Right now Canada and the United States are accepting comments on issue-specific aspects of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, from toxics to climate change to invasive species. Great Lakes United is calling on all citizens to ensure a new Agreement reflects current concerns and solutions, and challenge the two countries to protect this vital ecosystem for centuries to come by making sure to participate in the renegotiation process.

Over one hundred years ago, the United States and Canada entered into the first environmental pact in the world: the Boundary Waters Treaty. This committed both countries to ensuring that activities in one country do not negatively affect the quality or quantity of water shared by the two countries, and set the groundwork for the 1972 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

It has now been 22 years since the Agreement was last updated. While we have made progress, these commitments have not yet been fully met, and new challenges demand our attention as well. We have the opportunity today to help in the renegotiation of this historic legislation, and citizen engagement and participation is essential.

Between June 7 and June 9, the governments are hosting webinar sessions on specific topic areas in the Agreement. Join the webinar and demonstrate to the governments that the public is critically concerned about these issues. Click here to register for the webinars.

The other way citizens can currently participate in the renegotiation process is by submitting written comments to the governments. The comment period is open until July 9, 2010, and more information about participating can be found at Great Lakes United’s new GLWQA website:

www.glu.org/glwqa

During the webinars, and in your written comments, raise the most important items on each issue from your perspective and make sure your ideas are included in the new version of this vital Agreement. Great Lakes United has posted webinar guiding points for each of the issue-specific areas that will be addressed. The schedule of webinars is posted below, along with links to the guiding points for each topic:

• Governance and Science Coordination (June 7, 2010 10:00am – 1:15pm EDT)
  • View Governance guiding points from ENGO discussions
  • View Science Coordination guiding points from ENGO discussions
    
• Habitat and Species and Climate Change (June 7, 2010 2:00pm – 5:00pm EDT)
  • View Habitat and Species guiding points from ENGO discussions
  • View Climate Change guiding points from ENGO discussions
    
• Toxics (June 8, 2010 10:30am – 12:30pm EDT)
  • View Toxics guiding points from ENGO discussions
    
• Nutrients (June 8, 2010 2:30pm – 4:30pm EDT)
  
• Ship Source Pollution and Aquatic Invasive Species (June 9, 2010 10:30am – 1:30pm EDT)
  
  • View Ship Source Pollution guiding points from ENGO discussions
  • View Aquatic Invasive Species guiding points from ENGO discussions

Take action today—what we do now to strengthen the Agreement and set the groundwork for a healthier, more robust Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River ecosystem!

We are happy to help you get involved in the webinars and write your own comments. For further information, visit www.glu.org/glwqa or contact John Jackson at 519-744-7503 or jjackson@glu.org or Rachel Heckl at 716-913-2709 or rheckl@glu.org.

The Great Lakes are facing one of the greatest invasive species threats since the arrival of the zebra mussel- the Asian (bighead and silver) carp. Recent DNA tests of waters shows the presence of Asian carp past an electric barrier south of Chicago. The barrier is meant to deter the fish from entering Lake Michigan from the Mississippi River basin. DNA testing is considered the most sensitive technique available to determine the leading edge of a population, which is undetectable using traditional sampling techniques.

While federal and state agencies are working to find and eradicate any carp above the barrier and prevent the movement of more carp past the barrier, recent developments reinforce the belief that swift and aggressive action will prevent an Asian carp invasion to the Great Lakes.

Traditional sampling finds no fish

Since December 2009, federal and state agencies in Illinois have been trying to find the Asian carp that have breached the electric barrier using traditional techniques like netting and electroshocking. No fish have been found above the barrier yet, despite DNA results that indicate some Asian carp have breached the barrier. On May 20th, the state of Illinois took DNA samples and applied rotenone to eradicate any carp close to Lake Michigan in the Little Calumet River near the O’Brien lock. Older DNA samples indicated at least one fish was present in that area last fall and as recently as March 31 2010. But DNA sampling from April 23rd and on the day of the operation (May 20th) came back negative and it appears the fish had moved on, hence the rotenone treatment results were consistent with the eDNA results and no carp were found.

So what does this mean? With no carp found during either the electroshocking, netting sampling, or rotenone treatment, barge and tour boat owners are questioning the validity of the DNA testing, saying it is proof that the existing electrical barriers are sufficient to hold back the carp. But this is not the case.

First, we have no idea whatsoever whether the Asian carp that have breached the barrier did so years ago when the barrier was still being constructed and operated at a lower voltage, or whether there is a trickle of carp still finding their way above the barrier today.

Second, Asian carp expert Duane Chapman, fish biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Missouri has studied the invasive carp for decades and told the Detroit Free Press, “I don’t think it <the results from the most recent rotenone treatment> necessarily means that there are none in the Chicago area waterway system. But it probably does mean that there are not very many of them there,” and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “If there are 100 fish in the canal system, crews could fish and electroshock for months and still never come up with a carcass.”

