Protecting Our Great Lakes for Future Generations & How You Can Help

Algae Invasive Radioactive Micro Water Blooms Carp Nuclear Plastics Levels Waste

www.brianmasse.cBrian Masse M.P.a brianmasse.ca1

Dear friends,

As the federal NDP Critic for the Great Lakes, I have taken particular interest in several issues that threaten this largest surface freshwater system on earth.

As you are aware, Canada and the United States share the more than 1200 kilometers of lakes meaning we also share responsibility for protecting this vast water source and ensuring that it remains a viable and healthy source of water for generations to come.

In the past decade, several issues have become more and more prevalent when discussing the Great Lakes including:

♦ Algae Blooms ♦ Invasive Species—Invasive Carp ♦ Micro Plastics ♦ Radioactive Nuclear Waste Storage ♦ Water levels.

We saw most recently the threat posed by toxic blue- green algae in Lake Erie, and ultimately, the threat this posed on the drinking water for hundreds of thousands of residents who rely on Lake Erie for potable water.

For several years we have heard about Invasive Carp moving into our waters. Asian Carp pose a serious threat to the Great Lakes especially for the multi-billion dollar commercial and recreational fishery, and the livelihoods of thousands of families are in the crosshairs. Once a population of Asian Carp is established, their plague would be irreversible.

On another front we see the dangers being posed to the Great Lakes ecosystem by an increasing amount of micro plastics (plastic less than 5mm in diameter). Recent studies have found the Great Lakes have some extremely high concentrations of these micro plastics which can upset entire ecosystems and can cause death to wildlife who confuse these plastics for foods.

2 Brian Masse M.P. (Windsor West)

Further, debates are taking place surrounding the permanent burial of nuclear waste in the Great Lakes region. Ontario Power Generation (OPG) plans to build a Deep Geologic Repository (DGR) to bury and abandon low and intermediate level nuclear waste within a kilometre of the Great Lakes potentially endangering 21% of the world`s fresh surface water relied upon by 40 million people for drinking, recreation, tourism and commerce.

Finally, the Great Lakes water levels have been steadily declining over recent years with numerous studies done and no action taken to date. Lake levels affect trade, tourism and the environment. Because of a particularly icy winter this past season, water levels rebounded by 45 centimeters. We welcome this, but after decades of decline, we must bring solutions to the table rather than jeopardize future drops in water levels which will significantly impact all of us.

This booklet is designed to educate, inform, and help you take action to help protect our Great Lakes for generations to come.

More information on all of these campaigns is available at www.brianmasse.ca. Thank you for taking action and for helping protect the Great Lakes.

Brian Masse MP (Windsor West) www.brianmasse.c a 3

This past August 2014, a A recent report by the drinking water ban was in place International Joint Commission for over 400,000 residents in (IJC) cites that toxic algal blooms Toledo, Ohio. In Canada, are being “fueled by excessive residents of Pelee Island also had agricultural fertilizer runoff and a two week water ban. Why? urban sources.” They made 16 Toxins in the water supply recommendations to rendered the water unsafe due government officials on how to to blue-green algal blooms on mitigate these blooms. the shores of Lake Erie.

Currently, there are close to 37 Brian Masse wrote to the federal million people living in the Great Minister of Environment asking Lakes basin and more than 26 what plans the Canadian million of these people rely on Government has, or intends to the Great Lakes for their put into place to help stop these drinking water. Many people blooms. Here is an excerpt: don't realize it, but resources in “I am urging your government to the Great Lakes Basin are develop an aggressive strategy responsible for the quality of our to ensure that phosphorous lives including the rich farmland, levels in the Great Lakes do not abundant fish, water power, threaten our water supply. transportation, and natural beauty. These blooms can pose a significant risk to fish, wildlife Within the 201,000 square miles and human health. Recently an of the Great Lakes Basin, 67,000 enormous algae bloom impacted are devoted to agriculture-- an over 400 000 people living in the area larger than each of the Southwest Lake Erie bordering states except region. Those affected went Minnesota. The Lake Erie region, days without access to safe where we see many of these potable water from the public toxic algal blooms, leads the utility system due to algae Great Lakes in the raising of pigs, induced toxic contamination.” sheep, soybeans, wheat, and ~Brian Masse MP (Letter to Minister chicken corn. The nutrient of Environment and Minister of phosphorus is the main culprit, Fisheries and Oceans) among many, in promoting algal growth.

