GLIN==> "H2O NOW"- 2011 IJC Great Lakes Water Quality Biennial Meeting will be in Detroit, Michigan Historic Joint Meeting to be held at Wayne State University

[Detroit, Michigan & Windsor, Ontario] - Today, the International Joint
Commission (IJC) announced that the 2011 Great Lakes Water Quality
Biennial Meeting <http://meeting.ijc.org/>  will be held October 12-14
on the campus of Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. The theme
of the meeting is "H2O NOW", emphasizing the pressing need for the
public, industry, environmental groups and governments to take action
and work together to protect and restore the Great Lakes. 

"The Detroit-Windsor crossing is the busiest in North America and the 
Biennial Meeting <http://meeting.ijc.org/>  will be just as busy with
hundreds of participants coming together to build new partnerships,
learn about the latest science and share ideas that lead to action,"
said the Hon. Joe Comuzzi, the Canadian Co-Chair of the IJC.

"At the Biennial Meeting in Detroit <http://meeting.ijc.org/> , the
public can learn firsthand about the health of the Great Lakes and how
to press for action," said the Hon. Lana Pollack, U.S. Co-Chair of the
IJC. "H2O NOW is a reflection of the urgent need for action, not just by
governments, but by everyone who uses the lakes to swim, fish and drink
the water."

For the first time, the IJC Biennial Meeting <http://meeting.ijc.org/>
will be held in conjunction with the annual meetings of the Great Lakes
Commission and the Healing Our Waters Coalition (an organization of more
than 100 environmental groups), among other organizations. In addition
to holding their respective meetings, all of the groups will meet
jointly for a half day afternoon session on October 12 that will feature
reports on progress toward Great Lakes restoration from top government
officials and a public town hall meeting.

The Biennial Meeting is a critical opportunity for citizens throughout
the Great Lakes basin community to become involved in the work of the
IJC. Over the past two years expert work groups have been tasked by the
Commission's Great Lakes advisory boards to undertake research in six
key priority areas: the Nearshore Framework; Chemicals of Emerging
Concern; Harmful and Nuisance Algae; Aquatic Invasive Species; Benefits
and Risks of Fish Consumption; and Beaches and Recreational Water
Quality.

On October 13th, the public can participate in workshops on each of the
priorities and provide comments on the findings and recommendations
regarding draft reports that will be published later this summer. This
public input will inform the 16th Biennial Report on Great Lakes Water
Quality, a responsibility of the IJC under the U.S.-Canada Great Lakes
Water Quality Agreement, to be published in 2012. A detailed schedule
and registration information is posted at http://meeting.ijc.org/
<http://meeting.ijc.org/> .

The IJC prevents and resolves disputes between the U.S. and Canada under
the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty and pursues the common good of both
countries as an independent and objective advisor to the two
governments.

Contacts:

Windsor                       John Nevin <mailto:nevinj at windsor.ijc.org>
519-257-6733

Washington                  Frank Bevacqua
<mailto:bevacquaf at washington.ijc.org>          202-736-9024

Ottawa                         Bernard Beckhoff
<mailto:beckhoffb at ottawa.ijc.org>         613-947-1240

 

To register for the 2011 Biennial Meeting, please click here
<http://meeting.ijc.org/register> .

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