1) Lake Superior Lakewide Management Plan - Stage 2: Load Reduction Targets

This notice was originally posted in the old Environmental Registry under number PA6E0012.

Description of policy

1) The Lake Superior Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP)- Stage 2:

Load Reduction Targets, is a "discussion document" developed jointly by six jurisdictions: Ontario, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Canada and the United States. Public comment is desired on draft schedules for reducing the loadings of pollutants to Lake Superior. These schedules are intended to reduce and/or eliminate pollutant impacts at a rate determined by public concensus and scientific feasability. Comments are requested on the schedules presented for two major categories of pollutants:

• virtual elimination of the inputs of nine persistent, toxic substances by the year 2020
• maintain "no net increase in use, generation or release" of certain other persistent substances

Suggestions for appropriate schedules for two other classes of pollutants are requested, beginning with the suggestion to undertake:

• coordinated lakewide reductions in the inputs of four substances so as to resolve impairments (no date specified)
• reduce local loadings of 9 metals so as to resolve local impacts (no date specified)

The virtual elimination schedules as proposed in the LaMP stage 2 are generally consistent with the commitment of Ontario, as indicated in the 1994 Canada-Ontario Agreement, to virtually eliminate persistent toxic and bioaccumulative chemicals from the Great Lakes ecosystem.

The loadings reductions are to be shared among all jurisdictions, with periodic public reporting.

Some reductions will be achieved through regulations, principally in the United States; the majority through communications and education leading to voluntary committments.

In Ontario under the Municipal Industrial Strategy for Abatement Program (MISA) and pesticides regulations, substantial reductions have been made already in dioxins and pesticides; voluntary actions to reduce mercury levels in paints and batteries have reduced mercury releases substantially. After public review and comment, the loading reduction schedules will be finalized as "targets" and not commitments. It is the broad implications for a 25 year planning cycle in an entire geographic region which require considerable and detailed public comment and consultation before committing even to targets.

2) The Ecosystem Objectives discussion paper sets out, in broadly descriptive terms, a suite of ecosystem indicators and targets which may be useful in directing and tracking comprehensive management of the Lake Superior ecosystem. Developed jointly by the six Lake Superior jurisdictions of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minniesota, United States, Ontario and Canada participating in the Lake Superior Binational Forum, these proposed indicators and targets include goals and indicators for general objective and for aquatic community structure, terrestrial wildlife, habitat, human health and substainability.

This document is a public discussion document, and does not reflect Ontario's position on any one target, except that Ontario has participated in the development of these as one component of the Lake Superior Binational Program. The intent of Registry listing is to elicit public comment. Finalization of these indicators and targets will provide a framework for ecosystem management in the Lake Superior basin.

Purpose of policy

To elicit public consensus for a strategy to manage the Lake Superior ecosystem in a manner to resolve past impairments, and prevent future impairments, consistent with substainability and wise resource management. The intent of these documents is elicit comment on two components of an ecosystem management strategy for Lake Superior. The LaMP Stage 2 is a means to develop harmonized and consistent approaches to managing toxic substances in the Lake Superior basin.

The Ecosystem Objectives provide a long-term planning framework for managing not just pollutants, but ecosystems, including physical and biological components. The governments are currently developing a "LaMP" for non-chemical stressors, together with these two noticed documents/frameworks, these three elements will constitute an ecosystem management framework for Lake Superior to the year 2020. Ontario wishes to develop a consensus-based strategy for the management of the Lake Superior ecosystem.

Other Information: 

An electronic version of the Lake Superior Lakewide Management Plan will be available from Environment Canada's Great Lakes Information Management Resources (GLIMR) web site at www.cciw.ca/glimr/lamps/lake-superior, or on the Lake Superior Binational Program homepage at www.great-lakes.net:2200/partners/LSBP/lsbp.html. Hardcopies of the plan may be obtained from the contact below.

Other public consultation opportunities

The Lake Superior Binational Forum is a Canada-United States committee of citizens, who work jointly with the governments in the development of positions and policies. A significant component of the LaMP, reduction schedules for nine virtual elimination substances, were developed soley by the Forum. The Forum also participated in the devlopment of the Ecosystem Principles and Objectives. In addition the Forum has reviewed both documents. However, EBR notice is intended to provide for broader public participation and comment, while focused public consultation will take place through workshops and meetings in the Lake Superior Basin.