The variety of sampling and monitoring data scientists are using indicate that we are somewhere in between finding the leading edge of the population and the population being big enough that traditional sampling techniques will reveal their presence. The fact that all efforts to date have produced no Asian carp is good news, since obviously finding Asian carp by netting or electroshocking means the population is large enough to catch. By then, it may be too late to stop them. However, the threat is still very real—until all DNA testing above the barrier starts coming back negative, we absolutely cannot let up in our efforts to find and stop the carp.

We don’t know, and we probably will never know, is exactly how many individual carp above the barrier are enough to successfully establish a reproducing population. Plus, it is nonsensical to try to determine what “critical mass” of Asian carp is needed to invade the Great Lakes, since collecting environmental data linked to an invasion cannot be decoupled from the invasion itself. Simply put, preventing an Asian carp invasion means we never want to find out if we need 2, 20, 200 or 2,000 individuals in our waters to establish a population. Can we be comfortable with not knowing?

Aggressive action today has a likelihood of success. But, if we fall prey to misinterpretation, hesitation and a false sense of security, we could seal our fate and allow the carp to invade. We need to trust and act upon the science behind DNA sampling because it is our strongest preventative weapon against an invasion as we press towards a final solution.

Region moves towards hydrological separation

After the tight-knit Great Lakes community began to splinter and divide over lock closure and Supreme Court petitions, the region began to come together again on May 24th when 13 Great Lakes Senators sent a letter to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee urging Congress to direct the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study how to build a physical barrier and hydrologically separate the Mississippi River basin from the Great Lakes basin. These two large freshwater ecosystems were artificially connected through a series of canals over a century ago, and now provide a thoroughfare for aquatic invasive species, including the round goby moving south and the Asian carp moving north.

The letter is a regional effort, signed by Great Lakes Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Ronald Burris (D-Ill.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and George Voinovich (R-Ohio). Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wis) was not interested in supporting any efforts that might be considered “earmarks” and no reason was given for the lack of sign-on by the two Indiana Senators.

In 2007, Congress authorized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to look at ways to stop the spread of invasive species between the two waters. The corps’ study—the Great Lakes Mississippi River Interbasin Feasibility Study—however, focuses on a “range of options” to control the movement of species between the two basins, but does not prioritize how to implement the only permanent solution to the problem: building a physical barrier between the two watersheds.

A physical barrier, if done the right way, would involve smart, well-planned investments that establish new infrastructure in the Chicago area that make the region more globally competitive. It would also mean upgraded treatment of wastewater and storm water. The result can be a revitalized Chicago Waterway System that not only closes the aquatic highway for invasive species, but also enhances Chicago’s transportation system, creates local and regional jobs, reduces business costs across the region, and improves water quality, tourism, and recreation.

The time to act is now. Scientific studies and sampling suggest that we are probably still ahead of the Asian carp at this moment. But this moment will pass, and we cannot afford to hesitate. Let’s use this advantageous position to make sure that we keep these voracious invaders out of our Great Lakes. Physically separating the Mississippi River basin from Great Lakes is the best solution we have for protecting both ecosystems, and it is time for the region’s policymakers to end the transfer of invasive species between these two great basins.

The greatest event of the summer kicks off at the end of June in Toronto, when a fleet of tall ships begin their voyage across the lakes. Racing from port to port in the most sustainable race on the planet, the ships will draw millions of people across the five lakes. Joining them will be Great Lakes United, carrying a message of water conservation and protection—and we hope to see you there!

The Great Lakes United TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE 2010® brings over 20 tall ships from as far Germany and the Netherlands to the Great Lakes region, visiting Toronto, Cleveland, Bay City, Duluth, Green Bay and Chicago. Find out when the tall ships will be arriving in your city by visiting our website: www.glu.org/tallships.

While the ships will be the centerpiece of each festival, organizers are planning a variety of events alongside the majesty of the ships. From an Alice Cooper concert in Bay City, to a performance of Pirates of Penzance in Duluth, to Canada Day fireworks in Toronto, there is sure to be something for everyone. Come out and enjoy the true beauty of our Great Lakes in the summertime, take part in fun activities for the whole family, and find out more about what local environmental groups like Great Lakes United are doing to protect the lakes.

Great Lakes United is helping to organize a Green Village in each port. The Village brings together local environmental community and green businesses to showcase the local ecosystem and show visitors, in a fun and interactive way, what they can do to make a difference. Joining us in each port will be Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, helping to highlight what individuals can do at home to lessen their water footprint.

Learn more about the Great Lakes United TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE at www.sailtraining.org or www.glu.org/tallships. There you can find specific dates and links to each festival’s website for more information.

