Our Great Lakes

THE CANADA-ONTARIO AGREEMENT RESPECTING THE GREAT LAKES BASIN ECOSYSTEM

2002–2003 BIENNIAL PROGRESS REPORT

Glossary of Terms

Areas of Concern (AOC)
The 42 severely degraded geographic areas in the Great Lakes Basin where beneficial uses for humans and wildlife (e.g. fish consumption and habitat degradation) are impaired.

Atmospheric Deposition
The deposit of airborne toxic substances, particularly persistent toxic substances that may have significant adverse effects on environment quality.

Beneficial Use
The ability of living organisms to use the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem without adverse consequence (includes the 14 uses identified in Annex 2 of the GLWQA).

Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI)
The inability of an Area of Concern to support aquatic life or other beneficial uses for humans and wildlife.

Benthic
Refers to the bottom zone of a body of water or the aquatic life that lives in the bottom zone of a body of water.

Biosolids
Waste that is predominantly organic that has been treated by aerobic or anaerobic digestion or other means of stabilization. Biosolids include residue from sewage works.

CCME
Canadian Ministers of the Environment

CISE
Canadian Information Systems for the Environment

Criteria Air Pollutants
Nitrogen oxides (NOx) Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) Sulphur dioxide (SO2) Particulate matter less than 10 microns (PM10) Particulate matter less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5).

Ecosystem and Ecosystem Approach
Ecosystems are composed of a variety of organisms including plants, fish and wildlife, and people that function in an interrelated way with one another and to the surrounding environment (air, water and land).

An ecosystem approach recognizes the interactive system of biological communities, their non-living components, their associated activities and the interconnectedness of and linkages occurring among air, water, land and living things.

Endocrine Systems and Endocrine Disrupting Substances
Endocrine systems are complex mechanisms coordinating and regulating internal communication among cells.

Endocrine disrupting substances interact with endocrine systems and can cause a disruption to normal functions, adversely affecting their growth, reproduction and development. Even at very low levels many of these chemicals may have biological impacts on the health and sustainability of wildlife populations.

Fish Community Objectives
The objectives relate to desirable fish community habitat. They provide a common framework for agencies to develop and implement complementary fishery management programs.

GLBTS
Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy.

GLIC
Great Lakes Innovation Committee: a group of representatives from municipalities, academia, forestry, fisheries, public health, conservation, industry, environmental and other interested organizations which provides advice to the COA Management Committee.

GLWCAP
Great Lakes Wetlands Conservation Action Plan.

Great Lakes Basin
The five main Great Lakes (Ontario, Erie, Michigan, Huron and Superior) and the St. Lawrence River, as well as the surrounding lands, rivers and streams that flow into them.

Harmful Pollutants
The substances that have a damaging impact on the health/functioning of the ecosystem. The harmful pollutants are substances on the Tier I and Tier II substance list, as well as the Criteria Air Pollutants (information available online at www.on.ec.gc.ca/coa)

Impaired Use
The impact of environmental problems that interfere with beneficial uses and which must be addressed through remedial measures. When beneficial uses are no longer impaired and an area is restored it can be removed from the list of AOCs.

LaMP
Lakewise Management Plan

LIO
Land Information Ontario

Loading
The amount (concentration multiplied by flow rate) of a substance being emitted or discharged.

Non-Point Source
This is the diffuse sources of pollution including combined sewer overflows and urban and rural runoff (that is, not attributable to one specific source)

ORISE
Ontario Regional Information Systems for the Environment

PAH
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

PDBE
Polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants

PCBs
Polychlorinated biphenyls

Particulate Matter
Particulate Matter is the mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets in the air, including aerosols, smoke, fumes, dust ash and pollen. A major component of smog, particulate matter presents a health risk as well as having environmental impacts such as corrosion and damage to vegetation.

Remedial Action Plan (RAP)
Remedial Action Plans are set up to restore severely degraded areas within the Great Lakes Basin. RAPs are being developed and implemented at 42 AOCs on the Great Lakes.

Remediation
Any actions that help to minimize, remedy or mitigate significant harm or pollution of waters or land, or the act of restoring the land or waters to their former state.

Riparian
The areas of vegetation on the banks/sides of streams, rivers and other bodies of water. These areas help remove sediments from water, reduce erosion and flooding and support wildlife populations, including providing fisheries habitat.

Trace Organics
Industrial contaminants formed during the incomplete combustion of organic carbons, e.g., polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), hydrocarbons, and chlorinated organics.

Transboundary Transport
The movement of pollutants across political and geographic borders and boundaries. Transboundary transport can result in the creation of pollution problems over which a jurisdiction may have little control since the source is outside its boundaries.

Virtual Elimination
Means that there is no measurable release of a substance to the environment.

Volatile Organic Compounds
Chemicals that contain carbon and elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, sulphur or nitrogen. Examples are gasoline, benzene, formaldehyde and toluene as well as chemicals used in dry cleaning.

WRIP
Water Resources Information Project

Tony Walton for the Ontario Ministry of the Environment