GLIN==> Locals receive recognition awards for restoration progress in the Niagara region

Submitted by Bernard Beckhoff  <beckhoffb at ottawa.ijc.org>

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Two Niagara area residents and two regional organizations have received 
recognition awards for contributing substantially to the restoration of 
environmental quality in the Niagara region.  The International Joint 
Commission's (IJC) Great Lakes Water Quality Board presented the awards at a 
recent public meeting in Niagara Falls, New York, that was co-hosted by the 
Water Quality Board and the IJC's Science Advisory Board.



"There has been substantial progress in clean-up of toxic contaminant 
problems over the past two decades in the Niagara River and hazardous waste 
sites.  Concerned citizens and non-governmental organizations have 
contributed immeasurably to this effort", said Jim Vollmershausen, Canadian 
Co-chair of the Water Quality Board and Regional Director General for 
Environment Canada in Ontario.  Gary Gulezian, U.S. Co-chair of the Water 
Quality Board and Director of the Great Lakes National Program Office at the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency added, "The award recipients were 
recognized for years of dedication to restoring water quality and fish and 
wildlife habitats in the Niagara River and surrounding region."



Speakers at the public meeting recognized the progress achieved in toxics 
clean-up. Although the job is not yet complete, environmental quality has 
improved sufficiently so that much of the ongoing work is switching from the 
remediation of chemical contamination problems to the protection and 
restoration of fish and wildlife habitats.

Canadian awards winners included:

·         Buffalo-Niagara Riverkeeper for active involvement in habitat 
improvement and restoration of beneficial uses in the Buffalo/Niagara 
corridor.

·         Paul MacClennan for informing the public and policymakers on 
environmental issues in the Niagara/Buffalo region and throughout the Great 
Lakes as journalist, now retired from the Buffalo News.

·         Valerie Cromie (Burlington, Ontario) for ongoing dedication and 
contributions to the restoration of the Niagara River as member of numerous 
non-governmental organizations

·         Doug Draper (Niagara Falls, Ontario) for years of informing the 
public on environmental issues in the Niagara region as a journalist and 
writer

·         Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority for environmental 
protection and watershed management activities in the Niagara Region

·         Niagara Restoration Council for habitat restoration in the Niagara 
River Area of Concern

·         Ken Sherman for dedication and contributions to the restoration of 
the waters in the Buffalo/Niagara corridor as an avid boatman and member of 
numerous non-governmental environmental organizations.

·         Margaret Wooster for contributions to the restoration of the 
waters of the Buffalo/Niagara corridor as member of regional 
non-governmental organizations and writer of planning guidelines, curriculum 
materials and many essays on local and regional watershed issues.  She 
recently authored a book that includes the Niagara and Buffalo rivers 
entitled, "Living Waters: Reading the Rivers of the Lower Great Lakes."



The public meeting and awards recognition ceremony occurred in conjunction 
with the centennial celebration of the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 that 
was held on the Rainbow Bridge on June 13th, along with many other 
complementary events during the week of June 8th.  The Boundary Waters 
Treaty of 1909 created the independent IJC to prevent and resolve boundary 
waters disputes between Canada and the United States.  The IJC makes 
decisions on application for projects such as dams in boundary waters, 
regulates the operations of many of those projects and alerts the federal 
governments to emerging issues.  The IJC also has a permanent reference 
under the 1972 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement to help the two national 
governments restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological 
integrity of those waters.  The Water Quality Board and Science Advisory 
Board were created by the Agreement as the IJC Commissioners' principal 
advisory bodies on Great Lakes issues.



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Contacts



      Washington
     Frank Bevacqua
     202-736-9024

      Ottawa
     Bernard Beckhoff
     613-947-1420