We can’t wait for these festivals to get underway and look forward to seeing many of you there!

By Caroline Larivière, Hélène Godmaire, Union Saint-Laurent Grands lacs
Nathalie Bédard, Solutions Éco-Smarts

Disconnecting downspouts
Often, rainwater collected in gutters drains into municipal sewer system and contributes to combine sewer overflows during heavy rain. A simple and easy way to help prevent this is to disconnect downspouts. The material needed is simple, affordable and can be found in most hardware stores. For example, disconnecting downspouts allows water to be collected in rain barrels and reused for watering plants. Such practice also reduces pressure on the town water resources, especially in times of drought. Another option is directing the outlet of the gutters towards permeable areas, such as lawns, rain gardens or, using an extension, towards a garden. It is important to make sure that the downspout extension end is located at least 1m form the basement foundation to prevent water infiltration. Another precaution is to make sure water does not remain on site and drains away from the house.

Planting a rain garden
The beauty of a property can be enhanced by planting a garden that absorbs the rainwater collected in gutters. A rain garden is a depression of 30-45 cm depth where water is drained. Such drainage, usually within 24-48 hours, avoids proliferation of mosquitoes. The selected plants, preferably native, must be resistant to occasional droughts and floods. The long-rooted plants help water seep into the ground while the pollutants are stopped. A sandy loam will facilitate infiltration. To avoid floods during heavy rains, a system of overflow should be installed. The garden must be located in a depression that drains the property. In addition, it must be at least 4 m away from the house. It is important to avoid planting a rain garden close to a septic tank, a leaching field, a drinking water well or on steep slopes. Many guides on rain gardens for gardeners are available.

For now, there is still little incentive to encourage cities, businesses and citizens to develop green infrastructure. Clearly in Québec, a revision of the regulation will be necessary and will facilitate the implementation of green infrastructure. Until strategies are developed on a larger scale, everyone can contribute in their own way. Disconnecting downspouts and planting a rain garden are two simple actions that help protect water resources. Together, we can make a difference!

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Verdir pour protéger l’eau!

Caroline Larivière, Hélène Godmaire, Union Saint-Laurent Grands lacs
Nathalie Bédard, Solutions Éco-Smarts

Pour préserver la santé des cours d’eau, plusieurs pratiques peuvent être adoptées facilement chez-soi, dans sa cour. Chacun peut faire sa part en débranchant les gouttières et en aménageant un jardin de pluie !

Débrancher les gouttières
Une façon simple de réduire la charge sur les collecteurs d’eaux pluviales consiste à débrancher les gouttières. C’est facile et le matériel requis est abordable. On peut se procurer les outils nécessaires en quincaillerie. La plupart du temps, l’eau de pluie qui est récoltée dans les gouttières est acheminée vers le réseau d’égout municipal. En déconnectant ce lien, l’eau peut être récoltée dans un baril de pluie et réutilisée pour arroser les plantes. En même temps, la récupération de l’eau de pluie réduit les pressions sur les ressources en eau de votre municipalité, surtout en période de sécheresse. On peut aussi diriger les sorties des gouttières vers des aires perméables, par exemple une pelouse ou un jardin de pluie. Il suffit d’annexer une rallonge sur la gouttière coupée et de placer son extrémité à l’endroit désiré. Toutefois, les extrémités (sorties d’eau) doivent être placées à au moins 1 m de distance des fondations du bâtiment pour éviter l’infiltration d’eau dans le sous-sol. Il faut s’assurer que l’eau ne demeure pas sur place et s’égoutte loin du bâtiment.

Aménager un jardin de pluie
Vous pouvez également rehausser la beauté de votre propriété en aménageant un jardin de pluie qui recueillera les eaux de gouttières. Ce type de jardin est constitué d’une dépression de 30 à 45 cm de profondeur d’où l’eau s’écoule habituellement dans un délai de 24 à 48 heures. De cette façon, la prolifération de moustiques est évitée. Les plantes sélectionnées, de préférence indigènes, doivent être résistantes à la sécheresse et aux inondations occasionnelles. Grâce aux longues racines des plantes, l’eau s’infiltre dans le sol et se libère de ses polluants. L’ajout d’un terreau sablonneux facilite l’infiltration. Pour éviter les débordements lors des fortes pluies, un système de trop-plein peut être installé. Le jardin doit se trouver dans une zone en dépression qui draine le terrain. De plus, l’emplacement doit se situer à au moins 4 m du bâtiment. Il faut éviter de le placer au dessus d’une fosse septique ou d’un champ d’épuration, près d’un puits d’eau potable ou sur de fortes pentes. Plusieurs guides sur les jardins de pluie destinés aux jardiniers amateurs peuvent être consultés.

