irene B. Brooks (PA) Executive Director provide the ammuni- Frank L. Kudrna (IL) column had not yet Larry D. Macklin (IN) dried when the Great Lakes policy tion needed to oppose and prevent ir- Frank J. Kelley (MI) community was surprised again. responsible use of the resource. Thomas E. Huntley (MN) I speak, of course, of a permit the I believe that three actions are war- John P. Cahill (NY) government recently granted ranted in the immediate future. First, J. William Moody (OH) to a Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, com- the states and provinces must move Nathaniel E. Robinson (WI) pany that planned to export Lake Su- decisively to develop and implement a Executive Director perior water to prospective markets in Great Lakes water resources manage- Michael J. Donahue, Ph.D. Asia (see related story on page 7). Like ment program to avoid our historic Program Managers the Lake Champlain designation, the crisis response approach to diversion Thomas R. Crane, Resource permit action prompted a swift outcry and consumptive use proposals. Such Management and Environmental Quality from Great Lakes governors, members a program was called for in the 1985 Stephen J. Thorp, Transportation and of Congress and many interest groups. Great Lakes Charter and, 13 years Economic Development Like the Lake Champlain issue, the later, has yet to be developed. Julie R. Wagemakers, Communications and proposal was short-lived; the permit Second, we must review the current Information Management revocation process was underway management regime for addressing such Project Managers within weeks of issuance. And, like the issues to determine whether our current Laura N. Beer, Matthew Doss, Katherine Lake Champlain designation, a battle set of treaty, legislative and agreement- Glassner-Shwayder, Christine Manninen has been won but the war is not over. based arrangements adequately address The issue touches on the very foun- current and future needs. Program Specialists dation of ecosystem integrity and eco- And finally, I believe that a truly bi- Derek Moy, Prapassara Nilagupta, Victoria Pebbles, Thomas Rayburn, nomic well-being; on our ability, as national Great Lakes Commission Lisa E. Rives, Michael Schneider, stewards of the resource, to maintain with full, voting provincial member- Lara Slee control over the future of the region’s ship could help avoid the type of sur- Director of Research, Emeritus greatest natural asset. This recent in- prise experienced with the Lake Supe- Albert G. Ballert, Ph.D. cident has highlighted, once again, in- rior diversion permit. Open and ongo- adequacies in the current binational ing dialogue among all basin jurisdic- Administrative Staff Cappy Bilakos, Pat Gable, Marilyn Ratliff, water resource management regime. tions is perhaps the most effective tool Rita J. Straith Alarm over such a permit is well- we can employ for improved water re- founded. It sets a dangerous legal pre- sources management. Research Associates George Aponte Clarke, Kate Hackett, cedent that could leave the region Interjurisdictional relations in the Margaret Le vulnerable to much larger schemes in Great Lakes basin are the envy of the future. It ignores the cumulative North America and beyond. When The Great Lakes Commission is an equal opportunity employer and complies with impacts that occur if such a scheme is the political will and motivation to applicable federal and state laws prohibiting found to be commercially viable and strengthen binational water resources discrimination. It is the policy of the Commission that no person, on the basis of race, gender, leads to a new export industry. Even management is present, we can’t help color, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, more alarming is the fact that the per- but succeed. marital status, handicap or prior military service status, shall be discriminated against.

Page 2 ADVISOR Commission Briefs Commission promotes legislative Interstate river basin and appropriations priorities organizations join A 26-point state- Transportation and Infrastructure, as forces ment of federal leg- well as all Great Lakes senators, to Thanks to the leadership of Com- islative and appro- endorse the Binational Great Lakes mission Vice Chair Irene Brooks, in- priations priorities, accepted by the Seaway Enhancement Act of 1998 terstate river basin organizations are Great Lakes Commission on April 2, (H.R. 3147), to consult with the joining forces to strengthen their in- provides the basis for an aggressive Commission on proposed changes to dividual and collective role in re- advocacy strategy for the second ses- the Harbor Maintenance Tax, to gional and national water resources sion of the 105th U.S. Congress. support funding and operation of the policy formulation and implementation. Adopted by unanimous action of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw, Brooks sponsored a June 2 coor- eight Great Lakes states, the state- to oppose navigational assistance dination meeting in Harrisburg, ment addresses legislative and fund- and ice-breaking user fees, and to Penn., that brought together the ing needs in the areas of research support a waiver of the interest re- executive directors of leading re- and management institutions, re- quirement for the nonfederal cost gional organizations throughout source management and environ- share of a new Soo Lock; the Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic and mental protection programs, and New England regions. Organiza- • The chair of the Senate Judiciary tions represented included the maritime transportation and other Committee and all Great Lakes infrastructure needs. Great Lakes Commission; the senators to oppose prospective U.S.- Susquehanna, Delaware, Potomac One statement calls for federal leg- Canada border control measures; and islation to amend the Great Lakes and river basin commissions; Basin Compact and, in so doing, • The chair and Great Lakes mem- the New England Interstate Water clears the way for provincial mem- bers of the House and Senate Ap- Pollution Control Commission; bership on the Great Lakes Commis- propriations committees to support and the Ohio River Valley Water sion. Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN) funding and implementation of the Sanitation Commission. Also par- has responded by introducing such National Invasive Species Act. ticipating were Jim Seif, secretary an amendment in the form of H.R. Additionally, Commission Executive of the Department of 3458. In other actions, the Commis- Director Mike Donahue testified in Environmental Protection; and Ri- sion has directed correspondence to support of the Great Lakes Fish and chard Munson, executive director Wildlife Restoration Act reauthoriza- of the Northeast-Midwest Institute. • The chair and Great Lakes mem- The directors discussed strategies bers of the House Energy and tion at the House Subcommittee on Fisheries hearing on June 18. to raise their profile in Washing- Water Development subcommittee ton, ensure continued federal fi- of the Committee on Appropriations The entire Commission policy state- ment was presented to all members of nancial support and involvement to endorse Water Resources Devel- in their initiatives, and identify opment Act appropriations, and to the Great Lakes Congressional Del- egation in early April. Advocacy of and act on policy issues of common support MOU implementation and concern to all such organizations. Chicago Harbor leakage control as- the statement’s elements will continue for the duration of the 105th Con- "This meeting marks the beginning sociated with the di- of both increased interstate and in- version at Chicago; gress. Contact: Mike Donahue, [email protected]. ter-basin coordination," Brooks said. • The chair and Great Lakes mem- Brooks and Great Lakes Commis- bers of the House Committee on sion Executive Director Mike Donahue both serve on a new Annual Meeting of the Great Lakes Commission Standing Committee on Interstate River Basin Organizations, affiliated Hosted by the Commission's Delegation with the Interstate Council on Wa- October 19-20, 1998 ter Policy. Among others, the com- Buffalo, New York mittee is charged with developing a The meeting will be followed by the State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference “basin water resources management” (Oct. 21-23 in Buffalo). On Oct. 20, the Commission and SOLEC will hold a theme for the ICWP annual meeting joint opening reception. For more information, contact Dr. Michael Donahue at in Seattle this fall. Contact: Mike 734-665-9135 or visit the Commission's home page at www.glc.org for future details. Donahue, [email protected].

