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Use the menus below to browse our collection of information resources on Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River protection. You can search the database by subject matter and content type, as well as sort by any of the headings.

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Title Description Organizationsort icon Date published Content Type
Résolution pour interdire le transport de générateurs de vapeur radioactifs par les Grands Lacs et le fleuve Saint-Laurent Great Lakes United Great Lakes United resolution
Resolution Against Radioactive Waste Metal and Materials Dispersal Into Consumer Products

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Great Lakes United:
--Opposes the deregulation, release, and dispersal of radioactive waste metals and materials into commerce and the environment;
--Opposes the processing for release, buying and selling of any materials or products from or made from materials that have been contaminated by nuclear power or weapons fuel chain facilities;
--Opposes setting the precedent of shipping radioactive waste metals and materials on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.
--Advocates public policy which prohibits releases of radioactive wastes and materials into commerce or their unrestricted dumping; that radioactive waste metals and materials be regulated and isolated from the environment and public for their entire hazardous life; that all costs of recapturing, isolating and managing radioactive wastes and materials be borne by the generator;
--Appeals to all public officials at all levels to oppose and prohibit the deregulation of radioactive wastes and materials for “clearance,” “release,” “recycling,” “exemption,” listing them as “below regulatory concern,” or any other legalistic mechanism that results in dispersal of nuclear wastes and materials into public commerce or unrestricted dumping, or in any way being treated as if they were nonradioactive.

Great Lakes United Dec 22 2010 Great Lakes United resolution
Resolution in Opposition of Movement of Hazardous Cargo on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Great Lakes United opposes setting the precedent of shipping radioactive waste metals and materials on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Great Lakes United firmly opposes the shipping of any hazardous material in ice conditions;

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Great Lakes United strongly recommends that the following conditions be met as it pertains to the movement of hazardous cargo on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River:
--An annual plan requiring routine joint binational federal, state and provincial spill drills/preparedness exercise in real-time scenarios and at varying times of year is in place and properly funded
--Thorough, independent assessment of equipment and personnel available to respond/contain/clean-up a spill (of any type and at any time of year) on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence
--Improvements to cross-border coordination and communication.
--A system is in place and operational providing advance notification of local responders e.g. county/local emergency and/or fire departments when hazardous or nuclear materials transported through their communities via waterway
--Annual, public reporting of hazardous materials shipped via the seaway (materials and volume).

Great Lakes United Dec 22 2010 Great Lakes United resolution
Resolution in Support of the Promotion of Green Infrastructure Policies and Practices

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Great Lakes United urge the provincial and state governments of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region to give integrated watershed planning legal standing in water management instruments, including the Planning Act and Provincial Policy Statement, the Water Resources Act, Clean Water Act, and Conservation Authorities Act;

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Great Lakes United urge the state and provincial governments of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region to quantify the economic, social, environmental, and health benefits of green infrastructure, and that such accounting be inclusive of any savings realized from the extended life of existing grey infrastructure;

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Great Lakes United urge municipalities and the state and provincial governments of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region to set ambitious, achievable performance measures and targets to ensure sustainable water resources on a watershed and aquifer basis; such targets will take into consideration human, economic, and ecosystem needs;

Great Lakes United Dec 22 2010 Great Lakes United resolution
Resolution Requesting Serious Opportunities for Public Input into Renegotiation of Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Great Lakes United ask the Canadian and U.S. governments to provide a draft new GLWQA to the public for comment before finalization of the Agreement; and,
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Great Lakes United and its member groups ask the Canadian and U.S. governments to hold at least two public meetings on Lake Michigan (one on the western and one on the eastern side of the basin), at least two public meetings on each of Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron, and Superior (one on the Canadian and one on the U.S. side of each lake), and one in Montreal for citizen input into a draft Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

Great Lakes United Dec 22 2010 Great Lakes United resolution
Resolution Calling For Dedicated Funding for Large-Scale Remedial Actions in the Next Canada-Ontario Agreement

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Great Lakes United, in concert with stakeholders, urge the Governments of Canada and Ontario to commit, on the signing of the next Canada-Ontario Agreement, to the establishment and resourcing of a 10-year, $ 1.0 billion (total) CDN fund, to be made available on a cost-share basis to municipalities for the implementation of large-scale ( (greater than $10 million CDN) Remedial Actions that address contaminated sediment, combined-sewer overflows, or other green or grey infrastructure upgrades as required to meet Beneficial Use Impairment delisting criteria in the remaining Canadian Areas of Concern.
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Great Lakes United advocate that the Governments of Canada and Ontario determine cost-sharing formulae for large-scale Remedial Action projects in consultation with Area of Concern municipalities and other stakeholders.