Pour l’instant, il existe encore peu d’incitatif pour encourager les villes, les entreprises et les citoyens du Québec à développer des infrastructures vertes. De toute évidence au Québec, une révision de la réglementation sera nécessaire et facilitera l’implantation des infrastructures vertes. En attendant que des stratégies soient développées à plus grande échelle, tout le monde peut contribuer à sa façon. Le débranchement des gouttières et l’aménagement d’un jardin de pluie sont deux actions toutes simples qui contribuent à la protection des ressources en eau. Ensemble, nous pouvons faire la différence !

Références
1. Société canadienne d’hypothèque et de logement, 2010. Débranchement des descentes pluviales. www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/fr/prin/dedu/ealo/ealo_014.cfm

2. City of Chicago, Department of Environment, sans date. Disconnecting Downspouts: Put Rainwater to Good Use, Improve Water Quality in Chicago.
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/webportal/COCWebPortal/COC_ATTACH/Disconnecting_Downspouts.pdf

3. Société canadienne d’hypothèque et de logement, 2010. Un jardin pluvial pour mieux gérer les eaux de ruissellement dans votre cour. www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/fr/co/enlo/ampa/ampa_005.cfm

4. Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District, University of Vermont Extension, Lake Champlain Sea Grant, 2009. The Vermont Rain Garden Manual: Gardening to absorb the storm.
www.vacd.org/winooski/RGManual7.1.09FINAL.pdf

5. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 2010. Downspout disconnection.
http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/inpr/su/waho/waho_014.cfm

6. City of Chicago, Department of Environment, sans date. Disconnecting Downspouts: Put Rainwater to Good Use, Improve Water Quality in Chicago.
http://egov.cityofchicago.org/webportal/COCWebPortal/COC_ATTACH/Disconnecting_Downspouts.pdf

7. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 2010. Rain Gardens : Improve Stormwater Management in Your Yard. http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/maho/la/la_005.cfm

8. Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District, University of Vermont Extension, Lake Champlain Sea Grant, 2009. The Vermont Rain Garden Manual: Gardening to absorb the storm.
www.vacd.org/winooski/RGManual7.1.09FINAL.pdf

A big thanks goes out to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission delegation of:

Tom Trudeau, Ted Lawrence, Al House, and Mike Matta (pictured above,

from left to right, at the Metro station on their way to the Hill).

(click image to enlarge in new window)

The Asian carp crisis was preventable. The United States does not currently require that animal species being imported first be “screened” for invasiveness or disease risk in the century-old Lacey Act. There is no better example of the tremendous and unacceptable threats this antiquated policy creates to our native wildlife species, to the economy, and to human and animal health than the Asian carp. Congress needs to give new authority to the Fish and Wildlife Service under the Lacey Act that allows for proactive screening to keep invasive species out of the country, instead of having to react after they are here and the damage is done. If proactive screening requirements for animals proposed for importation and trade were in place decades ago, it is unlikely that Asian carp would have ever set fin in the United States.

The Hill meetings were held in conjunction with the “National Environmental Coalition on Invasive Species” fourth annual AIS fly-in to Washington. Great Lakes United is a founding member of NECIS and works with national groups including as the National Wildlife Federation, National Audubon, Defenders of Wildlife and the Union of Concerned Scientists to host this event every year. This year we prioritized advancing efforts to modernize the Lacey Act and hand-picked concerned citizens, conservationists, fishermen, charterboat captains and scientists from around the country to speak with their elected officials on the need to proactively screen species being imported into the United States before they arrive.

Great Lakes United’s collaboration with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission during this event is an excellent partnership. The GLFC brings in advisors who normally are not well represented at typical ENGO policy events, and lend a powerful and unique voice to our screening message. Participating since the fly-in’s inception, the GLFC delegation has been affectionately nicknamed the “fish guys” and has gained the reputation of being the tireless workers, always pulling off the most aggressive schedule, jam-packing meetings with Great Lakes federal leaders from all 8 Great Lakes states in two days. And as both an advisor to the GLFC and a member of NECIS, Great Lakes United is a bridge between environmental and fishing interests, helping create and coordinate an event where allied groups can work together to protect the nation’s natural resources that they care so deeply for. This year’s event was a great success and we look forward to continuing the campaign next year.

The Western Lake Erie WATERKEEPER Association, in partnership with the Lake Erie Charter Boat Association, the Ohio Environmental Council, Sierra Club, Ohio Citizen Action, Izaac Walton League, and the Natural Resources Defense Council, is calling for a dramatic reduction of the number of fish killed every year by the power plant as well as compensation for the citizens of Ohio for any fish killed over the legal limit. The same rules that apply to anglers and to spills in waterways where Natural Resource Damage is assessed should apply to the power plant.

