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Title Description Organization Date publishedsort icon Content Type
Clean Water Act and Income Protection

THEREFORE BE II' RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United will work closely with affiliated labor organizations, the bi-national labor movement at large, and other environmental organlzations in the U.S. and Canada, through the GLU LaborIEnvironment Task Force, to assure that the goals and interests of affected workers as well as those of the binational environmental community are considered to the maximum extent possible; AND

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Great Lakes United will campaign for, educate on, fully support, and if necessary, initiate, the inclusion of income protection language in the Clean Water Act; AND

TEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the GLU LabourIEnvironment Task Force will seek to work with the labour movement in Canada on an ongoing basis to explore and investigate legislative mechanisms for the inclusion of income protection language in Canadian clean water legislation, as well, such as MlSA and others which may arise in the future.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Expanding Right to Know in Canada and United States

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United urges the United States Congress to expand the current right to know reporting requirements to include more facilities and more chemicals, to close the recycling loophole, to require reporting on the use and production of toxic chemicals, to expand reporting on hazardous waste, and to require companies to develop toxic use reduction plans, by passing H.R. 2880 and equivalent Senate legislation; AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United urges the Canadian Federal Government to develop a strong, comprehensive right to know program that will require reporting on the use, production, and release of toxic chemicals, as well as information on the storage and handling of toxic chemicals that can be used to asslst in emergency preparedness and accident prevention programmes.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Support Basin Business

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United make it a policy to look first at purchasing, where possible, environmentally sound products that are produced in unionized shops within the Great Lakes Basin in order to promote a sustainable economy in the Basin.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
US Federal Wetlands Legislation

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Great Lakes United opposes HR 1330 and S 1463 and endorses HR 4255 as an important, fair legislative tool to halt further loss of wetlands in the US.; AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Great Lakes United will communicate this position to all U.S. Senators and Representatives from Great Lakes states within the next month.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Great Legacy Natural Heritage Areas Program

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that GREAT LAKES UNITED will work to support the establishment and implementation of the Great Legacy Program to preserve natural areas as reservoirs of biodiversity and protect the best examples of biodiversity in aquatic and terrestrial sites located in pristine or restored areas of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin; AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that GLU strongly urges the Council of Great Lakes Governors to provide regional political leadership necessary to establish and implement the Great Legacy program, a Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin-wide biodiversity conservation strategy; AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that GLU urges the states and provinces in the Great Lakes Basin as well as local units of government to take expeditious and appropriate steps to support the establishment and implementation of the Great Legacy program;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be conveyed to the Governors and Premlers of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Basin and the office of the Council of Great Lakes Governors.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
NYS Environmental Trust Fund

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United supports the establishment of an Environmental Trust Fund in New York State which:

  • provides funds on an Annual basis for open space protection, clean water and solid waste managements;
  • dedicates, at a minimum, a $100 million a year through existing beer and soda tax of $87 million a year and $14 million a year from cunent lubricating oil tax currently going into general fund;
  • works to establish additional revenue resources such as unclaimed nickel deposits for drink containers, a proposed tire tax, or other concepts including water use fees; and
  • includes a mechanism for the Environmental Facilities Corporation to issue bonds to increase availability of funds for this purpose.
Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Protection for Long Point, Ontario

BE IT RESOLVED, that the government of Ontario be urged to take the steps outlined above with respect to the Long Polnt watershed: AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the governments of Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York across Lake Erie from Long Point and the federal governments of Canada and the United States, through the appropriate legislators, agencies and ministries, the International Joint Commisslon, and non-governmental agencies and groups be urged to ask the Ontario government to pursue the actions listed above to protect and preserve Long Point, a world class example of biodiversity and variety of natural habitat.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Reauthorization of the US Endangered Species Act

NOW BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that Great Lakes Unlted supports passage of HR 4045 and will communicate this position to Congressmen from the Great Lakes states.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Human Health Project

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Task Force takes into account that:

  • Human health is a key component for driving public policy for change; AND
  • The Task Force broadens the concept of human heah, taking lnto consideration such factors as employment, education, occupation, ethnlclty, race, gender and sexual preference; AND
  • Is essential that the project have representation within the community; AND
  • The Task Force recognizes all Great Lakes citizens as exposed populations; AND
  • The proposal include funding to enable the Task Force to provlde basinwide community direction to the project.
Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Requesting Indiana Join in Funding the Great Lakes Protection Fund

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, be It resolved by the delegates assembled for the 10th Annual Meeting of Great Lakes United (GLU) request the State of Indiana to contribute to the Great Lakes Protection Fund.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Calling for the Passage of the United States Comprehensive Occupational Safety and Health Reform Act

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United believes legislation is needed to strengthen and revise the Occupational Safety and Heallh Act; AND

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United supports the prompt passage of the Comprehensive Occupational Safety and Health Reform Act (S. 1622, H.R. 3160).