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The International Joint Commission (IJC) is an independent organization established between Canada and the US under the 1901 Boundary Waters Treaty. The IJC is tasked with studying issues on all shared bodies of water between our two countries. They are constantly researching issues, monitoring changes and overseeing water ALGAE BLOOMS agreements. They report to both the Canadian and Hitting especially Lake Erie American federal governments and share again this past summer 2014, it recommendations from is time that both the Canadian their findings. They and US governments take recently released a report action to stop the toxic algae. on the algal blooms in Lake Erie which can be located at their website.

Take Action

1. Visit my website and download the letter to the Government of Canada asking them to adopt the IJC recommendations in their report on algal blooms: www.brianmasse.ca. 2. Send your letter (postage-free) to the following addresses: ⇒ Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 ⇒ Hon. Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Environment House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 www.brianmasse.c a 5

As you may know, one of the most pressing threats to our Great Lakes is the infestation of Invasive Carp. The two species of Asian carp most threatening to the Lakes are Silver Carp and Big Mouth Carp, which commonly grow to be 50 Ibs.

Invasive Carp are particularly devastating to ecosystems because they feed on several INVASIVE CARP types of phytoplankton, stealing the food that These invasive fish are slowly moving native fish require to into our freshwater Great Lakes. survive. As such, they disrupt the entire food chain. In some contributories to the Mississippi river, these species make up of 90% of the biomass.

While the United States rightly contemplates a number of multi-million dollar and billion dollar infrastructure spending projects to curb this invasion, Canada has not done enough to date.

That`s why NDP Great Lakes Critic Brian Masse introduced Bill C-629 that will:

• Ban the import of the live Asian carp; • Prohibit the advertising or sale of these fish in Canada and between provinces; • Require full evisceration before importation; and, • Give power to CBSA officers to enforce the law.

6 Brian Masse M.P. (Windsor West)

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8 Brian Masse M.P. (Windsor West)

What will Bill C-629 do?

Brian Masse’s legislation is an important first step in Canada towards enacting change. If passed, it will introduce a Canada-wide ban on the live import of Invasive Carp and require that these fish be eviscerated (gutted) prior to crossing our borders. Additionally, it will bolster our capacity to enforce this ban and increase the level of deterrence by increasing fines for noncompliance.

Evisceration is critical due to the physiology of invasive carp. Incredibly, these fish have survived in packed ice for up to 2 days and smugglers are able to cross the border with what appears to be a shipment of dead fish only to rehydrate them once they clear customs. This bill would facilitate the inspection process allowing Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Officers to detain shipments suspected of carrying live Invasive Carp and empower them to enforce the Act.

Finally, the Government of Canada estimates that the live invasive carp market in the Toronto area alone at roughly $5M/year. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has characterized the current fine system as a weak deterrent viewed by smugglers as simply the “cost of doing business.” Bill C-629 provides a minimum fine of $15,000 for individuals smuggling these fish into Canada for a first offense and $75,000 for a corporation found guilty of smuggling invasive carp for a first offense.

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement signed between the Government of Canada and the United States is clear: “The Waters of the Great Lakes should be free from introduction of Aquatic Invasive Species.” Masse’s legislation is a tool that will significantly, if not altogether eliminate, the “Live Invasive Carp” trade as a potential vector for infestation of the Great Lakes.

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Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is proposing to build a Deep Geologic Repository (DGR) to bury and abandon all of Ontario’s low and intermediate level nuclear waste within a kilometre from the shore of the Great Lakes basin.