The groups are calling for the state of Ohio to force FirstEnergy to install cooling towers that would reduce fish kills by up to 95%. The economic loss from the fish kills warrants cooling towers. Bayshore appears to be the largest fish killing power plant in the Great Lakes and one of the largest in the US. Bayshore kills more fish than all other Ohio power plants combined and kills more fish than the Ohio Department of Natural Resources raises to release each year.

“Any sport fisherman caught fishing without a license or taking more than six walleye or 25 perch per day is subject to a stiff fine,” said Sandy Bihn, Director of the Western Lake Erie WATERKEEPER Association. “But somehow, FirstEnergy gets away with killing millions of fish each year at its Bayshore power plant. It pays nothing and does next to nothing to reduce the kills. It won’t stop killing until the state of Ohio makes it stop.”

The Bayshore Power Plant is responsible for massive numbers of fish being killed every single day. A study for Bayshore by Kinetrics, estimates that the Bayshore power plant:

• Kills more than 46 million fish per year when fish are slammed and caught (called impingement) against its cooling water system screens; and
• Kills more than 14 million juvenile fish and more than 2 billion fish in their larval form when they pass through the water intake screens and through equipment inside the power plant (called entrainment), during the 2005-2006 sampling period.
• On average, kills 126,000 fish a day by being caught on the screens and 6 million a day of fish that pass through the screens.

The facility is currently testing reverse louvers to reduce the number of fish killed annually, but Ohio EPA’s own consultant, Tetratech, found that louvers would not be effective and eliminated them from further consideration.

“Cooling towers can dramatically reduce the number of fish killed each year by 95%, as well as address the Bayshore plant’s violations of thermal discharge standards,” said Shannon Fisk, Staff Attorney in the Midwest Office of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “The science is clear that Bayshore’s water intake and thermal discharges are severely impacting fisheries in Maumee Bay and the law is clear that Ohio EPA must require cooling towers if the Bayshore plant is going to continue to operate.”

The Bayshore coal plant is not only subject to Section 316 of the Clean Water Act, but also must meet water quality standards and numeric criteria for temperature applicable to discharges to Maumee Bay (which is grouped with Lake Erie) under the Ohio Administrative Code. In addition, under Ohio law, the public owns the fish in Lake Erie and it is unlawful to “take in any manner…any number or quantity of wild animals” without a license.

The power plant is located near where the Maumee River meets the Maumee Bay, one of the most ecologically sensitive and biologically productive areas in the Great Lakes region. The Maumee River is Lake Erie’s largest tributary and an important spawning area for walleye. The location of this power plant is unfortunate for marine wildlife, but FirstEnergy can take important steps to make sure that the fish killing is dramatically reduced. Installing the cooling towers is an absolute must for the ecological safety of this Lake Erie watershed and the fish that live within it.

La version française suit

In urban areas, rainwater can become a significant source of pollution. Impervious surfaces that dominate urban landscapes dramatically modify the water cycle. While in a forest ecosystem, water seeps into the ground, evaporates and runs off slowly, the opposite scenario occurs in cities. Rainwater runs off quickly from sidewalks, streets and parking lots and collects a range of pollutants (sediments, nutrients, bacteria, pesticides, oils, hydrocarbons, etc.). Consequently, the polluted rainwater sent directly to rivers and lakes degrades aquatic ecosystems. Moreover, in cities equipped with a combined sewer system, heavy rains often lead to overflow. As a result each year, the cities of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region discharge over 90 billion gallons of raw sewage into lakes and rivers (Ecojustice, 2006).

But what can we do to protect water quality of our lakes and rivers? One option is to reduce the quantity of water reaching the storm drains using green infrastructure. This way, the net water discharge is lightened and overflows can be decreased and avoided. Indeed, instead of evacuating rainwater as quickly as possible, it can be treated on site using green infrastructure that slows runoff and promotes infiltration, filtration and retention. These devices are usually constructed using porous materials and plants. In the literature, this type of ecological management often refers to Low Impact Development (LID), while structures designed to manage runoff are called “green infrastructure”. LID can be implemented at residential, local and regional scales.

In Quebec, such initiatives are rare and often unknown to most municipalities. So, in order to improve the environmental health of the St. Lawrence River and its communities, Great Lakes United started Green Cities for a Healthy River and Communities in 2009, which aims to promote green development strategies. Great Lakes United provided workshops and training to six municipalities. This initiative was warmly welcomed by the cities. The success of the project is demonstrated through several municipalities who are taking action to green their cities. The municipality of Longueuil has created a multidisciplinary green infrastructure committee within its region planning direction and plans to incorporate green practices into projects being approved. The city of Trois-Rivières has already initiated a neighborhood project in which environmental innovative storm water management is incorporated. Valleyfield is planning a downspout disconnection program and plans to integrate various green infrastructures in new neighborhoods and shopping centers development. In parallel, Great Lakes United  has produced and distributed to partners an introductory guide to rainwater ecological management. In addition of presenting LID benefits, the guide (entitled “Green City, Blue Water”) responds to technical and economic issues raised by the cities participants (engineers, urban planners, water managers, landscapers, etc.) in our educational campaign. The guide (in French) can be downloaded free.
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Villes vertes pour un fleuve et des communautés en santé
Caroline Larivière, Hélène Godmaire, Union Saint-Laurent Grands lacs
Nathalie Bédard, Solutions Éco-Smarts

