2011 2: International Joint Commission Flashcards
What is the International Joint Commission?
The international joint commission; established in 1909 by Boundary Waters Treaty
Who forms the Boundary Waters Treaty?
The treaty has 6 members 3 USA and 3 Canadian (Americans appointed by president, Canadians by PM); which prevented and resolved disputes; good water for everyone using it.
What does the 1909 Boundary Water Treaty consider?
Considers ALL of Canada and US boundary waters**
Details of they Treaty?
o It was the first environmental treaty in the world
o Niagara Falls was one of two disputes specifically mentioned
o 8000km of boundary 40% fresh water, 134 shared rivers and lakes
o 100 disputes resolved in 100 years
o Allowed for complete equality between the 2 countries
o 1972 new responsibilities assigned under Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
What is the main FOCUS of the treaty?
o The areas under this treaty involved the whole border
o MORE FOCUS ON QUANTITY OF WATER! We have this kind of respect to the right of water where its like I can use the water that goes by my farm in the stream, but I will use it in a way that there will be enough that the next guy down stream will have enough for him and I will leave it clean enough for him to use.
The Role of The IJC?
o Recognition that each country is affected by the other’s actions
o Provides a way to cooperate in management of water to protect them from benefit of today’s citizens and future generations
Three key roles of the IJC?
- Respecting competing interests
- Investigating water pollution
- Investigating air pollution
o Side note: they have to respect everything and take everything into account from industry to recreational
The Ecosystem Approach
o Recognition of interrelated and interdependent factors
o More than one course of action
o Comprehensive and interdisciplinary
o Ask everyone all of the experts and gather all of the information you possibly can and put it all together and think about everything as a whole
o Cant be bound by lines must thing as a whole, not just one jurisdiction at a time
What is an important thing that the ecosystem approach recognized?
They recognize that there may not be just one solution to a problem. Need to be comprehensive in their approach.
How is the ecosystem approach systematic?
o Interaction among physical, chemical and biological components
o Uses biological indicators to monitor water quality and changes in the ecosystem
o Ie. Cant measure everything have to use biological markers of good or bad health
How is the Ecosystem Approach Geographically Comprehensive?
Includes land, air and water. Recognized the impact of atmospheric deposition and land uses on water quality (what we do to other things that affect it) What we do to the INDIRECT: things like ground water! These things must be considered as well.
How is the Ecosystem Approach inclusive of humans?
o Recognizes social, economic, technical and political variables that affect how humans use natural resources.
o Human culture, changing lifestyles and attitudes must be considered. How the changes will affect us.
• Basically: Takes into account that PEOPLE are the problem! We cant pretend that this is about managing water… its really about how people impact the water: changing their behaviour/changing regulation!
What does the Ecosystem Approach change from the usual ?
o Focus on localized pollution: used to think it was such a LOCAL problem: this is now saying lets INCLUDE EVERYBODY, consider everything, take COMPREHENSIVE action*
o Management of separate components of the ecosystem in isolation
o Planning that neglects the profound influences of land uses on water quality
What are the MOST IMPORTANT things the ecosystem approach combines?
Ecosystem Approach COMBINES: environment, economy (Traditional approach: economy is the BIGGEST ASPECT, new approach: ALL THREE ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT AND AFFECT IT) and community to find overall common health!!
What is the decision making process?
o It is the integration of all aspects
o A framework for decision-making that compels managers and planners to cooperate and devise integrated strategies to find a solution; look at everything at once instead of making incremental decisions.
Remedial Action Plan;; 1972
we signed the first Great Lakes quality agreement: this was because of Lake Erie going to hell (dead fish everywhere) Investigated pollutants: it was detergents/chemicals we had added that caused algae: GROSS everyone can see it: so that was a call for action that said TREAT YOUR SEWAGE: everyone MUST do secondary treatment. Agriculture and industrial partners needed to do the same. TAT WORKED: stop adding non-persistent pollutants:
RAP: 1978?
they though sweet were amazing look what we’ve done for Lake Erie. We have a problem with PERSISTENT toxic contaminants now: so were gonna do the same thing for this and say stop putting them in! They thought they’d do the same, and aim for zero discharge (meaning you’re not putting ANY Toxic contaminants out through your pipes: were aiming for ZERO) Thought if we did that we’d see everything improve. Didn’t solve: Everything that was already out there remains! We didn’t hit zero, we went way down. We reduced our loadings by 90%. So meaning 10% is still there. SO we reduced how much we were adding but we didn’t CLEAN ANYTHING UP. So we slowed the train, but we didn’t hit zero. So they recognized this: great idea but it wont solve the problem: lets do something radical: Remedial Action Plan recoginizes we cant clean up everything at once: lets identify the WORSE places and start there. Identified those worse areas in 1985, came up with how to fix it in 1987.
What is a RAP?
o Restoration and protection efforts
o 1985-43 areas of concern (AOC) (42 found first than one more found during)
o AOCs are the pollution hot spots
o 1987-Remedail action plans (RAP)
o RAPs were developed to restore beneficial uses within the AOCs
RAP: what is required for each area with a problem?
- Identify the responsibility and timeframe for implementing remedial and preventative (lets not do any more damage) actions (set up a timetable)
- Adopting the ecosystem approach
- Consulting the public
Impaired Beneficial Uses
change in chemical, physical or biological integrity of the Great Lakes system sufficient to cause any of the following…
Examples? (don’t memorize)
restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption
tainting of fish and wildlife flavour
degradation of fish wildlife populations
fish tumors or other deformities
bird or animal deformities or reproduction problems
degradation of benthos
restrictions on dredging activities
RAPs 25 years later: which areas of concern have been delisted?
o Five AOCs delisted: Collingwood, Severn Sound, Oswego (US), Wheatley Harbour, and Presque Ile
RAPs 25 years later: which areas of concern have been moved to recover stage?
o Two AOCs are in a recovery stage: Spanish Harbour, Jackfish Bay
What does the RAP program represent?
• The RAP program represents a pioneering effort in ecosystem based management