May/June 1998 Page 3 Commission Briefs

Beneficial use: Dredging U.S. EPA to fund PACs up new alternatives at a Michigan RAP leaders gather for summit meeting regional workshop At a recent RAP Summit for of Environmental Quality and U.S. EPA Michigan's Areas of Concern, U.S. EPA also were on hand to receive input and Low-cost solutions announced that it would make funding discuss plans for Michigan's RAPs and for the environmen- available to each Public Advisory Coun- Lakewide Management Plans. Both tally responsible and cil to support baseline operations. agencies are developing long-term plans socially acceptable “U.S. EPA remains committed to the for the RAPs and LaMPs, and the meet- management of RAPs,” says Margaret Guerriero, man- ing provided an opportunity for PAC dredged material is ager of the Lake Superior Regional Team members and other local RAP partici- a priority for the Great Lakes Dredging at U.S. EPA Region 5. “Local leader- pants to contribute to this planning Team, a federal/state partnership led by ship, however, will continue to be a vital process. the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with component of the RAP process.” Major priorities that emerged from the technical support from the Great Lakes Guerriero emphasized that the long- discussions included raising public Commission. The beneficial use ap- term plans being developed will help en- awareness, involving local governments, proach focuses on dredged material as a sure that continued, reliable funding is coordinating agency programs, exchang- resource as opposed to a waste. Benefi- available for PACs to coordinate the ing information, building partnerships cial uses of dredged material include RAP process at the local level. and, above all, funding remediation beach nourishment, habitat restoration, The May 8-9 RAP Summit brought activities. landscaping, road construction fill, strip together leaders from Michigan's 14 The summit was sponsored by the mine restoration, daily cover for landfills, AOCs to discuss challenges facing their Statewide Public Advisory Council for and many others. Remedial Action Plans, learn about Michigan's Areas of Concern Program, A regional workshop on beneficial use, funding opportunities for RAP activities with staff support provided by the Great planned for Sept. 15-16 in Toledo, Ohio, and share ideas and success stories. Lakes Commission. Contact: Matt Doss, will include case studies from projects Staff from the Michigan Department [email protected]. around the Great Lakes, discussions of the obstacles limiting beneficial use and approaches to overcome them. GLSPI discusses Natural Resource Damage Assessments The workshop will be held in conjunc- In the aftermath of a spill, a regulatory injuries to natural resources caused by re- tion with the next meeting of the Great tool called the Natural Resource Dam- lease of oil or hazardous substances. Lakes Dredging Team on Sept. 16-17 age Assessment (NRDA) is designed to “Not every spill merits a NRDA. Mea- and is one component of a major soil restore the injured environment to pre- surable injury directly related to the oil erosion and sediment control conference spill conditions as rapidly as possible. spill has to exist. Natural recovery (see boxed announcement below). Con- The Comprehensive Environmental Re- should be considered,” said Madsen in tact: Steve Thorp, [email protected]. sponse, Compensation and Liability Act his presentation. “Assessments, when ap- (Superfund) and the Oil Pollution Act propriate, must be compensatory and not Keeping it on the Land authorize NRDA when there is a release punitive. The purpose of NRDA is resto- ...and Out of the Water of hazardous substances or oil. A federal ration of injured resources, not collection natural resources trustee, a state agency of dollars to support other programs.” official and an oil company representa- Madsen conceded that industry has Soil Erosion and tive discussed this process at a May 28- worries about the NRDA process. Sediment Control Techniques 29 meeting of the Great Lakes Spill Pro- “Companies are concerned about for the Great Lakes Basin tection Initiative (GLSPI). potential lack of cooperation between The panel of presenters included T.J. responsible parties and trustees in spill Sept. 16-18, 1998 Miller, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; situations,” Madsen said, “and about Radisson Hotel • Toledo, Ohio Daniel Holler, Pennsylvania Department the possibility that NRDA can produce Featuring presentations on federal initiatives affecting resource conservation efforts in the of Environmental Protection; and Rees a situation of ‘unlimited’ liability.” Great Lakes basin and techniques for reducing Madsen, BP Oil. The GLSPI is a Great Lakes Com- nonpoint source pollution in both rural and ur- Under federal law, the NRDA process mission-staffed partnership between ban environments. allows federal and state governments and the Great Lakes states, federal agen- For more information, contact Matt Doss, federally recognized Indian tribes to act cies and several petroleum companies Great Lakes Commission, 734-665-9135, [email protected]. as trustees for natural resources on behalf in the region. Contact: Tom Crane, of the public and to pursue damages for [email protected].

