IJC Reject Plan for Great Lakes Water

International Commission Scraps Its Own Widely Criticized Plan 2007 TORONTO, ONTARIO - Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, along with dozens of other Canadian and US environmental organizations, celebrates the announcement by the International Joint Commission (IJC) to shelve its Plan 2007. The IJC cited input by the public and organizations like Waterkeeper in their decision to halt implementation.

Plan 2007 proposes how the two countries would be allowed to manage the water levels across the Great Lakes. The IJC has reviewed numerous submissions, including those from Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, opposing the draft plan. In the end, the ICJ agreed with overwhelming public sentiment, calling it 'not practical for implementation'. In the organizations own view, any new regulation should 'move toward more natural flows to benefit the environment.'

"This is a great success," says Waterkeeper President Mark Mattson. "The international commission listened to what we and many others had to say. They agreed that they could, in fact, do a better job planning for the future health of the Great Lakes."

The IJC has announced it will reform a working group the includes all levels of government from the US and Canada to develop a new plan for June 2009.

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If you'd like information about Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, or to schedule and interview please contact Ryan LaFlamme at 416.861.1237 or email ryan@waterkeeper.ca