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Dan Kraker

Report shows environmental progress on Great Lakes, but more work needed

Satellite images of the Great Lakes
Satellite images of the Great Lakes
NASA File

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The draft progress assessment from the International Joint Commission commends the U.S. and Canada for taking significant steps to restore contaminated areas of concern around the Great Lakes, including the St. Louis River estuary in Duluth.

However, more work is needed to identify and control emerging chemicals of concern, slow the spread of aquatic invasive species throughout the lakes and make the region more resilient to the effects of climate change, the report concluded.

The draft assessment is required under the 2012 update of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, which was first signed by Canada and the U.S. in 1972 to protect and restore the Great Lakes.

The findings show:

• Progress to reduce legacy contaminants like PCBs and dioxins is encouraging, but there has been little progress in the identification of new, emerging chemicals of concern, and no publicly available progress in the development of binational strategies to address toxic contaminants such as PBDEs, compounds that are used as flame retardants.

• Water quality in western and central Lake Erie is unacceptable.

• Ballast water controls on ships have prevented the introduction of new aquatic invasive species for the past several years. But more needs to be done to prevent the spread of invasives from lake to lake.

• The U.S. and Canada have conducted significant research on the impacts of climate change on the Great Lakes Basin. But the two countries can demonstrate "global leadership by developing a binational approach to Great Lakes climate change adaptation and resilience."

The International Joint Commission is an independent, binational organization that was created by the U.S. and Canada more than a century ago.

The IJC is accepting public comments on the draft report until April 15. Five public meetings will also be held in March in Canada and the U.S.

"Now that the IJC has released a draft assessment of the progress report, the Commission is eager to hear from Great Lakes residents," said U.S. commissioner Rich Moy.