Page 4 ADVISOR Commission Briefs

Maumee, Saginaw and Nemadji rivers to receive Mayors to gather July 8-10 sediment transport modeling funds in Windsor Three Great Lakes tributaries will eral agencies and academia identi- Mayors from the receive federal funds for sediment fied more than two dozen models binational Great transport modeling, thanks to FY1998 (hydrologic, hydraulic, sediment Lakes region will appropriations under Section 516 of transport, contaminant) along with meet July 8-10 in the Water Resources Development their data requirements, capabilities and Windsor, Ontario, to discuss issues Act of 1996. The three tributaries— applications. such as cooperation and competition Maumee River in Ohio, Saginaw Section 516 of WRDA directs the between border cities, emerging urban River in Michigan and Nemadji River Corps to develop such models for issues and the local impacts of climate in —were among 15 prior- Great Lakes tributaries that discharge change. ity sites identified at a User’s Work- to federal navigation channels or Ar- Windsor Mayor Michael Hurst and shop hosted by the Great Lakes Com- eas of Concern. Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer will co- mission in Ann Arbor, Mich., on The Great Lakes Commission is host this year’s conference, which fea- April 29-30. providing technical assistance to tures several prominent speakers in- Approximately $120,000 will be al- the Corps and will prepare a cluding Herb Gray, deputy prime min- located for model development at multiyear plan that identifies and ister of Canada; William Glaub, presi- each tributary, with work to be accom- characterizes the various models, dent and chief executive officer of plished by the U.S. Army Corps of presents state-generated priorities, Chrysler Canada; the Hon. Norman Engineers and its contractors. The and documents the importance of Sterling, Ontario Minister of the Envi- models, to be completed in early 1999, such models as a decision-support ronment; and the Hon. Tony Clement, will assist resource managers and system for cost-effective resource Ontario Minister of Transportation. policymakers in soil erosion and sedi- management. The Commission Eight mayors representing water- ment control, remediation and has urged Congress to appropriate front border cities located across from dredging efforts. $1 million in FY1999 to continue each other will address the topic “Bor- The User’s Workshop followed a and expand the effort to other pri- der Cities: Competition or Coopera- mid-March Technical Workshop at ority tributaries. Contact: Mike tion?” Another mayors panel, moder- which modelers from state and fed- Donahue, [email protected]. ated by Ken Greenberg, one of Canada's leading "new urbanism" con- Commission to upgrade regional water use database sultants, will feature a discussion of re- The Great Lakes Commission plans to Lakes Commission coordinated its de- gional urban issues. upgrade its binational Great Lakes Re- sign with leadership from the Council of Other sessions will focus on global gional Water Use Database to enhance Great Lakes Governors’ Water Re- climate change and the Kyoto Sum- the region’s ability to query, manipulate sources Management Committee and mit; contaminated sediments cleanup; and display Great Lakes water use data. the U.S. Geological Survey. The Com- the U.S. Harbor Maintenance Tax; The database includes information for mission serves as the database repository. U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard cost nine categories of use including public “Refining and expanding the database recovery; the St. Lawrence Seaway; supply, self supply-domestic and self sup- is necessary to ensure that it can support and immigration reform legislation af- ply-irrigation. In addition to water use other Great Lakes Charter-driven initia- fecting the border between the United categories, database users can access wa- tives such as development of a basinwide States and Canada. ter use information by jurisdiction and by water resources management program, The Mayors’ Conference was estab- lake basin. water use forecasting techniques and re- lished by the International Great Lakes “The upgraded system will feature a gional water conservation programs,” Maritime Forum, a Great Lakes state new database management program,” says Commissioner Tracy Mehan, di- and provincial partnership co-chaired by says Alternate Commissioner Daniel rector of the Michigan Department of Frank Kudrna, chair of the del- Injerd, chief of the Lake Michigan Man- Environmental Quality’s Office of the egation to the Great Lakes Commission. agement Section, Office of Water Re- Great Lakes. The Commission, in cooperation with sources, Illinois DNR. “It will include all The database upgrade will occur dur- the St. Lawrence Economic Develop- relevant functions of the old system plus ing the summer with plans to unveil the ment Council, provides secretarial ser- new features such as data visualization new system at the Commission’s 1998 vices to the mayors. Contact: Windsor and a user-friendly graphic interface.” Annual Meeting, scheduled for October Mayor’s Office, 519-255-6315; or Steve The Regional Water Use Database has 19-20 in Buffalo, N.Y. Contact: Tom Thorp, [email protected]. been operational since 1988. The Great Crane, [email protected].

