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ST MARYS RAPIDS CONTROL STRUCTURE UPDATE

                                INTERNATIONAL
                        LAKE SUPERIOR BOARD OF CONTROL
     
     
                                                      28 May 1997
     
     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
     
     
                 ST MARYS RAPIDS CONTROL STRUCTURE UPDATE 
     
     On Saturday, May 24, 1997 the tug "Venture", which sank on May 19 at 
     Gate #8 of the control structure at the head of the St Marys Rapids 
     was removed.  The pre-accident gate setting of 8 gates fully open was  
     resumed at that time.  On May 27 two tainter gates at the U.S. 
     Government hydropower plant and the sluice gate at the Great Lakes 
     Power Limited  hydropower plant were opened in an effort to achieve 
     the average monthly outflow of 3200 cubic metres per second (113,000 
     cubic feet per second) originally set for May.
     
     As scheduled maintenance repairs to Gates #11 and #12 of the control 
     structure resume this week, several gates adjacent to the work area 
     will have to be closed to allow installation of a cofferdam and to 
     provide safe working conditions.  These gates will be re-opened as 
     worker safety requirements permit.  Meanwhile, the tainter gates and 
     sluice gates at the U.S. Government and Great Lakes Power Limited 
     hydropower plants will be used as necessary to ensure that recommended 
     monthly Lake Superior outflows are met.
     
     Mr. Doug Cuthbert, Environment Canada, Burlington, Ontario is the 
     Board Member for Canada.  Mr. Dwight Beranek, Acting Deputy Division 
     Engineer, Great Lakes and Ohio River Division, U.S. Army Corps of 
     Engineers, is the Acting United States Board Member.
     
     Additional information can be obtained from Mr. Peter Yee, Great Lakes 
     St.Lawrence Regulation Office, Environment Canada, Cornwall at (613) 
     938-5725 or by e-mail at Peter_Yee@pch.gc.ca. or from Mr. David 
     Schweiger, Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Branch,  Detroit 
     District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, at (313) 226-6440 or by e-mail 
     at david.l.schweiger@usace.army.mil
     
     Information about the Board can also be found on our website at 
     http://sparky.nce.usace.army.mil/ijc/superior.html