PUBLIC NOTICERelease date: Monday, July 11th, 2000
IJC Invites Comment on Proposal to Merge Its St. Croix Boards
The International Joint Commission (IJC) is seeking public comment on its proposal to combine its existing International St. Croix River Board of Control and International Advisory Board on Pollution Control - St. Croix River. The International St. Croix River Board of Control was established in 1915 and monitors compliance with the IJC’s Orders of Approval that set water level requirements for the dams on the St. Croix River at Forest City, Vanceboro, Grand Falls and Milltown. The International Advisory Board on Pollution Control - St. Croix River has reported on the water quality of the river and on pollution abatement efforts of industries and municipalities along the river since 1962.
The IJC believes that merging its two St. Croix Boards makes sense for a number of reasons. First, the IJC has adopted an ecosystem approach to its work. This means that water quality and water quantity can no longer be dealt with separately but must be seen together as part of the full range of water-related issues. Second, when dealing with questions of water quantity and decisions on water levels and flows, all interests must be addressed including the impacts that such decisions might have on water quality. Finally, over the past number of years, the International St. Croix River Board of Control and the International Advisory Board on Pollution Control - St. Croix River have been working closely together. Both boards recently cooperated in an assessment of the need to modify the IJC's St. Croix Orders of Approval, in response to new concerns raised by stakeholders, and the two boards regularly hold joint annual public meetings.
As a first step in merging the two boards, the IJC has prepared a draft directive for the proposed new International St. Croix Advisory Board. for public comment. The draft directive can be seen by visiting the IJC’s web site at www.ijc.org . The IJC will hear comments on the draft directive at the public meeting of the St. Croix Boards to be held in St. Stephen, New Brunswick on August 23, 2000. Written comments on the directive, or requests for copies, may be sent by August 31, 2000 to the addresses below:
Secretary, Canadian Section
234 Laurier Avenue West
22 nd floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6K6
Fax 613.993.5583
Commission@ottawa.ijc.orgSecretary, United States Section
1250 23 rd Street NW
Suite 100
Washington, DC 20440
Fax 202.736.9015
Commission@washington.ijc.orgThe International Joint Commission was created under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 to help prevent and resolve disputes over the use of waters along the Canada-United States boundary.
Contacts: Frank Bevacqua Washington, D.C. (202) 736-9024 Fabien Lengellé Ottawa, Ontario (613) 995-0088