May/June 1998 Page 5 Commission Briefs Paraguay and Bolivia benefit from Great Lakes information sharing GLIN used as model for South American watershed The Great Lakes Information Net- opment of such a system. work is once again providing inspira- “While the GLIN model does not tion for other regions of the world solve the problem of developing a with shared watersheds. In May, multinational approach to decision- Christine Manninen, GLIN project making and water management in manager, traveled to Asunción, the basin,” says Jorge Rucks, Divi- Paraguay, and Santa Cruz, Bolivia, sion II chief, OAS Unit of Sustain- to speak about the Great Lakes able Development and Environ- online partnership as part of an Or- ment, “it does provide a model for Paraguay’s Maria del Carmen Alvarez ganization of American States- sharing data among the basin coun- with OAS' David Moody. funded mission. tries, which could eventually lead to The OAS is partnering with the such cooperation.” ganizations, the private sector and United Nations Environment Pro- The transboundary basin of the the general public,” says OAS’ gram and the World Bank on a Glo- Upper Paraguay River, shared by David Moody. bal Environment Facility (GEF) pro- Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay, is part Moody noted that GLIN’s inter- posal for development of a hydro- of the Plata Basin that drains nearly national outreach efforts benefit logical information system for the one-fifth of the South American the Great Lakes as much as the Upper Paraguay River Basin. Emu- continent to the Atlantic Ocean. other nations because the informa- lating GLIN, the goal of the project The Upper Paraguay River Basin in- tion exchange and dialogue help is to develop and test a prototype corporates the headwaters of the the network to refine its own ser- river basin information system that Plata Basin and one of the world’s vices within the Great Lakes basin. can be widely applied to support great wetlands, the Pantanal. The GEF proposal is being devel- decisionmaking related to water re- “The networking project envi- oped in consultation with Com- sources management. sioned for the Upper Paraguay River mission staff and will provide sup- The Upper Paraguay River Basin Basin provides a unique opportunity port for GLIN maintenance and at present does not have a multi- for information sharing between wa- expansion. Contact: Christine jurisdictional institution (like the ter management organizations, water Manninen, [email protected]. Great Lakes Commission) that can user associations, state and munici- serve as a focal point for the devel- pal authorities, nongovernmental or-

Seeing the benefits of waterborne commerce Great Lakes waterborne commerce publicity efforts. importance of a is a largely invisible industry, and its Concern also was expressed that the federal commit- benefits need to be better marketed. federal government’s role in funding ment to main- This was one of many recommenda- and maintaining navigation infrastruc- tain commercial tions offered at an April 30 listening ture is declining. The establishment of and recreational session sponsored by the U.S. Depart- a harbor maintenance user fee in the harbors in the ment of Transportation in Cleveland, 1980s and efforts to impose Coast Great Lakes at a Ohio. The meeting addressed the future Guard cost recovery over the past de- roundtable dis- needs of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence cade have caused alarm among com- cussion. Seaway transportation system. mercial and recreational navigation A national conference will be held A Great Lakes Commission study in interests. Several participants criti- in the fall to address key maritime is- the early 1990s revealed that water cized the apparent backtracking of sues identified in the seven regional lis- transport, when compared with truck- longstanding federal commitments in tening sessions. ing and rail transport, is clearly supe- this area, as well as the implications Contact: U.S. Coast Guard Water- rior in terms of fuel use, emissions gen- for competitive balance among the ways Management Directorate, 202- eration and safety. Industry represen- freight transportation modes. 267-6164; or the Maritime tatives at the session acknowledged Steve Thorp, manager of the Transpor- Administration’s Office of Ports and the advantages of waterborne com- tation and Economic Development Pro- Domestic Shipping, 202-366-4357. merce and agreed to strengthen gram at the Commission, stressed the

Page 6 ADVISOR Around the Lakes Water export proposal prompts regional outcry A water withdrawal permit issued (D-MI) joined Ontario New to a Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, com- Democratic Party leader pany has sparked international de- Howard Hampton in signing a bate and renewed concern over the joint letter demanding that vulnerability of the Great Lakes to Ontario Premier Mike Harris harmful, out-of-basin diversions. Is- revoke the permit. A biparti- sued on March 31 by the Ontario san group from the Great Ministry of the Environment, the Lakes Congressional Delega- permit allowed the Nova Group to tion introduced a U.S. House withdraw up to 780 million gallons resolution asking the president (3 billion liters) of Lake Superior and U.S. Senate to block the sale of cident has prompted a flurry of activ- water over the next five years with Great Lakes water. Great Lakes ity to address inadequacies in the bi- plans to export to Asia. United, a binational coalition of en- national framework for water quantity The permit action, which involved vironmental groups, voiced concern management. Canadian Foreign Af- no consultation with other Great over the action’s legal precedent and fairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy has Lakes jurisdictions, prompted an im- future environmental implications. asked the International Joint Com- mediate and vocal outcry by Great The public clamor prompted mission to review the proposal in the Lakes agencies, governors, environ- Ontario Minister of the Environ- context of the 1909 International mental groups, and state and federal ment Norm Sterling to initiate ac- Boundary Waters Treaty. Canadian legislators. The Great Lakes Com- tion to cancel the permit. federal legislators are considering leg- mission contacted the region’s gov- “I do not support the export or di- islation to ban water exports, and sev- ernors and legislators, noting that version of Ontario’s water resources eral of their U.S. counterparts are in- the permit action may set a danger- from the Great Lakes basin and I vestigating the advisability to do the ous precedent that will leave the never have,” said Sterling in a May same. The Great Lakes Commission Great Lakes vulnerable to larger 14 news release. “Ontario is deter- has renewed its call to develop and scale diversions of this nature. mined to make certain that water from implement a Great Lakes Water Re- Michigan’s Gov. John Engler urged the Great Lakes never appears on sources Management Program, as the Canadian federal government to anyone’s commodity trading board.” called for in the 1985 Great Lakes give the water export proposal the While the Nova Group proposal ap- Charter. Contact: Mike Donahue, "utmost scrutiny." Rep. Bart Stupak pears to have been abandoned, the in- [email protected].

