October 29/03

JULY 03 MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL AIR QUALITY ADVISORY BOARD
OFFICES OF THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
190 FIFTH ST. E.
ST. PAUL MINNESOTA

Monday, July 28/03

In attendance: Rick Artz, Paul Lioy, Peggy Farnsworth, Harold Garabedian, Ed Piché, Randy Piercey, Kathy Tonnessen and Dr. Ann McMillan, nominee to the Canadian Chair of the Board. IJC Staff present included John McDonald, Secretary, Kelly Montgomery, Ted Bailey, Joel Fisher.

1. Call to Order

   Dr. Gary Foley, US Chair of the Board, called the meeting to order.

2. Review and Approval of Agenda

   Addition of two related items, 'Emissions from Utilities' and the IJC Energy symposium scheduled for Vancouver in September was approved. Recognition of Don McKay's for his service to the Board was also added as an agenda item.

3. Review of Records

   Final Review - Washington Meeting - April 8/03

   The minutes of the Washington meeting were approved.

   Ellen Cooter was willing to track the Water Quality Board (WQB) Climate Change initiative on behalf of the Board; and the Secretary was to ensure that she was invited to the upcoming WQB Climate Change workshop.

   Several possible participants for the Long Range Transport workshop to be held in conjunction with the Biennial Meeting in Ann Arbor were discussed. Data from the Mauna Loa Hawaii and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency air quality monitoring site in San Francisco were recommended for consideration under the global atmospheric transport issue. The Commission for Environmental Co-operation (CEC) agreed to be a sponsor and support Mexican representation at the workshop. The Board endorsed the workshop and agreed to communicate their support to our Commission.

   Conference Call Record May 6, 2003

   The Board reviewed and approved the record.

   Conference Call Record June 25, 2003

   The Board reviewed and approved the record.

4. Update on Pilot Projects under the US Canada Border Air Quality Strategy

   Peggy Farnsworth gave an overview of the Pilot Projects under the recently announced US Canada Air Quality Strategy. Three distinct projects would be carried out under the Air Quality Agreement; i) development of a pilot emissions trading system in the Eastern Canada/New England States region; ii) a Georgia Basin/Puget Sound air quality investigation and iii) an air quality examination in the SE Michigan/SW Ontario region of the Great Lakes basin. The State of Michigan and the Province of Ontario will also participate in the latter project.

5. Special Report - Review and Edit

   Overview and Review of Comments to Date

   Confirmation of Intent and Direction

   Editing Process

   The Board decided to dramatically compact the available material by identifying the Critical Issues and then developing very terse headline/story/findings/recommendations for those selected as a basis of a first report to the Commission. Individual issue presentations were reviewed and critiqued by the Board and it was agreed that, after a further polishing, the report would be presented at the IJC Fall Semi-Annual meeting in Ottawa in October.

6. Report on Air Quality in Detroit Windsor- Sarnia Port Huron - Sault Ste. Marie

   The Secretary was asked to prepare a transmittal letter for the report to the Commission, including a reference to the Border Strategy on Air Quality.

7. Status of Development of 2003-05 IJC Great Lakes Priorities

   One likely Commission priority for the 2003/05 cycle would be the consideration of the implications of any review of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The Board would have a role in the review of Annex 15 (Atmospheric Deposition) of the Agreement, and an interest in the balance of the review, particularly the Research Annex and portions pertaining to the management of persistent toxic substances.

8. Participation in the IJC Biennial Forum - Sept 19 and 20/03 - Ann Arbor (attachment)

   It was confirmed that the HYSPLIT (HYbrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory) modeling of the atmospheric transport and deposition of mercury to the Great Lakes basin would be presented during the Mercury Workshop Friday Sept. 19 at the IJC Biennial Meeting.

9. Other Business
   
   
   1. Emissions from Power Plants and IJC Energy Symposium

      Progress in the preparation of a regional consideration of emissions from electrical utilities, particularly those fueled by coal, was reviewed and a need for further information was identified.

      Harold Garabedian and Gary Foley intend to participate in the Energy Briefing for Commissioners, to be held Sept. 8 and 9 in Vancouver.

   2. Recognition of Don McKay's Service as Canadian Board Chair

      The Secretary agreed to discuss an appropriate gift for departing Canadian Chair Dr. Don McKay to mark his contribution to the work of the Board over the past several years.

10. Next Meeting and Next Conference Call

    Next meeting should be in the month of January, 2004; the USEPA National Exposure Research Laboratory in Nevada was recommended as a possible site.

    The Board agreed to hold a conference call to discuss the Special Report/Critical Issues report in mid August.

11. Adjournment : 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday, July 30^th.