Great Lakes International Joint Commission (IJC)
The Great Lakes International Joint Commission (IJC) is an independent organization established by the United States and Canada through the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. It was created to resolve disputes over shared water resources and to advise on managing transboundary waters, particularly involving the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River system, which contains a significant portion of the world’s surface freshwater. The IJC has two primary functions: it acts in a quasi-judicial capacity to approve projects impacting transboundary waters and investigates water-related issues when requested by the governments of Canada and the U.S.
The commission is composed of six commissioners, three appointed by each nation, who are expected to operate impartially. The IJC's responsibilities have expanded over the years to include air quality issues through the Air Quality Agreement signed in 1991. A key aspect of the IJC's work is the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, which was established in 1972 and continues to guide efforts to monitor and improve water quality. The IJC promotes public participation and regularly engages with communities to address environmental concerns, focusing on issues such as legacy contaminants and climate change. Its collaborative approach has facilitated the resolution of over one hundred disputes, making it an essential entity for sustainable water management in the region.
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Great Lakes International Joint Commission (IJC)
IDENTIFICATION: Independent organization established by the United States and Canada to resolve transboundary water disputes between the two nations and to advise on issues related to shared water resources
DATE: Established in 1909
The border between the United States and Canada stretches thousands of miles and crosses many major waterways crucial to both nations, including the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River system, home to one-fifth of all surface freshwater in the world. The International Joint Commission ensures the cooperative and sustainable use of clean, safe water for both nations.
The Great Lakes International Joint Commission (IJC) was founded with the signing of the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. This treaty gives the organization jurisdiction over all rivers, lakes, and other waterways that cross the US-Canada border. The IJC has two basic functions. First, in its quasi-judicial role, it is given the authority to approve projects that affect transboundary waters. This includes activities upstream that affect the natural flow of water downstream, although because of sovereignty issues the IJC does not have authority over tributaries that feed these bodies of water. Second, when requested to do so by the Canadian and US governments, the commission investigates and provides recommendations on transboundary water issues.
The IJC is headed by six commissioners, three appointed by each country. These members are expected to act as impartial judges rather than as national representatives. Several boards of experts from the United States and Canada have been assembled to assist the IJC in its investigative and decision-making processes. The body investigates water issues only when requested to do so by the governments and offers only nonbinding resolutions. However, the IJC does hold the power to arbitrate agreements between governments, although it has never been called on to use this authority.
In 1991 Canada and the United States signed the Air Quality Agreement, an executive agreement aimed at addressing issues of transboundary air quality and reducing air pollution. The Air Quality Committee was established within the IJC to report on the progress of the agreement every two years, thus expanding the commission’s role, although water issues continue to predominate.
As the largest transboundary body of water and the largest surface freshwater system in the world, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River system is of critical importance to the commission. The first step to monitor and control water quality in the system, the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, was signed in 1972 and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. Amendments and a new protocol created in 1987 set specific objectives for water quality, and the governments were required to create procedures to meet these targets. The IJC’s plans for individual severely degraded areas as well as larger “lakewide management plans” take a holistic ecosystem-based approach in order to reduce human impacts on the system and remediate damage already done. The IJC reviews these plans and the progress made periodically in required reports submitted by both governments.
The commission has had high levels of success in achieving its aims since its establishment, resolving more than one hundred disputes and fostering dialogue both between the governments and with the public. As part of its mandate, the commission must ensure that all interested parties are given the opportunity to voice their opinions. Public participation in the process and the involvement of multiple levels of governments are thus of paramount importance. The commission holds public meetings every two years to discuss the cleanup of the Great Lakes and regularly arranges other forums for public participation. As of 2024, the commission's future plans included continuing to combat threats such as legacy contaminants, PFAS, and agricultural pollutants. It also plans to continue to mitigate of climate change and invasive species.
Bibliography
Bakker, Karen J. Eau Canada: The Future of Canada’s Water. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2007.
Finnell, Emily. "The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement at 50: Celebrating Successes and Recognizing What Still Needs to Be Done." Departmnt of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, 9 Aug. 2022, www.michigan.gov/egle/newsroom/mi-environment/2022/08/09/the-great-lakes-water-quality-agreement-at-50. Accessed 17 July 2024.
Garrido, Alberto, and Ariel Dinar, eds. Managing Water Resources in a Time of Global Change: Mountains, Valleys, and Flood Plains. New York: Routledge, 2009.
"Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement." Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 7 May 2024, www.epa.gov/glwqa. Accessed 17 July 2024.
Thompson, Stephen A. Water Use, Management, and Planning in the United States. San Diego, Calif.: Academic Press, 1999.