Drought mitigation workshop points to the need for more planning Summertime brings days at the beach, among the issues discussed. droughts reinforce the need for advance camping by quiet lakes and lots of sun- “The drought that gripped the South- planning,” Wilhite said. “Even though shine. Unfortunately, warmer days can west and southern Great plains states in drought is a slow-onset disaster, it is diffi- also bring potential conditions for 1996 was the most recent reminder of cult to respond quickly to reduce the ef- drought. In order to be prepared for the the nation’s vulnerability to drought,” fects of drought unless a contingency next drought, agency and university rep- said Donald Wilhite, director of the Na- plan is already in place.” resentatives from six of the eight Great tional Drought Mitigation Center. “Al- Workshop participants focused on how Lakes states participated in a May 12-14 though drought is a common feature in to develop a drought plan and discussed drought planning workshop along with the West, it also is a normal part of the specific planning needs with profession- representatives from 12 other states, climate of each region of the United als who have coped with recent Washington D.C., Mexico and Austra- States. People, especially planners, tend droughts. lia. Tom Crane, manager of the Re- to forget this.” This workshop, hosted by the National source Management and Environmental Drought also struck the Southeast in Drought Mitigation Center of Lincoln, Quality Program, represented the Great 1986, the West from 1987 to 1992 and Neb., was the fourth in a series of re- Lakes Commission. The use of indices the Northeast in 1995. The Midwest gional workshops on drought prepared- to help predict drought, drought im- and Plains states, including most of the ness sponsored by the U.S. Bureau of pacts, public participation in the plan- Great Lakes region, last experienced se- Reclamation and the National Gover- ning process, available federal resources, vere drought in 1988-89. nors’ Association. Contact: Tom Crane, and the reduction of drought risks were “Experiences from each of these [email protected].

May/June 1998 Page 7 Around the Lakes Blue Ribbon Commission makes impact Locally driven initiative to improve Lake St. Clair “Today we begin to clean the lake.” John Hertel’s first words to the Blue Ribbon Com- mission on Lake St. Clair were both inspiring and pro- phetic. After six months of hard work, the group is- sued an action plan in August 1997 that has made an impact on policies and procedures regarding the health of the lake. Hertel watched for years as the water quality of Lake St. Clair declined. When he became chair of the Macomb County (MI) Board of Commissioners, his first priority was to clean the lake. He established the Blue Ribbon Commission to accept responsibility for environmental action at a local level. The group’s fi- nal report cited monitoring, education, voluntary ac- tion and enforcement as its four key elements. Since the commission’s report was released, Macomb Heart-shaped and shallow, Lake St. Clair is the smallest lake in County has hired a special prosecutor who deals ex- the Great Lakes system. Because the lake is so shallow, a clusively with environmental issues and a Surface shipping channel must periodically be dredged to ensure bottom clearance for large ships. Water Improvement Team has been created to search The northeastern portion of Lake St. Clair is an extensive delta for illegal sewer taps, failed septic systems, industrial system, the largest within the Great Lakes. The Michigan portion polluters and other violations of public health laws. of the delta has been urbanized, while Ontario has set aside According to Hertel, the state of Michigan has much of the wetlands as the Walpole Indian Reservation. Wetland loss from urban and recreational encroachment agreed to clean up the watershed if state voters pass continues to be a problem on the U.S. side; and in Ontario , an upcoming bond issue. The federal government also many of the wetland areas have been wiped out by agricultural has increased its involvement in Lake St. Clair clean- drainage. up and has established a water quality monitoring sta- Map credit: L. Beer, Great Lakes Commission tion that uses bluegills as indicators. The county is in the process of creating a Water Lake St. Clair Facts Quality Board, made up of three elected officials and Water surface area six private citizens. The board’s primary task is to pro- U.S. 162 mi2 (420 km2) tect Lake St. Clair by working cooperatively with Canada 268 mi2 (694 km2) counties and other interest groups to monitor facilities Maximum depth 21 ft (6.4 m)* and procedures and create educational programs. Average depth 10 ft (3 m) In mid-May, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sponsored a meeting between Blue Ribbon Shoreline length U.S. commissioners and representatives from the Ontario Mainland 59 mi (95 km) Ministry of the Environment, Environment Canada Islands 84 mi (135 km) and other Canadian interest groups to discuss bina- Canada tional solutions to Lake St. Clair’s problems. The Mainland 71 mi (114 km) meeting gave participants the opportunity to make Islands 43 mi (69 km) important contacts within other groups invested in Drainage basin 4890 mi2 (12,616 km2) Lake St. Clair’s future. *Deepest measurement outside dredged navigation channel, which has a “The Blue Ribbon Commission’s report has opened depth of 27 ft (8.2 m) up both sides to sitting down and getting things done Reference: and Lake St. Clair Handbook (1993), edited by by working together,” says Russell LaBarge, chair of Stanley J. Bolsenga and Charles E. Herdendorf, Wayne State University the Blue Ribbon Commission. Press, Detroit, Mich. Contact: Russell LaBarge, 810-777-3377.

