Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy
Stakeholder Forum - 1998
IMPLEMENTING THE BINATIONAL
TOXICS STRATEGY
Integration Workgroups
Notification of Meeting and Highlights of Agenda
Dear Integration Work Group Member:
An Integration Work Group meeting has been scheduled for January 26,
1999, from 8 until 5:00 PM at The Cleary International Centre in Windsor
Ontario. You can also review the first "BNS Progress Report." We
distributed this report at the November 16th stakeholders meeting, and we have posted the
report on the Binational Toxic Strategy web page at:
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/bnsdocs/stakeholders1198/minutes/progreport.html
We ask for your comments by January 4, 1999.
Highlights of the January 26, 1999 Integration Group meeting agenda are listed below
for your information. A detailed agenda for the meeting will be available in the new year
to all meeting registrants and will be posted on the BNS website.
At our meeting on the 26th of January, we hope to collectively step back and review the
progress that has been made with the Binational Toxic Strategy, discuss your views to
improve the efforts, and hear suggested mid-course corrections to implement the Binational
Toxics Strategy.
Discussion of a proposed workplan for the assessment of Long Range Transport of Air
Pollutants (LRTAP).
Co-managers of the Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network (IADN) have been requested
to develop a draft workplan to address the LRTAP challenge in the strategy and present it
to the Integration Committee. Substance-specific Work Groups referred this issue to the
Integration Committee for their consideration. The Lake Superior Forum has also written to
the co-chairs of the Integration Committee to urge consideration of LRTAP. Integration
Committee members placed a high priority on LRTAP at their last meeting. This past July,
EPA and Environment Canada approved the next phase in the implementation of IADN, which is
the existing network set up under Annex 15 of the '87 Protocol.
Discussion to clarify the approach to contaminated sediments under the Binational
Strategy.
There are numerous activities underway to address contaminated sediments in the Great
Lakes. Some of the Substance-specific BNS Work Groups have referred contaminated sediments
to the Integration Committee as a cross-cutting issue. Integration Group members placed a
high priority on contaminated sediments at their last meeting in June of 1998. A specific
approach to contaminated sediments within the Binational Strategy will be presented for
Integration Work Group discussion with reference to the actions of the Sediment Priority
Action Committee, (SEDPAC) of the IJC Water Quality Board.
Discussion of cross-cutting issues which have emerged from the November 16th
stakeholders meeting.
The Integration Group will explore recommendations for improvements to BNS
implementation, as submitted by Great Lakes United, the Council of Great Lakes Industries,
the National Wildlife Federation and other constituency groups. These recommendations were
submitted to us via reports, letters and feedback forms distributed at the November 16
stakeholders meeting. If you have not yet filled out a feedback form and would like to,
please go to the BNS website: http://www.epa.gov/bns
The approach to recognition/reward of significant actions and membership targeting and
recruitment.
At the last meeting, there was a discussion of a recognition program to acknowledge
actions of individuals and organizations to reduce Strategy substances. The Integration
Work Group will discuss the pros and cons of various options for a recognition program.
The Integration Group will discuss mechanisms to sustain the level of industrial and
environmental representation and participation on substance specific Work Groups, and
communication strategies to improve the flow of information within the Work Groups and to
other stakeholders.
Review and approval of a long term schedule of Binational Toxics Strategy Activities.
The governments will set out for discussion a full 1999 schedule of Integration and
Stakeholder Forum meeting dates and locations.
First Progress Report of the Strategy.
The Integration Work Group will discuss the format and accessibility to the public of
the first "Progress Report" of the Binational Toxic Strategy. The report is
available at:
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/bnsdocs/stakeholders1198/minutes/progreport.html
Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to seeing you on January 26. If you
have any questions or comments regarding any of these items or the upcoming meeting,
please do not hesitate to contact Liz LaPlante (312-353-2694) or Alan Waffle
(416-749-5854).
Sincerely,
Ron Shimizu,
Director
Environmental Protection Branch
Ontario Region, Environment Canada
Gary Gulezian, Director
Great Lakes National Program Office
USEPA Region 5
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