GLIN==> Summer 2005 Issue of IJC's FOCUS is Now Available

["Shannon Briggs" <briggssl@michigan.gov>]

FYI:
The IJC Great Lakes Confernce and Biennial Meting is being held June
9-11 in Kingston, Onterio.  Detailed information on this event is in the
below e-mail.

Some of the health-related topics which will be covered include:

Pathogen Risks
Great Lakes beach closures and other human health threats caused by
combined sewer overflows, sanitary sewer overflows or malfunctioning
septic tanks make headlines on a regular basis. This workshop will
explore the sources of E.coli and other pathogens that may adversely
affect human health in the Great Lakes basin and examine efforts to
protect sources of drinking water. Participants will engage in dialogue
with experts and each other on the issues of pathogens and possible
actions to address this problem.

An Ecosystem Approach to Mercury

The presence of mercury in humans, largely from consumption of
contaminated fish, is the crucial factor driving further emission
reduction efforts in both the United States and Canada. The
International Air Quality Advisory Board in conjunction with agency
experts are investigating the feasibility of developing and running a
model that can estimate the transfer of mercury from emission sources,
through deposition and uptake by biota, to humans. Exchanges among
scientists at this technical workshop will provide guidance in the
development of a functional multi-compartment model to link emissions of
mercury through their deposition and partitioning to ultimate presence
in selected human subpopulations.

New Chemical Risks?

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement calls for the two federal
governments to keep lists of substances known to have or potentially
having toxic effects on aquatic and animal life and a risk of being
discharged to the Great Lakes basin. These lists are to be continually
revised in light of new scientific knowledge. This workshop will explore
the concentrations of various ""new chemicals,"" such as persistent
toxic substances, pharmaceuticals and other chemicals found in person
care products.



If you are interested in attending the meeting please see conference
details below.

FOCUS
Summer 2005, Vol. 30, Issue 2
 Make Big Plans!
The International Joint Commission's FOCUS newsletter is now available
on-line at:
http://www.ijc.org/rel/focus/v30i2/index.html 
or in French at http://www.ijc.org/rel/focus/v30i2/indexf.html 
_________________________________________________________
The Summer 2005 issue is dedicated the 2005 IJC Great Lakes Conference
and Biennial Meeting at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.
Everything you need to know about the meeting and more is found in this
current issue.


Register today!  http://www.ijc.org/2005biennial/register_en.php 

* Attend!  Join us in Kingston, Ontario on June 9-11, 2005 to discuss
and contribute to the U.S. and Canadian government review of the Great
Lakes Water Quality Agreement.


* Come and hear the inspiring words of our two keynote speakers, Dr.
David Schinder and Dr. David Suzuki.
* Agenda for Thursday, June 9:  Learn and participate in seven technical
workshops on Great Lakes topics ranging from the discussion of decision
making in RAPs and LaMPs and urban development to the modeling of
mercury deposition in the Great Lakes basin.
* Agenda for Friday, June 10: Participate in active discussions on the
broader topics of Adaptive Management and the Future of the Great Lakes
Water Quality Agreement; Vision of Great Lakes Integrity, and
Institutional Arrangements and Governance.  Plenary sessions will
discuss advice on the review from IJC's  four Great Lakes advisory
boards and the overall role of the IJC in the Great Lakes Water Quality
Agreement.
* Agenda for Saturday, June 11:  Don't miss the presentations by federal
officials responsible for key Great Lakes programs. Confirmed speakers
include: Stephane Dion, Minister of the Environment for Canada and Leona
Dombrowsky, Ontario's Minister of the Environment.


See you all in Kingston.
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