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Media Release
January 3, 2001
Canada confirms funding of study to review regulation of
Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River levels and flows
The Canadian Section of the International Joint Commission
(IJC) has received funds today from the Government of Canada
to review the regulation of water levels and flows in the
St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. The Canadian Section
received $600,000 (Canadian dollars) for this fiscal year,
which ends on March 31, 2001 and $3.1 million (Canadian dollars)
for next fiscal year.
The U.S. Section of the IJC received $2.15 million (U.S.
dollars) from the U.S. Government as initial funding for the
review in a supplemental appropriation bill that passed in
June 2000.
In October 1999, the IJC transmitted a detailed Plan of Study
to the governments of the United States and Canada and requested
the governments' assistance in securing the approximately
$20 million (U.S. dollars) needed to carry out the full five-year
study.
It has been nearly 50 years since a comprehensive assessment
was performed of water levels and flows regulation in the
Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River system. In April 1999, the
IJC informed the two governments that it was becoming increasingly
urgent to review the regulation of Lake Ontario outflows in
view of dissatisfaction, on the part of some interests, with
the working of that system and in light of environmental concerns
and climate change issues. However, the IJC recognizes that
the study may not resolve all the issues or result in significant
additional benefits for any interest group.
The International Joint Commission was created under the
Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 to help prevent and resolve
disputes over the use of waters along the Canada-United States
boundary. Its responsibilities include approving certain projects
that would change the natural levels and flows of boundary
waters, such as the international Hydroelectric Power project at Massena,
New York and Cornwall, Ontario. If it approves a project,
the IJC's Order of Approval may require that the flows and
water levels resulting from the project meet certain conditions
to protect the interests in both countries. For more information,
visit the IJC's web site
at www.ijc.org.
Contacts:
Frank Bevacqua
Washington, D.C. (202) 736-9024
Fabien Lengellé
Ottawa, Ontario (613) 995-0088
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