GLIN==> International Joint Commission to Hold Hearings on Water Uses in the Great Lakes Basin

[Lengelle Fabien <LengelleF@ottawa.ijc.org>]

OTTAWA , January 3, 2003 - The International Joint Commission (IJC)
announced today it will hold a series of public hearings to obtain comment
from the public on action taken by governments on the issue of water uses in
the Great Lakes basin before reporting to the Governments of Canada and the
United States . The hearings are scheduled to take place at the following
dates and locations: 

Toronto , January 20, 2003 
City Hall 
100 Queen Street West 
Toronto , Ontario 
Council Chamber, 7 p.m. 
  
Chicago , January 21, 2003 
Drake Hotel 
140 East Walton Place 
Chicago , Illinois 
Michigan Room 3 & 7 p.m. 

Montréal , February 3, 2003 
Queen Elizabeth Hotel 
900 René-Lévesque blvd. 
Montréal, Québec 
Room St. Maurice , 7 p.m. 

The IJC published a comprehensive report entitled Protection of the Waters
of the Great Lakes in 2000.   In that report the IJC recommended that it
review the issue after three years to provide an update on how matters had
changed over that period of time. In late 2000 the governments subsequently
agreed.   

In June of last year, the Commission appointed the International Water Uses
Review Task Force to assist it in carrying out the three-year review.   The
Task Force reviewed the many technical, policy and legal developments that
have taken place in the basin and reviewed actions taken by federal, state
and provincial authorities to address the issues raised in the Commission's
2000 report.   

The Task Force has now completed its work and submitted its report to the
Commission.   That report is available on the Commission's web site: (click
here for report in PDF format) . Hard copies of the report are also
available from either one of the Commission's offices listed below. The
report of the Task Force represents the views and analysis of the Task Force
and not necessarily the views of the Commission. The Commission will prepare
its report to governments based on its own analysis, the report of the Task
Force, and comments received concerning the Task Force report and other
related matters. 

In addition to the public hearings listed above, the IJC invites all
interested parties to submit written comment on this investigation to the
addresses below: 

Secretary, Canadian Section 
234 Laurier Avenue West , 22 nd Floor 
Ottawa , Ontario K1P 5M1 
Fax: 613.993.5583 
Commission@ottawa.ijc.org      

Secretary , U.S. Section 
1250 23 rd Street NW, Suite 100 
Washington , DC 20440 
Fax: 202.736.9015 
Commission@washington.ijc.org 

Due to the security clearing of mail, communications with the IJC's
Washington office should be by fax or email to ensure timely receipt. It
would be most helpful if written comments were received by February 10, 2003
. 

The International Joint Commission is a binational Canada-U.S. organization
established by the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. It assists the
governments in managing waters along the border for the benefit of both
countries in a variety of ways including examining issues referred to it by
the two federal governments. 

Contacts: 

Frank Bevacqua, Washington, DC, 202.736.9024 
Fabien Lengellé, Ottawa, ON, 613.995.0088 

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