The International Joint Commission’s Great Lakes Water Quality Biennial Meeting on October 12-14 is anchoring Great Lakes Week Detroit 2011. The Great Lakes Commission and the Healing Our Waters Coalition will also be holding their annual meetings as part of the event, which should draw hundreds of Great Lakes advocates and policy makers to Detroit and the Wayne State University campus.
Pursuant to the Canada-US Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the IJC convenes the Biennial Meeting to report on progress toward restoration of the physical, chemical, and biological quality of the waters of the Great Lakes basin ecosystem. Biennial Meeting workshops will focus on key challenges to water quality, including harmful and nuisance algae, aquatic invasive species, beach health, fish consumption, and chemicals of emerging concern. A special plenary session will focus on priorities for 2011-2013, providing the public with an opportunity to comment on IJC plans for future study. As the U.S. and Canada reach the final stage of negotiations regarding an updated Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the Biennial Meeting will be a critical opportunity for public participation in Great Lakes governance.
Registration for the IJC Biennial Meeting is free and open to the public, but you should register in advance, especially if you want to save a seat for the keynote session with former Vice-President Al Gore on Thursday afternoon. For more details on all events, see the IJC’s schedule and the Great Lakes Week detailed agenda.