New forum on Great Lakes water levels announced

NEWS RELEASE

TONY MARTIN, MP

************************* Martin announces second forum on Great Lakes water levels after attending IJC briefing

OTTAWA - Sault MP Tony Martin attended an International Joint Commission briefing here on low water levels in the Great Lakes Wednesday, later announcing he will organize a second community forum for December 12.

Attending the evening meeting will be officials from the International Upper Great Lakes Study (IUGLS).

They will make a presentation, answer questions and hear opinions at a public meeting that Martin will organize. "At the briefing IJC staff told MPs that their five-year study is well underway and will include interactive website and meeting opportunities for the public to comment," Martin said. "They stressed the study into water levels will be based on sound science reviewed by peers.

"There has been a 24-centimetre increase in water levels in Superior the last two months but overall levels reached record lows this year and the concern remains that such a large body of water could lose that much water over a short period of time. Public interest on Superior and Huron levels is as high as the water is low."

The IJC has authority to revise orders for operating existing control structures but stressed it must refer all other new structural and non-structural measures that could alleviate damages to respective countries, states and provinces for implementations.

The IJC faces a balancing act managing the Great Lakes as a system, maximizing net benefits to all without unduly harming any single interest.

IJC officials told MPs the "Great Lakes are a large self-regulating system and human intervention cannot significantly modify extremes."

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