AND THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Congress appropriate and allocate adequate funding to fully implement all aspects of the Reform legislation.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Ontario Waste Management Corporation

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Great Lakes Untted urges the Ontario Government to drop its plans to build a hazardous waste incinerator and landfill;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United urges the Ontario Government to divert the money it is now putting into the OWMC lnto waste reduction activities.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Islands and Shoals

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United call on State and Provincial jurisdictions to call for a moratorium on further development of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River islands until a scientific inventory of lslands and shoals and a plannlng vision are completed.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that GLU request the U.S. and Canadian Nature Conservancies, the Center for the Great Lakes and local land trusts to pursue a protective strategy towards islands and shoals basin-wide, and that such private not-for-profits in conjunction with governments further promulgate an approach to development that protects the natural resources, open space, and scenic and heritage value of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Proposed Lake Calument Airport

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT Great Lakes United representing environmental, labor and civic organizations and communities throughout the eight states and two provinces of the Great Lakes region hereby oppose the construction of the Lake Calumet Airport in Chicago and northwest Indiana and recommend more serious, good-faith efforts to develop alternate means of surface and/or air transportation to relieve any current or potential air haffic congestion at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Kenosha Diversion

THEREFORE, Great Lakes United demands a formal investigation of the Kenosha diversion by the Wisconsin Justice Department, Wisconsin State Legislature. the Council of Great Lakes Governors and the Michigan Attorney General, to determine how it could occur, what state laws were also broken, how to enforce the cessation of the diversion, and any penalties that may be appropriate.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Quebec-Canada St. Lawrence River Agreement

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Quebec - Canada Agreement include a section specifying that the St. Lawrence River clean up effort must have a public participation component similar to the ones In C.O.A. and the GLWQA.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Increased Federal Funding of the Great Lakes Research Laboratories

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United petition Congress to Increase the funding for federal Great Lakes research programs because of their losses due to Inflation since 1980; these programs Include, but are not limited to:

1. NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Ann Arbor, Michigan;
2. EPA's Research Stations at Grosse lle, Michigan and Duluth, Minnesota;
3. Great Lakes research programs funded through the United States Commerce Department's Sea Grant Program at universities in the Great Lakes Region;
4. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Fisheries Center - Great Lakes, Arbor, Michigan;
5. NOAA's Great Lakes Research Coordinating Office as specified in the 1987 Clean Water Act; AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United support the full annual eleven million dollars funding level authorized in Congress to implement the Great Lakes Amendment to the Clean Water Act.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Michigan DNR

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United opposes the abolishment of the citizen boards and commission.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Public Involvement in the Negotation of a Revised Canada-Ontario Agreement

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United urges both negotiating partles to the Canada-Ontario Agreement to:

1) Acknowledge the right of the publlc and thereby the right of the R.A.P. Public Advisory Committees to be provided the opportunity to present public concerns and expectations to both negotiating parties, respecting the R.A. P. process and Implementation of remedial actions within C .O.A.; and

2) Provide such oppohunity In good faith and prior to finalizing a C.O.A. draft document to ensure full opportunity for consideration and inclusion of public expressions and recommendations in all C.O.A. negotiations; and

3) Recognize the urgency for completing a new C.O.A. and therefore arranging for public consultation without any further delay.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Reform the National Flood Insurance Program

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United strongly supports S. 1650. and calls on Senator Riegle, and all other Great Lakes Senators to protect the bill from weakening changes and promptly pass the bill in the Senate Banking Committee and full Senate.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Wolfe and North Fox Islands

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that GLU call on the Province of Ontario to conduct a thorough review of the proposed Mathews prolect under the Environmental Assessment Act and the Federal Canadian Government under the Environmental Assessment Review Process in order to ensure that the project will have the minimum adverse impact on the island's natural resources, the rural community of Wolfe lsland and the international Thousand Islands region.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Great Lakes Diversions

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United reaffirms its opposition to any out-of-basin diversion, AND

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United specifically oppcses the Lowell, IN diversion.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
US EPA's Great Lakes Water Quality Initiative

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United, at its 1992 annual meeting in Saginaw, Michigan, calls upon U.S. EPA Administrator William Reilly to restore the public's right of access and right to comment on the importance of the lnitiative by immediately publishing the draft rules in the Federal Register and holding public hearings, AND

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call on governments at all levels to immediately implement programs to stop the discharge of toxic chemicals into Great Lakes and their tributaries, and to implement the promises in the U.S.€anada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and the U.S. Clean Water Act.