En milieu urbain, l’eau de pluie peut devenir une véritable source de pollution. Les surfaces imperméables qui dominent le paysage urbain modifient considérablement le cycle de l’eau. Alors que dans un milieu forestier, l’eau s’infiltre dans le sol ou s’évapore et le ruissellement est faible et lent, dans les villes, c’est plutôt le scénario contraire qui s’observe. Lorsque l’eau de pluie ruisselle rapidement sur les trottoirs, les rues et les stationnements, elle recueille toute une panoplie de polluants (sédiments, nutriments, bactéries, pesticides, huiles, hydrocarbures, etc.). Les eaux de pluie acheminées directement vers les cours d’eau polluent le milieu récepteur et dégradent les écosystèmes aquatiques. De plus, dans les villes munies d’un réseau d’égout unitaire, les eaux pluviales se retrouvent dans la même canalisation que les eaux usées sanitaires. Lors des fortes pluies, les stations d’épuration reçoivent souvent un trop grand volume d’eau. Pour éviter les inondations, les eaux usées non traitées doivent être déversées des les cours d’eau. Chaque année, les villes de la région des Grands Lacs et du Saint-Laurent déversent plus de 90 milliards de litres d’eaux usées brutes dans les lacs et le fleuve.

Mais que peut-on faire pour protéger la qualité de l’eau dans nos cours d’eau ? En diminuant la quantité d’eau qui atteint les collecteurs d’eaux pluviales, la charge sur le réseau est allégée et les surverses (déversements d’eaux usées en temps de pluie) peuvent être évitées. Au lieu d’évacuer l’eau de pluie au plus vite, elle peut être traitée sur place à l’aide de pratiques et d’aménagements qui ralentissent le ruissellement et favorisent l’infiltration, la filtration et la rétention. Ces aménagements sont habituellement construits à l’aide de matériaux poreux et de végétaux. Dans la littérature, on fait souvent référence à ce type de gestion des eaux pluviales en parlant de « développement à faible impact », alors que les aménagements conçus pour gérer les eaux de ruissellement sont appelés « infrastructures vertes ». L’implantation du développement à faible impact peut se faire autant à l’échelle résidentielle, locale et régionale.

Au Québec, de telles initiatives sont rares et pratiquement inconnues de la plupart des municipalités. Dans le but d’améliorer la santé environnementale du fleuve Saint-Laurent et celle de ses communautés riveraines, Union Saint-Laurent Grands Lacs (USGL) a démarré en 2009 le projet Villes vertes pour un fleuve et des communautés en santé. Ce projet de sensibilisation a fait la promotion des stratégies et des aménagements verts auprès de six villes situées en bordure du fleuve. USGL a offert des formations et des ateliers aux municipalités afin de les inviter à considérer la mise en place des infrastructures vertes. Soulignons que notre intervention a reçu un accueil très favorable de la part des villes. Par ailleurs, la ville de Longueuil a créé un comité multidisciplinaire ‘’infrastructures vertes’’ au sein de la direction de la planification du territoire et envisage d’intégrer certaines pratiques dans des projets en cours d’approbation. La ville de Trois-Rivières a déjà amorcé un projet de quartier écologique dans lequel une gestion novatrice des eaux pluviale est intégrée. La vielle de Valleyfield planifie un programme de débranchement de gouttières et étudie la possibilité des d’intégrer divers aménagements verts dans le développement de nouveaux quartiers et centres commerciaux. Parallèlement, nous avons produit un guide d’introduction à la gestion écologique des eaux de pluie qui a été remis à tous nos partenaires. En plus de présenter les bienfaits du développement à faible impact, le guide Villes vertes Eau bleue répond à des questions d’ordre techniques et économiques qui ont été soulevées par les villes lors de notre campagne éducative. Le guide peut être téléchargé gratuitement sur le site Internet d’USGL au http://www.glu.org/fr.

Background

The fish farms in Georgian Bay and the North Channel are high density feedlots that use open net technology to raise rainbow trout. These nets allow uneaten food and the waste produced by the fish to be dumped directly (untreated) into the public waters under and around the nets. In effect, this industry uses the public waters to grow their product and to dilute their pollution. The nets are also vulnerable to tears that enable farmed fish to escape and disrupt native fish and their habitat. Disease transfer through the open nets is also a concern although there is no evidence of such transfer happening to date.