Public hearings on this project recently ended in September 2014 and in the next few months a report with recommendations will be issued by a Joint Review Panel to the Minister of Environment. If the federal government approves this plan, an initial 200,000 cubic metres of nuclear waste will end up buried in the DGR to be followed by an additional 200,000 cubic metres in the future when Ontario’s nuclear plants are decommissioned and dismantled at the end of their useful life. If this DGR is approved, a precedent will be set by the placement of this radioactive waste right beside the Great Lakes.

♦ After more than 40 years of research in 9 countries, there is only 1 DGR operating worldwide. Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico –although touted by OPG as an example of a DGR with a successful track record—WIPP is closed now after only 15 years because of an unanticipated and unexplained release of radioactivity that reached the surface and caused 22 workers to suffer internal radiation contamination. ♦ There is evidence of two failed DGR’s that were built in Germany. Both are now in danger of collapsing and have been permanently closed. ♦ This will be the first time a DGR is developed within limestone ♦ Outside of the current site, no other potential site locations were studied.

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Please know that I share the relied upon by 40 million people, concerns of millions of citizens, including thousands of organizations, and scores of local communities outside of the host governments in both Canada municipality of Kincardine, leads and the United States who us to conclude that OPG should understand the importance of have consulted widely protecting the Great Lakes from throughout the Great Lakes threats posed by the proposed region. This is why over130 DGR. With few examples of communities in Ontario and in DGR’s worldwide, all of which every Great Lakes State who have leaked or closed, many upon learning of OPG’s plans concerned groups do not have adopted resolutions consider the Great Lakes Basin opposing the DGR. These to be an appropriate location for communities range from major the siting of this or any DGR urban centres like Toronto to given its proximity to this vital more rural communities like fresh water resource. Essex.

The consultation process It is vital that Canadians and undertaken by OPG for this Americans living in Great Lakes project, which was largely communities have a say in this. focused on the local This proposed project is the first communities in Bruce County of its kind and the permanent with some limited outreach in burial and abandonment of this Michigan, also presents highly toxic radioactive material concerns. The scope and on the shores of Lake Huron will unprecedented nature of the pose a threat to the Great Lakes, DGR project, as well as the Great wildlife and humans for Lakes being a shared hundreds of thousands of years. international body of water

Take Action

Visit my website at www.brianmasse.ca and download the petition supporting my resolution in Parliament on the DGR. Sign it and collect signatures (25 original signatures and addresses needed in order for the Photo: Press Conference May 2014 of groups opposed to the petition to be tabled in DGR project & NDP MPs Carol Hughes and Brian Masse. Parliament). www.brianmasse.c a 11

In recent years, Even more disturbing was researchers across the the finding that Lake Erie world have looked at the had concentrations in one effects of microbeads (less site at 466,000 per square than 5 mm in diameter) in kilometre. consumer products such According to the Great as cosmetics and Lakes and St. Lawrence toothpaste. Microplastics Cities Initiative, micro are a product of larger plastics harm the plastic pollutants that ecosystem in 3 major ways degrade over time from including: exposure to UV rays, wind, and waves. 1. Wildlife can ingest them potentially Most recently, studies causing blockages, have emerged on the dehydration and even effects that these plastics death; are having on the 2. Microplastics can environment because high change the way that concentrations of micro heat is absorbed in the plastics are being found in sand , thus harming large bodies of water. wildlife that relies on A study done by the 5 sand temperature for Gyres Institute in 2012 survival; pointed out that an 3. Wildlife can absorb average of 43,000 toxins in the water particles per square which are moving into kilometre were located in our food chain, samples from Lakes Huron, including humans. Erie and Superior. Photo Credit: Megan Barefoot Photography 12 Brian Masse M.P. (Windsor West)

WHERE CAN I FIND MICROPLASTICS? Microplastics are generally used as exfoliates in beauty care products such as soaps and facial cleansers as well as in some toothpastes. They can also be used in industrial abrasives and rotomilling.

