Great Lakes Water Quality Board
Summary of Discussion for 160^th Meeting
Chicago, IL
January 25-26, 2005

* Indicating participation via teleconference

4.0 2005 Biennial Meeting Update

Gannon updated the Board on plans for the 2005 IJC Biennial Meeting in Kingston, Ontario, June 9-12. On June 9^th will be the Great Lakes Conference of more technical content followed by the Biennial Meeting intended for the public at large. The main workshop themes will be physical, chemical, biological, and ecological integrity in addition to the AOC/RAP Workshop. The WQB is co-sponsoring with the Lake Erie Millenium Network the ecological integrity workshop from 1-4 p.m. on June 9^th.

As workshop co-sponsors, it was deemed appropriate to have two WQB members participate in the panel discussion and react from a resource management and policy perspective to what was heard in the scientific presentations.

Action Item: Identify two WQB members to participate in the Ecological Integrity Workshop.

6.0 WQB 2005-2007 Priorities – Preliminary Discussions

At the 2004 fall Semi-Annual meeting, the Commission encouraged the boards/council for the 2005-2007 priority to consider issues on which the board/council might collaborate on from their perspective areas of expertise. The co-chairs of all of the boards/council have been invited to the February, 2005 Executive Meeting to dialogue with the Commissioners on possible new or continued priorities during the next cycle. It was recognized that the WQB is just beginning to have this discussion, and that it would be timely to provide the Board co-chairs with some guidance on possible issues of high priority from the Board's perspective to Agreement purpose and programs.

Action Item: Circulate list of potential priorities for review and comment on those issues of highest priority.

7.0 Advice on Review of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

7.2 Watershed Approaches Workshop

Gannon briefed the Board on the most recent drafts of the agenda and questionnaire survey for the Watershed Approaches Workshop. He noted that a binational commonality is already emerging with non-point source pollution issues being a major driver for watershed planning on both sides of the border.

Action Item: Oversee completion of watershed questionnaire survey.

7.3 Documents Review

There was no progress to report on GLWQA document review. A conference call will be held with the sub-group to initiate this activity. With the delay in Parties' review of the Agreement, there is still sufficient time to undertake this activity to provide WQB advice to the Commission.

Action Item: Initiate sub-group conference call.

8.0 Other 2003-2005 Priorities

8.1 Annex 2 Work Group

Annex 2 Work Group reviewed a fairly long list of potential activities that consist of some carry-over items from the former IJC Annex 2 Task Force and new ones considered by the WQB's work group.

In continuation of the Board's dialogue with RAP practitioners on their needs and to communicate positive lessons learned from one AOC to the others; the EPA has awarded a grant to the Great Lakes Commission to update the AOC website with contacts and other information to improve communication between U.S. AOCs/RAPs. A biennial update report on AOC status and programs will also be prepared this calendar year.

Action Item: Mark Elster to share the EPA's grant to GLC on updating AOC website and reporting.

It was indicated that AOC/RAPs are a priority in the Canadian Great Lakes Renewal Program submission. In addition there was a discussion about the IJC 2003 AOC Report and how difficult it was for the IJC to obtain updated information on progress in AOCs. There was an agreement by EPA/GLNPO and EC to consult with IJC staff and the Annex 2 Working Group to work out the detail of an requirements for information and updating the Commission (and public) in regards to progress on-going in the AOCs.

Action Item: EPA/GLNPO and EC consult with the WQB Annex 2 Work Group and IJC staff on AOC reporting.

Although improved bottom-up communication and coordination need to continue, there was recognition that no one is happy with the status and progress in AOCs/RAPs. Although shortfalls in financial and human resources in AOC's are real, there seems to be an overriding lack of responsibility and accountability for many years. It was recalled that in 1987 following the revision of the Agreement by Protocol that there was a lot of enthusiasm, energy, and funding for RAPs. Then the brick wall was reached as it became better understood that multi-millions of dollars were required to remediate contaminated sediments and non-point/stormwater pollution. There was a good bottom-up process of identifying problems with lots of local involvement but progress stalled out at the top because of lack of significant new dollars for remediation. It was considered timely to explore options for having the Commission "raise the profile" on AOCs/RAPs in a way the WQB nor IJC staff cannot do.

Action Item: Annex 2 Work Group schedules teleconference prepare strawdog on strategic approach involving the Commission in "raising the profile" on RAPs for WQB review and comment.

It was recognized that one of the sub-groups is addressing Areas of Concern restoration and that the Board's current concerns and deliberations could inform possible direction and outcomes of that initiative. It was noted that IJC needs to remain neutral in the U.S. regional collaboration, but informal communication and information exchange would be appropriate and timely.

Action Item: Annex 2 Work Group memo on key needs for improving AOC/RAP implementation and remediation for WQB review and comment prior to April 12th Board meeting. Also, consider transmitting the RAP consultation document to the U.S. regional collaboration.

8.2 SAB Liaison Activities – Land Use and Human Health

Gannon gave brief update on WQB liaison to these SAB activities. For land use, contract reports on U.S. and Canadian legal mechanisms for lessening water quality impacts from land use are underway as well as a modeling effort. For human health, the microbiological workshop for Traverse City, Michigan in May 2005 has been postponed but the workshop on chemical exposure and effects is scheduled for March 2005 in Chicago, Illinois.

Action Item: WQB member needs to be identified to attend the SAB workshop on chemical exposure and effects as WQB liaison.

Action Item: Provide information for workshop to the Board.

9.0 Other Business

9.1 Sewage Blending Briefing

There has been a lot of media attention to the proposed U.S. sewage blending regulation under the Clean Water Act. The U.S. approach is to codify in regulations what is already being done by sewage treatment plants under wet weather conditions. There were concerns expressed that the sewage blending policy could be a "band aid" that might turn into a permanent remedy and postpone the needed attention to long-term efforts towards addressing sewage treatment plant improvements and better handling of wet weather flow volumes. Municipalities are developing long-term infrastructure strategies; one of the goals of these strategies is to design/plan for infrastructure upgrades in a way that minimizes negative impacts from wet-weather events that cause overflows/bypasses.

Action Item: Decide on next conference call on how to obtain report on states, and provincial views on sewage blending.

9.2 Other

It was noted that the Board members know what the real on-the-ground problems are in the Great Lakes and they are in the best position to communicate high priority concerns to the Commission. Collaboration with the other boards/council is meritorious, and considerations need to be given to turn current "stove pipe" activities of the boards/council into "pipelines" of policy and advice to the Commission. It was agreed to devote more effort and future WQB meetings to strategic thinking. Moreover, the role of the WQB and a review of its terms of reference should be part of the Board's advice on Agreement review to the Commission. The Board Secretary and U.S. and Canadian IJC advisors to the Board will provide a strawdog for the Board's review and comment.

Action Item: Confer on the ways and means of assisting the Board with strategic approaches to WQB meetings and follow up activities.