Page 8 ADVISOR Around the Lakes Institute focuses on legal aspects of Great Four seaway ports earn Pacesetter Awards Lakes management Four Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Sea- The Legal Institute of the Great Destiny” by way ports have earned the annual U.S. Lakes, based at the University of Robert F. Seaway Port Pacesetter Award: the De- Toledo College of Law, has estab- Kennedy, Jr. troit/Wayne County (MI) Port Author- lished an annual Great Lakes Law, LIGL also has ity, the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Science and Policy Conference. launched the Authority, the Brown County (WI) Port The first such event, “Environ- Toledo Journal of Green Bay and the Port of Oswego mental Protection in the Great of Great Lakes’ (NY) Authority. The award is presented Lakes: Current Realities and Fu- Law, Science and Policy, with the in- to U.S. Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Sea- ture Directions,” was held May 21- augural issue featuring articles by Il- way ports that increased their overseas 22 at State Park in linois Commissioner Norm Sims cargo tonnage during the 1997 naviga- Oregon, Ohio. (“An Economic Developer Looks at tion season. More than 40 speakers drawn Sustainability”) and Great Lakes "The seaway recorded its fourth con- from public agencies, industry and Commission Executive Director secutive strong cargo performance in environmental organizations ad- Mike Donahue (“Strengthening the 1997, and much of the credit for this dressed the legal aspects of topics Binational Management Effort: The must go to the very successful marketing ranging from point and nonpoint Great Lakes Commission’s Provin- efforts of our port officials,” said David source pollution, air quality and cial Membership Initiative”). Sanders, acting administrator of the U.S. human health to environmental Donahue and Michigan Alternate Saint Lawrence Seaway Development justice and wetlands development. Commissioner Mike Leffler serve on Corporation. Also featured was a retrospective on LIGL’s Advisory Board. Great Lakes Commissioner Tom Great Lakes Water Quality Agree- Contact: Michael Kadens, 419- McAuslan from New York is the Ex- ment implementation and a keynote 530-2876, [email protected]. ecutive Director of the Port of Oswego address titled “Our Environmental Authority. Contact: Dennis Deuschl, 202-366-0110.

Guest editorial, continued from page 1 the Michigan House and Senate and rectly connected to combined sewer Lake St. Clair and its problems are were signed into law earlier this year systems. more than just part of a Michigan is- by Gov. Engler. We have long pointed to industrial sue. The problems we have in Lake St. Under Michigan law, any municipal- waste and other pollution as the Clair are happening throughout the ity that discharges untreated sewage sources of all water quality problems. Great Lakes region. I hope the efforts from a combined sewer system must However, this is not the case. Agri- we have made will benefit high-pollu- contact the Department of Environ- culture runoff and storm sewers have tion waters throughout the area. Pol- mental Quality, newspapers and all af- tremendous impacts on our water and lution doesn’t just stay in one place. If fected municipalities. Under my first are issues that must be addressed. We Lake St. Clair, or any small river or bill, Public Act 3 of 1998, the munici- allow municipalities to discharge sew- lake near the Great Lakes, becomes pality must make the required notifi- age when wet weather leads to a com- polluted, the contaminants will cations immediately if the sewage has bined sewer overflow. This overflow eventually run into the Great Lakes not received all the treatment avail- has an adverse effect on water quality and affect the health and safety of able under ordinary dry weather and public health and must be moni- all residents. conditions. tored. We should not be content until we Under Public Act 3, the municipal- Although I had Lake St. Clair in have safe drinking water, water that ity also must pay for E.coli testing mind when I introduced this legisla- we can fish and swim in, exotic spe- each time a discharge of untreated tion, its benefits will be felt through- cies under control, and sensible sewage occurs and give the results to out the state and the Great Lakes re- land-use strategies to safeguard the the health departments of all affected gion. In Michigan, local municipalities progress we have already made. counties. will now monitor their sewer systems These are achievable goals that we To further protect public health and and hopefully reduce the level of pol- can and should strive to see become safety, Public Act 4 of 1998 prohibits lution in local lakes, which means realities for the citizens of the Great eaves troughs and roof downspouts cleaner water will find its way into the Lakes region. that collect storm water from being di- Great Lakes.

