Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

 

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement is an international agreement between Canada and the United States. The agreement addresses water quality issues in the Great Lakes and the international section of the St. Lawrence River. It’s overall goal is to uphold and re-establish the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem through interventions that are appointed at the areas of concern.

First signed by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and President Richard Nixon in 1972, the agreement has been updated several times; in 1978, 1987, and 2012.  The original 1972 agreement primarily focused on reducing algae, and both countries believed that limiting phosphorus inputs was the answer to the control of the excessive algal growth.  The 1978 revision focused on toxic substances in the Great Lakes, so both countries have taken action in decreasing the release of toxic chemicals in the environment. In the 1987 revision, the United States and Canada agreed to find the specific damages, like fish and wildlife consumption limitations, beach closings, or unfavorable algae. This revision also concentrated on re-establishing the ecosystem within these areas. The most recent revision in 2012 came into power February 12, 2013. This revision allowed the International Joint Commission substantial responsibilities to inform the public and measure its progress. Also, the 2012 GLWQA now involves measures to avoid environmental risks before they result in ecological destruction, while also continuing to support the work on current pressures to the quality of the waters of the Great Lakes. Overall, one of the most important changes in the 2012 GLWQA is the position both the United States and Canada have placed on providing the widest variety of organizations, governments and also involving the public in work to protect and restore the water quality of the Great Lakes.

The GLWQA contains the regulations and committee that has the power to choose whether a specific area should be labeled an area of concern. Since each individual waterway has its own characteristics that effect its ecological damage, a Remedial Action Plan has been created to help recognize the causes of those damages. This, in turn, will then be used to help local actions restore the individual waterways.

A group that is greatly involved in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement is the International Joint Commission. The IJC’s position under the GLWQA is to report on development towards meeting the agreement’s intentions, evaluate the efficiency of programs in the United States and Canada, and lastly to examine the material given by the governments. When the GLWQA was first created, a Water Quality Board was developed to advise the IJC. There is also a regional office in the Great Lakes basin, managed by the IJC, to help the IJC with its obligations under the agreement.

The IJC adopted four important priority areas in 2012 to be worked on from 2012-2015. Each priority was given a desired goal that should result from its work by 2015, along with a staff administration team to work with its Great Lakes boards and many other professionals. The four main priorities consist of: The reduction of phosphorus loads and algal blooms in Lake Erie, the evaluation of growth towards the re-establishment of the Great Lakes, strengthening the volume to distribute Great Lakes Science and Information, and lastly public involvement and education.

Sources:

http://www.ijc.org/en_/Great_Lakes_Quality

https://www.ec.gc.ca/grandslacs-greatlakes/default.asp?lang=En&n=647DC488-1

http://binational.net/glwqa-aqegl/