Take Action

You can now download an app to help you find out what products you have at home The Dutch government that contain these passed a motion in microplastics. You can learn November 2012 to have more and download the app at the government discuss the use of microplastics the BEAT THE with manufacturers. A MICROBEAD website. month later, Unilever was one of the first companies You will also find their to announce that it was informative website with phasing out the use of added information on the microbeads in their products that contain these products. microplastics. You can also

Brian Masse has begun learn more about what other the process of discussing countries are doing to change this issue with the the laws governing the use of Canadian companies and this in their products. is also considering legislation if necessary after consultations. www.brianmasse.c a 13

In recent years a lot of attention hydroelectric has been paid to our decreasing power water levels in the Great Lakes. stations, This past season, they have risen predict future water levels, and by 45 centimeters for the first calculate changes in storage in time in over 60 years. The water each Great Lake. level increase is attributed to one of the coldest winters that we It is vital that our Canadian have had in decades and the ice Government has a plan to run-off has increased the levels address the decrease or increase for this season. of water levels in the coming years. Brian Masse and his NDP Great Lakes and connecting- colleagues have been channel water levels are championing this issue in the measured for many reasons. House of Commons and are Instantaneous, daily, monthly, working to ensure that the and long-term average water government has a business plan levels are used to help meet to address the environmental regulatory requirements, assist and economic impacts related to with commercial and these fluctuations. recreational navigation, operate

Great Lakes Water Levels Great Lakes water levels are continuously monitored by U.S. and Canadian federal agencies in the region through a binational partnership. NOAA-GLERL relies on this water level data to conduct research on components of the regional water budget and to improve predictive models. Water level monitoring stations are operated by NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' Canadian Hydrographic Service. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Detroit, Chicago, Buffalo) and Environment Canada play crucial roles in research, coordination of data and operational seasonal water level forecasts for the basin.

INFORMATION FROM: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration`s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory website 14 Brian Masse M.P. (Windsor West)

Excerpts from the House of Commons on water levels

“As members may be aware, this spring the International Joint Commission tabled its study on the international Great Lakes and it should be noted that the IJC made some pretty strong recommendations to the federal government for actions to investigate the restoration of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron levels. It is not just about the ecological concerns, but also about the economic and safety concerns.” Carol Hughes MP, June 10, 2013

“The water levels of Lake Huron have dropped tremendously over the past decade, causing serious economic and safety concerns to communities in that area. They depend on tourism, cottaging and boating…. increase their efforts to significantly halt and reverse the ongoing loss of water from the Great Lakes Basin.” Megan Leslie MP, NDP Environment Critic: March 25, 2013

“Concerning the water level of the Great Lakes. This particularly affects my communities of Killarney and French River. As my colleagues have said already, there are solutions to this problem. I would like to inform the House that there has been work planned for almost 100 years. The first work order for compensating structures goes back to 1917, but was never acted on by successive Liberal and Conservative governments. If action was taken as soon as possible, it would have economic considerations, ecological advantages and would help the local communities.” Claude Gravelle MP, February 6, 2013

Take Action

1. Visit my website and download the letter to the Government of Canada asking them to adopt the IJC recommendations in their report on Great Lakes water levels at: www.brianmasse.ca. 2. Send your letter (postage-free) to the following addresses: ⇒ Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 ⇒ Hon. Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Environment House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 www.brianmasse.c a 15

The most important thing you can do to help the Great Lakes on these issues is to take action and spread the word. As the NDP Great Lakes Critic, Brian Masse M.P. will continue addressing all of these, and many other Great Lakes concerns in the House of Commons.

If you would like more information on any of these campaigns, or would like further copies of this publication please contact the Office of Brian Masse M.P.

Let’s keep our lakes great for future generations.

Brian Masse M.P T. 613-996-1541 Windsor West F. 613-992-5397 NDP Great Lakes Critic House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 (postage-free) [email protected] Facebook.com/brianmasse

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