Approved

MINUTES

INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMISSION
EXECUTIVE MEEETING
Windsor, Ontario
September 10 - 11, 2007

The International Joint Commission met in Executive Session at the Hilton Hotel in Windsor, Ontario, on September 10 - 11, 2007 with Chair Herb Gray in the chair.

*Participated in call through discussion of item 9

1. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

   Commissioners approved the agenda with the addition of the following items under Other Business:

   1. Watershed Initiative
   2. Lake Champlain
   3. BP Refinery/CELA letter and reply
   4. Twinning proposal and GLOW V conference
   5. Rainy Meeting
   6. Lake of the Woods
   7. Lake Superior Meeting and Upper Great Lakes issues
   8. Osoyoos Lake Water Science Forum
   
   
2. MINUTES

   Commissioners approved the August 31, 2007 Conference Call Minutes.

3. GREAT LAKES WATER QUALITY AGREEMENT 2007-2009 PRIORITIES

   Commissioners agreed in principle to the nearshore framework proposal from its boards involved in Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement work, and further agreed to move forward on six priorities proposed by those boards, but withheld approval of the details submitted within each proposal until board co-chairs present further refinements after the nearshore workshop planned for November 2007

4. ACCOUNTABILITY SUMMIT

   Commissioners agreed to delay establishment of a task force to explore an accountability summit regarding an accountability framework for the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement until after discussions with governments at the October 2007 semi-annual meeting, and after seeking the nomination of officials who would work with IJC staff on a half-day "scoping workshop" to include Commissioners and IJC staff.

5. IJC 14th BIENNIAL REPORT - PART A: SUMMARY REPORT ON LaMPs

   Commissioners received an update on plans for the Report and approved the timeline for reviewing a draft and publication.

6. AIR QUALITY

   Commissioners received an update on the International Air Quality Advisory Board's plans for the Energy Symposium and Critical Issues Reports and agreed:

   1. Energy Symposium - that based on the confirmed number of participants to date, the facilities tour planned for October 3 should be cancelled; and the activities planned for October 4 should go ahead, if there is a critical mass of participants (subsequently this was confirmed).
   2. Critical Issues Report - with the hiring of a contractor to complete the report and the schedule to formally present the final product to Commissioners at the October 2007 semi-annual meeting in Ottawa.
   
   
7. CENTENNIAL OF THE BOUNDARY WATERS TREATY

   Commissioners discussed the importance of recognizing the centennial; acknowledged the support for international recognition and approved positive responses to invitations to participate in following activities:

   1. Niagara 2009 - celebratory event and State of the River Conference;
   2. Stockholm Water Week 2008 - IJC involvement in the program and supporting a nomination for the IJC to be awarded the 2009 World Water prize;
   3. Rosenberg International Forum 2009 - IJC participation if invited;
   4. EWRI/IAHR Conference (Vancouver 2009) - special session or workshop on transboundary issues; and
   5. Proposal by Jim Young and Associates - lead Commissioners and staff to explore details of a proposal for expert papers and discussion event.
   
   
8. OTHER BUSINESS

   Commissioners:

   1. Watershed Initiative - agreed there is a need to have one adviser in each Section focus on this initiative and that it should be a standing item to report on for each executive meeting;
      
      
   2. Lake Champlain - agreed that the IJC does not have the authority to carry out the concept proposed by the Lake Champlain Basin Commission and that the Secretary of the U.S. Section should convey the IJC's decision to the U.S. Department of State;
      
      
   3. BP Refinery/CELA Letter - approved, subject to edits, a draft reply to the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) regarding a proposed expansion by BP of an oil refinery in Indiana;
      
      
   4. Potential Twinning Between International Joint Commission and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission and GLOW V Conference - agreed to reconsider this matter once details were provided on other IJC commitments, staff time required, budget and implications on other Great Lakes priorities;
      
      
   5. Rainy Meeting - noted concerns raised at a recent meeting of the IJC's International Rainy Lake Board of Control and International Rainy River Water Pollution Board regarding proposed dams being considered in Canada on the Namakan River, and agreed the IJC should send an alerting letter to the U.S. and Canadian governments concerning the dams proposed for the region;
      
      
   6. Lake of the Woods - noted the strong interest by local public groups to have IJC involvement in their water quality issues and agreed that legal advisers should provide options on how the IJC could bring Lake of the Woods issues under its jurisdiction;
      
      
   7. Lake Superior and Upper Great Lakes issues - noted the concerns raised at the International Lake Superior Board of Control's public meeting related to the low levels of the upper Great Lakes, noted the letter from several U.S. Senators on this matter and agreed to ask (i) the International Lake Superior Board of Control whether a deviation from the outflows specified by the current regulation plan should be considered; (ii) the Upper Great Lakes Study Board to consider expediting the St. Clair River aspects of the Upper Great Lakes Study and the hiring of a communications support person to help address media and public affairs issues for the study; and (iii) staff to draft a reply to the U.S. Senators, to be signed by all Commissioners, and offer to brief them and their staff in Washington, D.C.; and
      
      
   8. Osoyoos Lake Water Science Forum - noted IJC participation in the Forum's organization and agreed to financial support of up to $20,000 following the Forum as appropriate to ongoing efforts in the watershed.
   
   
9. LAKE ONTARIO - ST LAWRENCE RIVER STUDY

   Commissioners discussed plans for extending the consultations with governments and agreed they should proceed at two levels (technical and policy) with linkages between the two in order to see what improvements are possible and seek consensus before going to the public.