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Green Bay, Wisconsin, November 1, 2005

Key points presented at the public meeting

• Need to sanction Milwaukee for continually dumping raw sewage into Lake Michigan; their last fine was a measly $1,200. Should factor-in the extra cost of purifying our drinking water due to these releases. Sewage and manure standards need to be added to revised GLWQA.
  
  
• Fifty years ago the Bay Beach in Green Bay was closed for swimming: it has never been re-opened. Beach closings and urban storm water from Chicago and Milwaukee are major concerns that should be addressed in a new GLWQA (Isaac Walton League); Milwaukee sewage releases must be stopped; Need to get-to-the-bottom of all these beach closings - need someone to take the lead and give us some answers; Beaches along Lake Huron are degraded and have high E-coli counts related to agricultural runoff - how many other pathogenic organisms and viruses are in our recreational water; More than a million livestock in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations in the Lake Huron region - led to the Walkerton tragedy; Must stop spreading raw human waste (septage) and spraying liquid livestock manure on agricultural land - most of which is tile drained (this material could be treated by anaerobic digesters, as is done in Europe); Antibiotic resistance is increasing due to Pharmaceuticals/Agriceuticals and Personal Care products how does the GLWQA deal with this?
  
  
• What is being done to reduce the number of "one-meal-per-week" Fish Consumption Advisories; Why aren't Fish Consumption Advisories better publicized; 1000's of new chemicals are being introduced and released - they are not being tested for their toxicity - need companies to prove that chemicals are not a threat before they are introduced to commercial use, we should have learned this from PCB's - now we have PBDE's; Ingestion or inhalation of potentially toxic Nanosubstances are another emerging threat which must be addressed immediately; Zero Discharge needs to be the goal, can't allow Government-permitted increased dumping of Phosphorous and Mercury into our water as was recently done at Green Bay; Mercury levels in fish are rising, not declining; Zero Discharge is not happening - where is the enforcement; Concerned about toxic chemicals used to treat our drinking water - they are a threat to human health and build-up in our bodies over time; The existing Confined Disposal Facility in Green Bay is a continuing source of contaminants; Endometriosis afflicts millions of U.S. women and has been linked, like breast cancer, to toxic chemicals in our environment; Pharmaceuticals are proposed by EPA to be added to Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) as a "universal" waste (like batteries and fluorescent bulbs) - is this being commented-on by the IJC; Green Bay terns are in significant decline and are a new endangered species.
  
  
• Engineered Genetic Technology is seen as a treat to human health; Genetically modified crops are another potential threat - need an independent review and more reliable research; Need to bring public awareness to these and other contaminant issues - 30 years ago Great lakes pollution was obvious, now it's hidden and not so evident.
  
  
• Invasive species are a major concern; what is being done about Zebra Mussels - their shells cut feet on our beaches - and there's many more now than 5 years ago.
  
  
• Impervious surfaces are a huge threat to Great lakes water quality; Aquifers are being depleted/mined so Lake Michigan is under threat of reduced water quantity and Climate Change will just make it worse, lake levels are already declining; Don't allow any diversion of Lake Michigan water under Annex 2001 but, if they must be allowed they should be under the control of the IJC; Current water levels on Lake Michigan must be maintained.
  
  
• Funding and enforcement is needed for all the Annexes of the GLWQA; White Lake, Michigan Area of Concern/Remedial Action Plan has no money to proceed with cleanup plans; We've had enough studies, we need action - the Fox River PCB cleanup has dragged-on for 22 years with study after study and little action.
  
  
• What will our children's legacy be in the Great Lakes region; Existing GLWQA is good, but it isn't there yet - it needs updating; Two Governments need to meet the spirit of the Agreement but both are dragging-their-feet; Need the IJC to be more pro-active on Great lakes emerging issues; We need a much stronger revised Agreement to deal with all the issues raised tonight; It's very frustrating - we are constantly asked for our input on this "stuff" but we never get any answers; Wisconsin's new Office of the Great Lakes encourages review of the GLWQA in relation to Airborne Contaminants; A new agreement needs to deal with Pharmaceuticals/Anti-biotic resistance; IJC should co-ordinate data standards for emission inventories among the States/Provinces; IJC should have had more GLWQAR meetings in the Lake Michigan basin; Need to strengthen and prioritize the Human Health sections of the GLWQA; Sewage and manure rules and limitations must be added to the GLWQA; Mercury limits need to be added to the GLWQA - similar to Phosphorous

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