Synthesis of Public Comment >

Executive Summary

In June 2005, the Governments of the United States and Canada (Governments) asked the International Joint Commission (Commission) to conduct five regional public meetings across the Great Lakes basin beginning with the previously-scheduled Biennial Meeting on Great Lakes Water Quality. The meetings were intended to educate the public about the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and provide an early opportunity for public input into the forthcoming review of the Agreement, scheduled to be initiated by the Governments in early 2006.

The Commission established partnerships with mayors across the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River basin, who cooperated enthusiastically by making meeting spaces and equipment available for the regional public meetings. This generous assistance reduced the Commission's operating costs, enabling it to hold 15 public meetings and to launch an innovative Web dialogue to increase opportunities for people across the basin to express their views about the issues that should be considered during the review.

Altogether, over 4,100 people participated in the process, including over 1,000 who attended the Biennial Meeting and regional public meetings. This is an excellent participation rate considering the potential for "consultation fatigue" from other consultations underway in the basin at the same time.

Several main themes emerged during the Commission's public comment process:

• Participants expressed strong support for the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and wanted all levels of government to reinvigorate their efforts to implement it.
  
  
• Participants demanded good water quality and said it is essential to ensure a healthy future for the lakes and the socio-economic well being of the basin's residents and their communities.
  
  
• Many concerns related to releases of municipal sewage and animal wastes. Participants wanted initiatives to address these issues included in a revised Agreement.
  
  
• Many participants were concerned about water quantity and climate change and wanted these issues to be addressed in the review of the Agreement.
  
  
• Considerable concern was expressed about aquatic invasive species and many participants also wanted this issue to be included in a revised Agreement.
  
  
• Participants were concerned about a variety of land use and watershed management issues. Many thought that these should be addressed during the review, especially the protection of wetlands.
  
  
• There was a great deal of comment on the lack of progress toward delisting and restoring beneficial uses in Areas of Concern, as well as the need to reinvigorate Remedial Action Plans.
  
  
• Participants in different parts of the basin said the Agreement should include the St. Lawrence River, downstream of the international boundary at Cornwall, Ontario, and Massena, New York.
  
  
• Many participants thought that more public education efforts were needed to build support for Great Lakes restoration.
  
  
• Many participants voiced support for a stronger Commission role to hold Governments accountable for achieving their Agreement commitments, to educate the public about the Agreement and to facilitate public input during the review of the Agreement.

The Commission systematically reviewed the issues raised in the unedited record of public comment and selected comments for this synthesis report that reflect the main points made by the participants, as well as minority views. The views expressed are from the individuals and organizations that participated in the public comment process and are not the views of the Commission. The high level of participation and depth of commentary demonstrate once more that there is a strong constituency for the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

The Commission wishes to thank the over 4,100 people who took part in the public comment process. In the Commission's view, the synthesis report is a fair and even-handed reflection of the comments received during the public meetings, Web dialogue and other consultation activities. However, since a number of participants prepared detailed, substantive comments on the forthcoming review of the Agreement, the Commission also notes that the full, unedited record of public comment is available on CD-ROM and strongly encourages Governments and the public to examine this record.

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