May/June 1998 Page 9 Around the Lakes Exhibit with a conscience focuses on Great Lakes Landscape painting may not be the Lakes should be recognized for their most radical form of environmental ac- importance in the early history of tion, but it offers a beautiful way to raise the ; too often they awareness of the Great Lakes. “EXPEDI- are forgotten behind more promi- TION: Great Lakes— The Power of nent landmarks on the east coast. Water” is the latest in a series of travel- When choosing artists for the ex- ing environmental exhibitions curated hibit, French drew from people who by New York gallery owner Sherry were already environmentally con- French. Eight artists from around the scious. Some had grown up in the country have traveled to the Great Great Lakes region, many had been Lakes and St. Lawrence River to paint there vacationing, and all were John Briggs performed color studies of his subjects what they see, revealing both beauty and happy to go back and paint. to take back to his studio, where he had the time, space and materials to paint. Photo credit: Betty Briggs. fragility in the landscapes. The participating artists include French, who creates exhibits around George Atkinson, Ahzad Bogosian, New Jersey realist Robert Van Meter causes she believes in, says a trip to Lake John Briggs, Michael Schweigart, Sonya and his wife hiked and canoed their way Michigan sparked her interest in the Sklaroff, Michael L. Scott, Robert Van through Pictured Rocks National Sea- beauty of the Great Lakes. Meter and James Winn. As an environ- shore on Lake Superior, the Apostle Is- “I feel strongly that environmental is- mental statement, the artists show the lands in and Voyageurs Na- sues in the Great Lakes, like pollution splendor of the lakes as they exist today. tional Park in Minnesota, to name a few clean-ups, make good news stories,” Michael L. Scott from Ohio has of their many destinations. painted his way through much of the ter- Many of the artists and their accom- rain around Lake Superior; his favorite panying family members have kept area was the Pukaskwa National Park in written and photographic journals of Canada, where glaciers have left spec- their travels, which will be part of the tacular rock formations. show’s display. John Briggs’ road trip into the Great The “Great Lakes —The Power of Lakes region took him to lakes Michi- Water” exhibit will open in the Sherry gan, Superior and Huron. Choosing his French Gallery, New York, in October subjects was not an easy task because he 1998. In 1999, the show will spend the was not familiar with the areas. He fol- week of the Presidential State of the lowed roads along the lakes and talked to Courtyard by Michael Schweigart. Union Address in the Senate Russell Ro- people along the way to find potential tunda in Washington, D.C., before mov- French said. “If people work together, subjects. ing on to galleries and museums in the beauty of the landscapes can be pre- “Something has to speak to you,” Michigan. Contact: Sherry French, 212- served.” Briggs said. “Everybody has a different 247-2457. French also stresses that the Great view of what’s beautiful.”

Sustainable coastal communities the focus of workshop series A Sept. 16-17, 1998, workshop in Victoria Pebbles serve on the event's versity study to develop a model that Traverse City, Mich., will bring together planning committee. shows the ecosystem impacts of land-use local officials to examine the opportuni- “Our goals are to foster stronger work- change. Ways to promote sustainable ties and obstacles associated with issues ing relationships between local officials coastal development also were discussed. facing the water- and to establish a coordinated process Traverse City was selected as the pilot shed. Three major issues—intergovern- for sustainable development,” says Chris location because of its sustainable devel- mental coordination, watershed manage- Wright, executive director of the Grand opment-related initiatives already under- ment, and open space and agricultural Traverse Bay Watershed Initiative. way. NOAA plans to sponsor similar preservation—will be addressed at the At a planning workshop in May, at- workshops in other U.S. regions. workshop, sponsored by the Grand tendees learned about New Designs for Contact: Kenneth Walker, NOAA, Traverse Bay Watershed Initiative and Growth, a northwest Michigan business- OCRM, 301-713-3113 ext. 157, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric led initiative to advance more efficient [email protected]; or Chris Administration. Great Lakes Commis- land-use patterns; a quality of life index- Wright, Grand Traverse Bay Watershed sion staff members Mike Donahue and ing process; and a Michigan State Uni- Initiative, 616-935-1514.

Page 10 ADVISOR Around the Lakes The Poe Lock at 30 Nationwide global By Albert G. Ballert climate change assessment Director of Research, Emeritus; The Clinton Administration is in the Great Lakes Commission midst of a two-year, nationwide assess- It was on Aug. 27, 1968, that ment of climate change, variability and Lake Superior waters first associated impacts on the nation’s flowed into the new Poe Lock economy, agriculture, water availability at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. and quality of life. The U.S. Global Construction of the $40 million Change Research Program is sponsoring facility began in August 1964 a series of 18 regional workshops that after demolition of the original will culminate in the release of a national Poe Lock, which was used from assessment in 1999. 1896 to 1961. The locks were During 1968, when the Poe was being tested, the only More than 200 participants convened commercial vessel transit was made by the downbound named in honor of Gen. Or- Philip R. Clarke. This vessel also made the first transit at May 4-7 in Ann Arbor, Mich., for the lando M. Poe, the Army engi- the dedication and opening of the Poe on June 26, 1969. Upper Great Lakes Region Workshop. neer in charge at the Soo from Photo credits: A. Ballert. Plenary sessions focused on climate 1883 to 1896. up to 1000 feet long by 105 feet wide, change and variability at the global, na- The original Sault Ste. Marie system with a draft up to 30 feet. Raising or tional and regional levels, with an em- consisted of two 350-foot locks in tan- lowering the lock water level for ves- phasis on ecological, human health and dem that went into service on June sel passages requires about 12 to 14 economic implications. Commission Ex- 15, 1855. It was owned by the state of minutes. Prior to the creation of the ecutive Director Mike Donahue served Michigan and was transferred to the Poe, the MacArthur Lock limited ves- on the planning committee and chaired federal government in 1881. sel dimensions to 730 feet by 75 feet. a session on governance/education. The new Poe accommodates ships From 1972 to 1981, construction was Participant input addressed water re- completed on 13 Great Lakes vessels sources, land ecology, health, climate, that reached the 1,000-foot mark. The economy/commerce, agriculture, water first of these super-lakers through the ecology, governance and education. Ses- Poe was the Stewart J. Cort, which passed sion findings will be incorporated into a upbound in May 1972. final report to the U.S. Global Change During the most recent navigation sea- Research Program, which will help shape son, the Poe Lock was in service from administration policy, including its re- March 25, 1997, to January 15, 1998. sponse to the Kyoto Climate Change During the 297 days, 4,493 vessel pas- Summit. Contact: Peter J. Sousounis, sages brought 67.5 million tons of cargo University of Michigan, 734-936-0488, The Poe Lock on June 15, 1968. through the Poe Lock. [email protected].

