1. Dr. Gail Krantzberg, Director Centre for Engineering and Public Policy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario Krantz@Mcmaster.ca Great Lakes Great Responsibilities

2. History of binational shared management of the Great Lakes  1909 Boundary Waters Treaty  1960’s Lake Erie proclaimed “dead”  1972, Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement calls for limits to phosphorus loadings  GLWQA of 1978 calls for virtual elimination of PTS  GLWQA in 1987 to call for other initiatives such as Remedial Action Plans and Lakewide Management Plans

3. Have we reached The Tipping Point? “The Great Lakes are deteriorating at a rate unprecedented in their recorded history and are near the tipping point of ecosystem- wide breakdown.” – Alfred Beeton, former director of the Great Lakes. Environmental Research Laboratory, 2005.

4. Symptoms of deficits: Ongoing, re-emerging and emerging challenges to the Integrity of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem

5. $Billions Needed Aging infrastructure: unresolved

6. Cleaning up Legacy Pollutants $$$ still needed

7. The New PCBs? TOXIC CHEMICALS Recurring surprises

8. CAR HABITAT More cars traveling longer distances AIR QUALITY/ SPRAWL: NOT CONQUERED

9. Aquatic Invasive Species Billions of dollars in damages

10. $15-45 Million per year for control An open door policy to invaders?

11. A changing climate

12. WE HAVE A CHOICE

13. Traditional impediments to progress in the implementation of the GLWQA:  lack of institutional accountability and responsibility;  lack of inclusion and engagement of constituent stakeholders; and  lack of distributive (i.e., coordinated, flexible, adaptive) management and leadership

14. From 2006-7, stakeholders around the basin reviewed the existing GLWQA and recommended it be revised “The key outcome of the public review was that, while there have been many successes; the GLWQA is outdated and unable to address current threats to Great Lakes water quality.”

15. Other Review Findings  Need language association with climate change, aquatic invasive species and urbanization.  Critical need to reform governance for active engagement of the large cross section of society that could be more actively engaged in implementation  Need more meaningful public and partner participation in the development and implementation of a renewed Agreement

17.  The Great Lakes Water Quality Protocol of 2012

18. The good news  The 2012 Procol was signed September 7 2012.  Senior officials from EC, DFAIT, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. EPA discussed governance in a broad context including place-based approaches to the nearshore environment

19. Annexes 1. Areas of Concern 2. Lakewide Management 3. Chemicals of Mutual Concern 4. Nutrients 5. Discharge from vessels 6. Aquatic Invasive Species 7. Habitat and Species 8. Groundwater 9. Climate change impacts 10. Science

20. Governance Solutions

21.  Build communities that share a common purpose of place-based protection and revitalization.

22.  Highlight the importance of the lakes invoking the economic and social benefits associated with Great Lakes protection and revitalization.

23. Campaign for Great Lakes excellence  Demonstrate that the Great Lakes are of national significance in each country to counter the notion that any related programs are regional in nature.  Build national strategies for issues of importance to the Great Lakes and finance such prevention and remedial programs in a national context. –for example, a national program for water infrastructure for which the Great Lakes region would be allocated a proportion of the funds.

24. We need answers, for our Great Lakes Future accountable  Who is accountable to the promises made? roles  What are the roles for municipal leaders, first nations/ tribes, business, academe? variations on a theme  How do we stop reacting to new variations on a theme? Great Lakes community  How does the Great Lakes community engage in solutions?

25. A Personal Opinion  Enhance and sustain our Great Lakes through defining and implementing sustainable communities  Go beyond governments to determine a path forward for implementation to ensure civic engagement and human stewardship  Renovate responsibilities and accountability for the Great Lakes in the renewed Agreement  Measure governance capacity, what are the indicators that help us collectively move towards Great Lakes resilience?

26. Worth Protecting

27. Thanks for Making the Lakes GreatQuestions? Krantz@mcmaster.ca