11/01/2005 - The Government
of Canada has made a submission to the Council
of Great Lakes Governors, which includes
Ontario and Quebec, encouraging the Great
Lakes states and provinces to provide the
same level of protection of water in the
Great Lakes St. Lawrence basin as that already
provided by Canada, Ontario and Quebec.
The submission is in response to the proposed
Great Lakes Charter Annex implementing agreements
currently being negotiated by the Great
Lakes states and provinces. Canadian federal
law prohibits out-of-basin transfers of
boundary waters in bulk, a ban the Government
of Canada is committed to keeping in place.
“The Government of Canada is committed
to protect the integrity of the Great Lakes
Basin and is therefore determined to keep
the ban in place. We welcome the efforts
of the states and provinces to develop improved
processes for managing the waters of the
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. However,
after reviewing the draft agreements, consulting
with our provincial partners and listening
to the concerns of Canadians, we believe
that the proposed agreements do not provide
a sufficient degree of protection to these
critically important waters and require
strengthening,” said Canada’s Environment
Minister Stéphane Dion.
The draft implementing agreements propose
specific administrative procedures pertaining
to managing proposals for new and increased
diversions, withdrawals and consumptive
uses of water from the Great Lakes. The
federal government made its submission after
analyzing the draft agreements.
“Overall, the Government of Canada's submission
confirms that obligations under the Boundary
Waters Treaty of 1909 and Great Lakes Water
Quality Agreement (GLWQA) are unaffected
by the proposed agreements”, said Pierre
Pettigrew, Canada’s Minister of Foreign
Affairs. “It also underlines the ongoing,
central importance of the International
Joint Commission the binational organization
responsible for preventing and resolving
disputes primarily concerning water quantity
and quality along the Canada US boundary.”
The submission makes clear the need for
an ecosystem perspective to inform the management
of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence basin and
for decisions to be based on sound science,
sustainable management, a precautionary
approach and ongoing public involvement.
It also recognizes that the proposed agreements
include positive elements that would improve
management of water within the basin, such
as requiring better data on existing and
new withdrawals and consumptive uses of
water.
“In the context of climate change, prudent
action in the face of scientific uncertainty
must inform our decisions about this uniquely
important resource” said Minister Dion in
outlining a precautionary approach to managing
freshwater.
