Approved June 2, 2005

MINUTES
INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMISSION
EXECUTIVE MEETING
Washington, DC
April 11 and 13, 2005

The International Joint Commission met in Executive Session at the U.S. Section office in Washington, DC on April 11, 2005, with Chair Dennis Schornack in the chair.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

1. The Commission approved the agenda.

APPOINTMENTS

2. The Commission approved the appointment of Dr. Kevin Cash as Interim Co-Chair of the Canadian Section of the International Red River Board.

GLRO DIRECTOR'S REPORT

3. The Commission received the GLRO Director's report.

BIENNIAL MEETING

4. The Commission:
   1. confirmed the roles assigned to various Commissioners and asked staff to highlight these roles in any briefing material provided;
   2. agreed to include copies of presentations or text from major speakers on the CD to be provided to workshop participants; and
   3. agreed to provide simultaneous interpretation for plenary sessions.

GREAT LAKES WATER QUALITY AGREEMENT (GLWQA)

5. The Commission reviewed the status of efforts by its boards leading to Commission advice to the governments regarding the review of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and agreed to ask governments for an update on the proposed review process developed by the Binational Executive Committee at the government session on April 14, 2005.

LaMPS

6. The Commission agreed to take note of the current status of the Lake Ontario LaMP as documented in February 2005 and as presently updated, to continue informal consultations with the Lake Ontario LaMP managers on an ongoing basis, and to emulate this approach with any other LaMP reviews.

OSWEGO RAP

7. The Commission agreed:
   1. to issue a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency advising it that the Oswego River Area of Concern (AOC) should no longer be regarded as an AOC; and
   2. that staff should develop a media plan for this notable event.

SPILLS REPORT

8. The Commission agreed:
   1. that lead Commissioners (Chairs Schornack and Gray) should review the Spills Report; and
   2. to provide the next draft of the report to Boards and appropriate agencies for their comment.

CANADA-U.S. AIR QUALITY AGEEMENT

9. The Commission received a status report and agreed staff should provide a one-page summary of the category of respondents.

WATERSHED BOARD REPORT

10. The Commission agreed that Commissioners Blaney, Brooks, and Olson would meet to review the draft report, with a subsequent draft to be provided to all Commissioners for approval at the Quebec City Great Lakes St Lawrence Mayors Conference on May 25.

INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY

11. The Commission agreed:
    1. to assign Chair Gray and Commissioner Brooks as lead Commissioners to finalize the report;
    2. to circulate the draft report to appropriate government officials for review following edits; and
    3. to examine potential security issues in developing a release plan for the final report.

UPPER GREAT LAKES STUDY

12. The Commission agreed:
    1. in principle to revise the Upper Lakes Plan of Study to include St. Clair River erosion issues, to incorporate lessons learned from the Commission's ongoing Lake Ontario - St. Lawrence River Study, and to consider streamlining the Plan of Study; and
    2. to discuss its plans with governments at the government session on April 14, 2005.

ST. CLAIR RIVER EROSION

13. The Commission received an oral report on the March 30, 2005 technical meeting organized by Environment Canada in Burlington, Ontario and noted that, the outstanding issue of the 1917 Order for the weir notwithstanding, the Commission had addressed the effects of potential changes in the St. Clair River channel as part of the Upper Lakes Study.

IJC CENTENNIAL COMMITTEE

14. The Commission discussed options for observing the centennial anniversary of the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909.

INTERNATIONAL RED RIVER BOARD

15. The Commission approved continued funding to support the Board's secretariat.

2006 SPRING SEMI-ANNUAL MEETING

16. Commissioners agreed to hold the 2006 Spring Semi-Annual Meeting in Seattle.

RAINY LAKE PEAKING AND PONDING

17. Commissioners agreed to issue a letter on April 14, 2005 to the two paper companies requesting voluntary suspension of peaking and ponding operations during the period of April 15-June 30, and to ask staff to further consider the report just received on the subject.