NEWS RELEASE
March 8, 2010

IJC wants to hear your views on the St. Clair River Report

The International Joint Commission (IJC) is inviting public comment on the report of its International Upper Great Lakes Study Board entitled Impacts on Upper Great Lakes Water Levels: St. Clair River. Comments will be received at public meetings, teleconferences, our website or by mail and email until the public comment period closes on April 9, 2010.

Public meetings will be held March 22 - 25 at the following times and locations

Each of the three public consultations will consist of two paired locations, one in Canada and one in the United States, linked by telephone and video display to allow the public at each location to hear comments from the other location.

Teleconferences will be held the following week. To participate, simply call the following phone number on the days and times listed below and enter the pass code for your choice of language:

Teleconference Phone Number: 1-877-413-4814

On Tuesday, March 30 at 1:00 pm E.D.T, enter code 5323416 for English (4743215 for French)

On Wednesday, March 31 at 7:00 pm E.D.T, enter code 5834113 for English (4743215 for French)

Our Website on Public Consultation on the St. Clair River Report features a blog and online submission form where you can also provide comment. The website also provides information about the report, meetings and teleconferences, and you can get information and updates by joining our Facebook page, twitter account or RSS feed.

You may also submit written comments to the IJC for receipt by April 9, 2010 at either address below:

Contact

Background

The report Impacts on Upper Great Lakes Water Levels: St. Clair River concludes the first phase of a study of the upper Great Lakes. It examines the physical changes in the St. Clair River since 1962 and recommends that measures to remediate the increased conveyance, or water‐carrying capacity, of the river not be undertaken at this time. It also recommends that mitigation measures in the St. Clair River be examined as part of the comprehensive assessment of the future effects of climate change in the second phase of the study.

The IJC will consider the views of the public on the recommendations of its Study Board before it reports to the governments of Canada and the United States on matters related to the St. Clair River and their impacts on upper Great Lakes water levels.

The second phase of the study will continue to examine whether the IJC Order of Approval and plan for regulating Lake Superior outflows should be modified to address the evolving needs of users on Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan and Erie and the changing climate. The final report of the Study Board on the entire study is expected to be completed and submitted to the IJC by early 2012. Funded equally by the U.S. and Canadian governments, the study is being conducted by the binational, independent International Upper Great Lakes Study Board at the request of the IJC under the authority of the Boundary Waters Treaty.

The International Joint Commission was established under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 to help the United States and Canada prevent and resolve disputes over the use of the waters the two countries share. Its responsibilities include considering applications for projects that affect the natural levels and flows of boundary waters, such as the diversion of water for hydropower production and the compensating works in the St. Marys River. The Commission's Orders of Approval require that the flows through the project meet certain conditions to protect interests in both countries. For more information, visit the Commission's website at www.ijc.org.

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