Approved September 21, 2004

MINUTES
INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMISSION
COMMISSIONERS CONFERENCE CALL
June 30, 2004
1:00 pm EST

The International Joint Commission met in executive session by conference call on June 30, 2004 with Chair Herb Gray in the chair.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

1. Commissioners approved the items covered below as the agenda for the conference call.

MINUTES

2. Commissioners approved the action items from their May 17, 2004 meeting in Cornwall, Ontario.

WATER USES REPORT

3. Commissioners noted the joint draft produced by staff as per the decision at the June Windsor executive meeting and agreed that the report should be:
   1. released the end of August 2004, subject to final approval of the text by Commissioners
   2. produced in a format similar to the Air Reports recently released
   3. sent to governmental contacts for their review within the next week to ten days for any factual inaccuracies.

12TH BIENNIAL REPORT ON GLWQA

4. Commissioners received an oral update on plans to release the report the week of September 13, 2004 and agreed that:
   1. the Chemical Integrity chapter need not be sent to the editor
   2. staff should explore the possibility of including some "streaming video" on the Report's CD and IJC web site.

GLWQA REVIEW

5. Commissioners considered proposed early advice from staff on the GLWQA Review and approved sending Commission principles for the review to the governments with the draft transmittal letter, suitably edited, and signed by both Chairs. (subsequently the edited letter was sent on July 8, 2004)

CHLORINE WORKING PAPER

6. Commissioners approved making an internal working paper on sunsetting chlorine prepared by Dr. Joel Fisher of the US Section available to a researcher for his personal use, with a suitable disclaimer, on the understanding that it will not be disseminated, that it has not been accepted or reviewed by the Commission and that it is not considered to be a Commission product.

ORAL REPORTS

7. Chair Gray reported on his June 24 meeting with the International Great Lakes Coalition (IGLC) which covered such topics as global climate change, the IGLC system wide water level management plan, and the effects of harbor structures on erosion rates.
   
   
8. Chair Schornack reported on his meeting with the National Academy of Science to discuss their current study on alien invasive species, and in particular the ship vector, and his recommendation to strengthen the binational character of the study by linking with the Royal Society of Canada.
   
   
9. Commissioners Gourd and Olson reported on their site visit to view bald eagle banding at Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota with Dr. Bill Bowerman, Assistant Professor at Clemson University and a member of the IJC's Great Lakes Science Advisory Board, and Lee Grim, from our Rainy Lake Board of Control. In particular they noted the collection of blood and feather samples from baby bald eagles, and that they were joined by media (Bob Kelleher, a reporter from Minnesota Public Radio, and a TV crew from Minnesota Bound, the popular outdoor program hosted by Ron Schara).