Great Lakes Echo (https://greatlakesecho.org/author/great-lakes-echo/page/37/)
This week: The debate on “shrinking the city” because of the large inventory of vacant, overgrown lots and abandoned homes. In this clip, Mama E and Mayor Dayne Walling are on the same side of the debate.
Watch the latest installment of the Greening of Flint documentary, in which Master Jacky and Dora King send a message that sustainable farming is one way to revitalize the community.
Watch the latest installment of the Greening of Flint documentary under production and offer your ideas for shaping it.
This week: Flint Mayor Dayne Waillng says the city needs to change to move forward.
On Wednesdays through July, Great Lakes Echo will run a video segment expected to become a building block of a finished documentary on the greening of Flint, Mich. This week, Mama E is in a dilemma: Should she stay in Flint or leave?
To contribute to the discussion about the climate change section of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, post your thoughts below. If you want the U.S. and Canadian governments to consider your input, send it to the official website. Currently, the GLWQA does not address the impacts of climate change. During the GLWQA Review period, there was general agreement that the GLWQA should be revised to specifically address pressing threats to the Great Lakes, including the impacts of climate change. Recommendations included the need to understand and predict future climate changes in the Great Lakes system, including an assessment of potential impacts and vulnerabilities.
The U.S. and Canadian governments are updating for the first time in 23 years their agreement to protect and restore the Great Lakes, and they’re asking you to speak up. The governments signed in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1972 after the Cuyahoga River caught fire and Lake Erie was declared “dead.” The agreement was crucial to cutting the flow of phosphorus and toxic substances into the lakes and informed future environmental laws like the Clean Water Act, according to an internal review in 2007. But it’s also outdated. It says nothing about emerging threats like climate change and it underplays invasive species.
To contribute to the discussion about the governance section of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, post your thoughts below. If you want the U.S. and Canadian governments to consider your input, send it to the official website. Given that the GLWQA was last amended in 1987, both Canada and the United States recognize the importance of examining governance aspects outlined in the GLWQA. 1. Participation in Binational Management Process
Article X of the GLWQA specifies the commitments of the Parties to consultation and Review, including: “The Parties, in cooperation with State and Provincial Governments, shall meet twice a year to coordinate their respective work plans with regard to the implementation of this Agreement and to evaluate progress made”.
To contribute to the discussion about the toxic substances section of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, post your thoughts below. If you want the U.S. and Canadian governments to consider your input, send it to the official website. Both Canada and the United States recognize that improperly managed chemicals pose unacceptable risks to health and the environment in their jurisdictions. Both countries are committed to managing chemicals effectively and to reducing risks from chemicals to acceptable levels. While certain persistent toxic substances (PTS) have been significantly reduced in the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem over the past 30 years, they continue to be present at levels above those considered safe for humans and wildlife, warranting fish consumption advisories in all five lakes and connecting channels.
To contribute to the discussion about the ship-source pollution section of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, post your thoughts below. If you want the U.S. and Canadian governments to consider your input, send it to the official website. Requirements for the Parties under the current GLWQA related to ship-source and shipping-related discharges and emissions are specified in separate Annexes:
Annex 4 — Requirements for Oil and Hazardous substances discharges
Annex 5 — Garbage, Sewage and Cargo Residues
Annex 6 — The potential for discharge of Aquatic Invasive Species from ballast water is mentioned, as well as the requirement to review and report on pollution from shipping sources, consult with the IJC, and study any potential pollution problem from ships identified by the Parties
Annex 8 — sets out requirements for Onshore and Offshore Oil Handling Facilities but specifically exclude vessels
Annex 9 — sets out requirement for a joint contingency plan in response to oil spills
1. Ship Air Emissions
The current GLWQA deals with the following ship-source discharges that could have negative effects upon the water quality of the Great Lakes: Annex 4 for Oil and Hazardous Pollution Substances; Annex 5 for Sewage and Garbage (Ship Generated Garbage and Cargo Residues); and Annex 6 for Invasive species in Ballast Water. Both Canada and the United States have compatible regulations for the discharges that are identified in the current GLWQA that are based on International Conventions.
To contribute to the discussion about the science coordination section of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, post your thoughts below. If you want the U.S. and Canadian governments to consider your input, send it to the official website. Science coordination is not mentioned in Annex 11 (Surveillance and Monitoring) or Annex 17 (Research and Development) of the existing Agreement. The GLWQA Review did identify that Annexes 11 & 17 should address the need for coordination and collaboration to a greater extent. 1.