IJC to discuss future regulation of St. Lawrence River water levels

The Commissioners of the International Joint Commission (IJC) of Canada and the United States wish to thank the public, elected officials and the state and provincial governments for their participation in the IJC’s comment period, which ended on July 11, 2008. Commissioners believe that the comment period was productive in clarifying the views of the different stakeholders in the basin.

The IJC will meet in mid August to consider these comments and deliberate on the future regulation of Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River water levels and flows. The August meeting will also include a session with representatives of the federal governments of Canada and the United States to discuss the process for consulting with them, and through them, with the provinces of Ontario and Quebec and the state of New York. The IJC will seek the concurrence of the two federal governments before making a final decision.

The IJC held 10 information meetings in communities around Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River in April and May, followed by 10 public hearings in June. All six Commissioners attended the public hearings. Over 1200 written submissions were received and over 200 organizations and individuals provided comments at the public hearings.  More than 1450 people attended the public hearings. The record of comments is available on the IJC’s website at http://www.ijc.org .

The information meetings and public hearings were held to provide information and receive comment on a proposed new Order of Approval and regulation plan, released on March 28, 2008, for regulating the outflows from Lake Ontario through the Moses-Saunders Dam in the St. Lawrence River between Cornwall, Ontario and Massena, New York. The Order of Approval provides the legal framework and the regulation plan provides the operational framework for regulating the outflows.

More information is available at: http://www.ijc.org .