Great Lakes United Dec 22 2010 Great Lakes United resolution
Resolution opposing the construction of new nuclear reactor at Darlington Generation Station

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Great Lakes United urges the suspension of the federal environmental assessment and licensing process currently underway for the construction of up to four new nuclear reactors at the Darlington Generating Station,
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that should, at some future date, Ontario Power Generation submit a complete proposal, including reactor design, a new environmental process including panel review be initiated.

Great Lakes United Dec 22 2010 Great Lakes United resolution
Letter to Leaders Regarding the Shipment of Steam Generators

This letter and the accompanying resolution requests immediate action to halt the shipment of sixteen radioactively contaminated nuclear steam generators, each weighing more than 100 metric tonnes, through the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Great Lakes United Sep 12 2010 Letter, comment, or government submissions
Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement Negotiation Guide

A background document prepared by Great Lakes United outlining major topics concerning the  Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (during the 2011-2012 renegotiation of the Agreement). 

Great Lakes United Aug 9 2011 Report
Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement 2011 - FAQ

A document prepared by Great Lakes United answering common questions about the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (during the 2011-2012 renegotiation of the Agreement). 

Great Lakes United Aug 9 2011 Factsheet
Release: Groups Demand Moratorium on Access to Great Lakes by Ocean-going ships Great Lakes United Mar 20 2007 Letter, comment, or government submissions
Release: 20 years after zebra mussel investigation, United States, Canada, remain at risk of aquatic invasion Great Lakes United Mar 19 2008 Letter, comment, or government submissions
Comments on proposed rulemaking “Penalties for Non-Submission of Ballast Water Management Reports” USCG-2002-13147 Great Lakes United Apr 7 2003 Letter, comment, or government submissions
Testimony at the International Joint Commission’s 12th Biennial Public Forum Great Lakes United Sep 20 2003 Letter, comment, or government submissions
Letter to the Ministry of Natural Resources on the prohibition of live invasive fish

Letter to the Ministry of Natural Resources in support of the prohibition of live invasive fish in Ontario.

Great Lakes United Mar 25 2004 Letter, comment, or government submissions
Opportunities for Better Controls of Invasive Species in the United States and Canada

Presented at the 2005 Great Lakes Conference and Biennial Meeting of the International Joint Commission

Kingston, Ontario

Great Lakes United Jun 9 2005 Conference proceedings
NAISA Postcards

Postcards in support of the National Aquatic Invasive Species Act

Great Lakes United Letter, comment, or government submissions
Release: On the eve of new shipping season, Great Lakes still unprotected from aquatic invasive species

On the eve of the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway,
conservation groups are urging U.S. and Canadian governments to stop the introduction of aquatic non-native organisms into the lakes and to protect the region’s $4.5 billion world-class fishery.

Great Lakes United Mar 24 2005 Letter, comment, or government submissions
Letter to US Department of Transportation on Mandatory BWE

A letter from Great Lakes United to the US Department of Transportation commenting on the proposal for a mandatory ballast water management program for US waters

Great Lakes United Oct 28 2003 Letter, comment, or government submissions
Great Lakes United's Green Book

A resource developed for the Great Lakes United TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® 2010, the Green Book is a introductory guide to the problems affecting the Great Lakes in 2010. Topics include water conservation, Asian carp, toxics and pollution, wind energy and green gardening.

Great Lakes United Jan 6 2010 Report
Letter to GLWQA Negotiators

A letter to Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement negotiators outlining essential elements for the new agreemnet on behalf of citizens. 

Great Lakes United Sep 7 2011 Letter, comment, or government submissions
Great Lakes United Board Member Nomination form 2011 Great Lakes United Letter, comment, or government submissions
Great Lakes United By-Laws, 2010

The approved by-laws effective December 2010.

Great Lakes United Oct 21 2011 Letter, comment, or government submissions
Proposed By-Law Amendments 2011

A document containing proposed changes to the Great Lakes United by-laws at the 2011 Annual General Meeting.

Great Lakes United Oct 21 2011 Letter, comment, or government submissions
Great Lakes United’s Draft Comments on the International Upper Great Lakes Study

Great Lakes United’s Draft Comments on the International Upper Great Lakes Study, International Joint Commission, March 2012.

Great Lakes United Jan 3 2012 Letter, comment, or government submissions