CANADA-ONTARIO AGREEMENT
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD
TORONTO, SEPTEMBER 28, 2001 - Today, the governments
of Canada and Ontario released the draft 2001 Canada-Ontario Agreement
Respecting the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem (COA) for a 60-day public comment
period.
The draft 2001 Canada-Ontario Agreement outlines how the two governments will cooperate and coordinate their efforts to restore, protect and conserve the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem. It builds on the actions taken through previous Agreements, and focuses on priorities for future action.
"We are committed to restoring the ecosystem of the Great Lakes Basin and this new agreement will help us see the job through," said Environment Minister David Anderson. "Through this public comment period we hope to engage Canadians living in the Great Lakes basin in helping to share this exciting environmental challenge."
"This new Canada-Ontario Agreement is flexible, accountable and responsive," said Ontario Environment Minister Elizabeth Witmer. "It will help us use both proven methods, and find new solutions to improve and sustain the health of the Great Lakes."
The new COA recognizes the need to continue to tackle the most pressing issues - such as the clean up of the 16 remaining Canadian Areas of Concern, increased binational cooperation on a lake-by-lake basis and the reduction of harmful pollutants. The new agreement can be adapted to respond to emerging issues in the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem.
To further inform Canadians on the work being done on the Great Lakes, the governments of Canada and Ontario today released a number of Great Lakes Portraits which illustrate some of the successes over the past six years, and some of the future challenges facing the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem. They can be found at: http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/coa/2001/ and www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/news/index2001.htm
Residents are invited to comment on the draft COA by visiting either
Environment Canada's Green Lane at http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/coa/2001/
or the Government of Ontario's Environmental Bill of Rights Registry at
http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envregistry/016922ep.htm
The Green Lane also includes a Public
Comment Workbook to assist public comment.
If residents don't have access to the Internet or would like more information about COA, please contact the Government of Canada at 1-800-O-Canada.
Comments submitted through any of these options will be given equal consideration by both Canada and Ontario.
John Mills
Regional Director General
Environment Canada
(416) 739-4666
John Steele
Media Relations Coordinator
Communications Branch
Ontario Ministry of the Environment
(416) 314-6666
FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE BACKGROUNDER
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