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that GLU calls upon all its member organizations to write Administrator William Reilly calling for the immediate publication of the draft rules in the Federal Register. Additionally, the letter should request that during public comment period, EPA provide education and Information dissemination as part of the public hearings.

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, GLU encourages member organizations to educate their members about the issues pertaining to the Great Lakes initiative in preparation to actively participate In the public hearings along with submitting written comments during the public comment period.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Clean Water Jobs Program

THEREFORE, Great Lakes United supports the Labor and Environmental Clean Water/Jobs Funding Proposal which:

  • provides 3 billion dollars a year for five years for current state and local sewage treatment plant improvements and upgrading through the Water Revolving Loan Program's current allocation formula;
  • establishes additional sewer and combined sewer Infrastructure funding of $3 billion per year over ten years to states through the Water Revolving Loan Fund for high priority needs of the Great Lakes and designated national estuary under the nation's National Estuary Program;
  • ensures that additional monies should be available to localities in the Great Lakes Basin and national estuary areas and provide not only for low-to-zero interest loans but also principle subsidies for localities in economic need; and
  • provides that these new funds are viewed in budget terms as a federal jobs program and do not reduce other EPA funds available to state and local governments.

FURTHER, BE IT RESOLVED, that Great Lakes United will work with Industry, Labor and Environmental Groups In the Great Lakes Basin and nationwide to promote this Clean Water/Jobs Program as part of the Clean Water Act debate, ensure that new facilities built wlth these funds are separated from toxic industrial wastes and inform the Great Lakes Congressional Delegalion of this resolution.

Great Lakes United May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution
Implement Indiana's Water Quality Standards

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the delegates assembled for the 10th Annual Meeting of Great Lakes United, this 3rd day of May, 1992, that:

1) The lndiana Water Pollution Control Board, IWPCB, be requested to adopt proposed revisions to Indiana's National Pollution Discharge Elimination System, NPDES, rule, 327 IAC 5, as expeditiously as possible to implement limits in NPDES permits for discharges to the State's surface waters which will assure standards In 327 IAC 2-1 that adequately protect human, terrestrial, and aquatic life from the toxic Impacts of water pollutants are met: AND

2) The IWPCB Include In those revisions, a requirement to phase out as expeditiously as possible the use of mixing or any dilution allowances for discharges of both the 43 pollutants annotated in Indiana's new water quality standards rule "to be bloconcentrating and of concern" and to sunset these and any other chemicals currently Identified and any other pollutants cunently Identified by the U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Initiative as "Bioaccumulative Chemicals of Concern," AND

3) The IWPCB include in those revisions, a requirement to employ alternative techniques, such as monitoring of internal processes, caged biota studies, or regular analysis of tissues of resident fish species for detecting and restricting discharges of pollutants whose water'quality based effluent limits are below levels of detection or quantitation; AND

4) The WPCB retain the State's ability In those revisions to enforce the Level of Detection as a compliance point in NPDES permits when water quality based effluent limits are below the Level of Detection; AND

5) To prevent further loading of pollutants in impaired waters, the IWPCB prohibit in those revisions, discharges of Intake water containing concentrations of a background pollutant in excess of its water quality based effluent limit to receiving waters that are not from the same source as the intake water; AND

6) The IWPCB retain the variance provision in the new water quality standards rule, 327 IAC 2-1 -8.8, and in revisions to the NPDES rule, that will place a burden of proof on a discharger to make the maximum effort possible to meet a water quality based effluent limit for a pollutant, through reducing, eliminating or treating a pollutant in the effluent, before being eligible for consideration of a variance from meeting that water quality based effluent limit; AND

7) To cleanup Indiana's impaired surface waters, the IWPCB not add criteria for variances to the new water quality standards rule or the NPDES rule revisions that would include conditions in the receiving stream, such as background pollutants, low flow, other physical features or human induced conditions as grounds for considering variances from meeting water quality standards.

Great Lakes Universe May 3 1992 Great Lakes United resolution