Ontario is the sole jurisdiction amongst the Great Lakes jurisdictions that allows open net aquaculture to be conducted in the public waters of the Great Lakes. In fact, at least two of the U.S. Great Lake states have laws that explicitly forbid this it.

The state of Michigan takes a firm stand against cage aquaculture: “At this time, the State of Michigan opposes the development of cage aquaculture systems in Great Lakes waters in our state. This is for three main reasons: a) the lack of any waste treatment by these facilities and the use of public trust lands as their waste treatment system; b) the inability of these facilities to ensure their fish do not escape and potentially affect self-sustaining and stocked fish populations; and 3) the lack of any potential fish pathogen containment from these facilities.” – Gary E. Whelan- Fish Production Manager, MI DNR Fisheries Division.

Ohio law is clear about the practice of cage aquaculture: “it’s against the law to raise fish in public waters for private aquaculture in Ohio; Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-39-01 and Ohio Revised Code 1533.632″ – Elmer W. Heyob Jr, Fish Hatchery Administrator, Ohio Division of Wildlife
Roger L. Knight, Lake Erie Fisheries Program Administrator, ODNR Division of Wildlife.

While the existing industry argues for the status quo as far as the technologies they use, and seem to be supported by some government departments both provincially and federally, there is a movement in the larger global freshwater aquaculture industry toward more environmentally sustainable processes. In coastal marine situations there has been a lot of discussion and debate on the impact of fish farming on native fisheries, particularly salmon. Due to pressure from environmental groups and First Nations the industry is experimenting with floating closed containment systems.

Meanwhile the retail industry has weighed in on this issue and is changing its policies to reflect the consumer demand for more environmentally sustainable products. Loblaw Inc. and Wal-Mart—two of the largest retailers of fish products in Canada—have announced that they will only sell sustainably-harvested fish in their stores by 2013. The World Wildlife Foundation is working toward the establishment of standards for sustainable aquaculture that retailers such as these can reference and consumers can demand.

Current Situation

The scientists who work on the GBA Aquaculture Committee have calculated the pollution generated by these farms to be an aggregate of 46 tonnes of phosphorus per year, which is equivalent to the same nutrient impact from a sophisticated wastewater treatment plant in a city of 270,000 (e.g. City of Oshawa), or the untreated waste from 15,600 hogs, or 777,900 chickens.

We believe that this is not sustainable or acceptable in an environment where all governments around the Great Lakes are trying to reduce the pollution to the lakes from all sources.

The Future

The GBA and Great Lakes United recognize the need for locally-raised fish as an important part of the future food supply for Canadians. We also appreciate the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit of the existing fish farmers. We would like our governments to work with these farmers to help them migrate their operations into closed containment systems that will allow for the capture and treatment of waste and wastewater, not to mention eliminate escapes and possible disease transfer to native fish. Such closed containment systems are starting to be used by fish farms around the world including on the west coast of Canada. Other systems might be placed adjacent to rivers to take advantage of gravity fed water circulation. Regardless, closed systems are the only way in which we envision this industry expanding in an environmentally sustainable fashion.

GBA will continue to work with WWF and the retail sector as they set standards for environmentally sustainable practices in this industry. It is our hope that, at the end of the day, there is a healthy, vibrant aquaculture industry in Ontario providing quality food and valuable jobs through the farming of fish in an environmentally sustainable fashion.

Summer Conservation at Home and at Work

The following tips will help you conserve energy around your home and office this summer. Lower energy costs are a benefit to you and the environment, so take some time to make a few changes and get on track for conservation this summer!

Raise room temperature just a few degrees. It reduces the amount of energy required to operate your air conditioning system, lowering the overall demand for energy and saving you money on your electric bill. If you don’t have control over your temperature settings (in an apartment building or at work), contact your building’s manager and ask that they make the change. Depending on the size of your space and your air conditioning system, the total energy saved could be significant.

Recycle that second refrigerator. Chances are, the money you’re trying to save by stocking up and storing food in that second fridge is going straight to your utility bill. Unplugging and recycling that second fridge will reduce your energy consumption by a whopping 9 percent! And help your other fridge run more efficiently by cleaning coils on the back give it some “breathing room” by pulling it slightly away from the wall.

Do dishes and laundry after 8pm. Power utilities have lots of extra capacity at night, even when summer energy use is at its peak. By using power hungry appliances in the evening, you’ll be doing your part to take strain off the system during the day.

Power down your computer when you aren’t using it. Make sure you use a power bar for your computer and all of your peripheral devices and turn it off when the computer is not in use. While you are using your computer, make sure the energy saving mode is on and the computer will save energy by putting the computer and monitor “to sleep” when you step away from it.