Clean Water Action Plan: A cooperative, watershed-based approach Great Lakes water quality was the public health threats, improve the assessment, animal farming opera- focal point when the Administration’s stewardship of natural resources, tions, federal lands, monitoring, nationwide Clean Water Action Plan strengthen nonpoint source pollu- research, coastal protection, wet- tour visited Chicago in May. The ac- tion controls and enhance public ac- lands, stewardship incentives, pol- tion plan, announced last October cess to water quality information. luted runoff, and standards and en- on the 25th anniversary of the pas- The Chicago meeting, one of forcement. The meeting was coor- sage of the U.S. Clean Water Act, seven events planned nationwide, dinated by the USACE Great offers a blueprint for protecting and featured presentations by Brig. Gen. Lakes and Ohio River Division. restoring the nation’s water re- Hans Van Winkle (USACE Great Contact: Jan Miller, sources into the next century. Lakes and Ohio River Division), [email protected]. The Clean Water Action Plan fea- U.S. EPA Administrator Carol Copies of the plan are available tures a cooperative, watershed-based Browner and Jim Lyons, Asst. Sec- from U.S. EPA’s National Center approach to water quality improve- retary of the U.S. Department of for Environmental Publications ments. In addition to refocusing and Agriculture. and Information (1-800-490- coordinating existing federal efforts, Breakout sessions solicited stake- 9198) or online at http:// it offers new initiatives to reduce holder input on unified watershed www.epa.gov/cleanwater.

May/June 1998 Page 11 Great Lakes Calendar This calendar is a compilation October August of selected events of interest to the 19-20 Annual Meeting of the Great 13 Exotic Species Day Camp. Commission. Further details and a Lakes Commission. Buffalo, NY. Contact: Chicago, IL. Contact: Robin Goettel, more extensive calendar are available Mike Donahue, [email protected]. 217-333-9448, [email protected]. online via the Great Lakes Informa- December tion Network (www.great-lakes.net). 29-Sept. 21 Coastweeks '98: Ohio We encourage your input to the 9-10 Great Lakes GIS Online Celebrates Lake Erie. Contact: Ohio Workshop. The University of Chicago calendar. If you know of an event Lake Erie Office, 419-245-2514, Gleacher Center; Chicago, IL. Contact: [email protected]. you’d like us to include, please Julie Wagemakers, [email protected]. contact Lara Slee, ADVISOR editor, 30-Sept. 3 Coastal Zone Canada. at 734-665-9135; [email protected]. Basin events Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Contact: CZC98, Institute of Ocean July Sciences, 250-363-6479 (fax), Commission events 11 The Great Lakes Celebrate the [email protected]. International Year of the Ocean. Sarnia, July Ontario. Contact: Patricia MacDonald, September 8-10 12th International Great Lakes- 613-990-0414, macdonaldp@dfo- 24 Ohio Lake Erie Conference. St. Lawrence Mayors’ Conference. mpo.gc.ca. Ashtabula, OH. Contact: Ohio Lake Windsor, Ontario. Contact: Steve Erie Office, 419-245-2514, Thorp, [email protected]. 20-21 Workshop on Great Lakes [email protected]. Natural Coastal Hazards to Develop- September ment. Milwaukee, WI. Contact: Phil 25-26 Areas of Concern Workshop: 15-16 Beneficial Use of Dredged Keillor, 608-263-5133, jkeillor@ Transferring Successful Strategies Material Workshop. Toledo, OH. seagrant.wisc.edu. and Techniques. Hammond, IN. Contact: Steve Thorp, [email protected]. Contact: Bruce Kirschner, 22 National Aquatic Nuisance 313-226-2170 ext. 6710, 16-17 Great Lakes Dredging Team Species Task Force. Arlington, VA. [email protected]. Meeting. Toledo, OH. Contact: Steve Contact: Bob Peoples, 703-358-2025, Thorp, [email protected]. [email protected]. October 23-24 Workshop on Great Lakes 21-23 State of the Lakes Ecosystem 16-18 Soil Erosion and Sediment Natural Coastal Hazards to Conference (SOLEC 98). Buffalo, Control Techniques for the Great Development. Superior, WI. Con- NY. Contact: Paul Horvatin, 312-353- Lakes Basin. Toledo, OH. Contact: tact: Phil Keillor, 608-263-5133, 3612, [email protected]. Matt Doss, [email protected]. jkeillor@ seagrant.wisc.ed. Printed on recycled paper.

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