Maximize energy savings during summer hours. If your company has Friday’s off or reduced hours on Friday during the summer months, make sure the air conditioning, lights and equipment such as computers and copiers are turned off—no sense wasting that energy on empty offices. The same goes for weekends!

Watch those copiers. The heated paper driers in copy machines consume huge amounts of electricity. If possible, designate a primary copier in your office which you can leave on, then turn off other copiers, saving them for large copying jobs or when there are backlogs at the main copier.

Install motion-sensitive light switches. Installing light switches that automatically turn lights on and off when people enter or leave a room can save significant amounts of power, especially in storage areas, lunchrooms and other areas where there is only periodic use.

Outdoor Tips for Water Conservation

Monitor watering amounts. In the summer, lawn watering and other outdoor uses can account for up to 50 percent of home water use. Studies show that as much as half of this outdoor use is wasteful. As a general rule, 2 to 3 cm of water per week is adequate.

Use water-wise plants. Native and adaptive plants will thrive in your climate without watering and be resistant to local plant diseases and pests. There are even types of grass that need less water than others (buffalo grass is a great example). Native plants also attract more birds, butterflies and other wildlife to your garden.

Increase your soil depth. Add two to four inches of organic material, such as peat or compost, to the soil. Greater soil depth will increase the ability of the soil to retain moisture.

Wash your car with a bucket of water. Using a running hose to wash your car can waste about 400 litres of water. Using a bucket with a sponge plus a trigger nozzle on the hose will save you about 300 of those litres.

Use low-angle or pulsating sprinklers that produce large fat droplets of water. Sprinklers that spray the water high into the air or produce a mist or fine spray lose much of the water through evaporation. Soaker hoses are also an efficient way of getting water to your plants’ roots.

Set sprinklers to water the lawn, not sidewalks and driveways.

Check your sprinkler or irrigation systems regularly for any leaks, and fix them.

Be sure your hose has an automatic shutoff nozzle to ensure water is not wasted when the hose is left unattended.

Use a rain barrel. If you choose to wash down your outdoor driveways and sidewalks, use water from a rain barrel that you place on your property. Rain barrels are an inexpensive and easy way to collect water and use it before it returns to the soil.

Cover your pool. If you own a pool, be sure to use a pool cover when it’s not in use. This will cut down on evaporation losses and will keep it cleaner and warmer. Check equipment such as filtration systems and water inlets on a regular basis for signs of leaks.

In recognition of the International Year of Biodiversity, the Conseil régional de l’environnement de Montréal (CRE Montreal) hosted the Biodiversity and greening of Montreal Summit on April 27 and 28, 2010.

Organized by the CRE Montreal, in partnership with the City of Montreal and with the financial support of the Montreal Health and Social Services Agency and the Green Fund, in the context of the Action 21 of the 2006-2012 Québec Government Action Plan on Climate Change, this important event dealt with issues related to urban greening, wilderness, green spaces and parks. Local experts and international speakers reported on successful green projects from several foreign cities. The summit provided tangible solutions to Montreal actors and mobilized them for the greening and protection of biodiversity on the Island. The presentations and discussions with experts have been very inspiring and fit perfectly in the Low Impact Development promotion initiative (Green City Blue Water) to protect the river undertaken by Union Saint-Laurent Grands Lacs since 2008. USGL is proud to support this cause and signed the Island community of Montreal biodiversity and greening declaration.

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Sommet sur la biodiversité et le verdissement de Montréal

À l’occasion de l’année internationale de la biodiversité, le Conseil régional de l’environnement de Montréal (CRE Montréal) a tenu le Sommet sur la biodiversité et le verdissement de Montréal, les 27 et 28 avril 2010.
Organisé par le CRE Montréal, en partenariat avec la Ville de Montréal et avec l’appui financier de l’Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de Montréal et du Fonds vert dans le cadre de l’Action 21 du Plan d’action 2006-2012 sur les changements climatiques du gouvernement du Québec, cet évènement d’envergure a traité des enjeux urbains liés au verdissement, aux milieux naturels, aux espaces verts et aux parcs.

Des experts locaux et des conférenciers internationaux ont fait état de projets verts mis en place avec succès dans différentes villes étrangères. Le sommet a fourni des solutions tangibles aux acteurs montréalais et à mobiliser ces derniers pour le verdissement et la protection de la biodiversité sur l’Île. Les présentations et les échanges avec les experts ont été très inspirants et s’inscrivent tout à fait dans l’initiative de la promotion du développement à faible impact pour la protection du fleuve (Villes vertes Eau bleue) qu’a entrepris Union Saint-Laurent Grands Lacs depuis 2008. USGL est fier d’appuyer et de signer la déclaration de la collectivité de l’île de Montréal en faveur de la biodiversité et du verdissement.