Canada's Great Lakes Pollution: A National Concern

Canada is concerned about pollution in the Great Lakes because the country shares the lakes with the US, and both countries are responsible for the lakes' health. The lakes have been subject to chemical pollution, with factories dumping pollutants into the lakes and the waterways that flow into them. The US and Canada have been slow to address this issue, but they are making some progress. The two countries have been working together to restore the Great Lakes for 50 years, and in 1978, they updated the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement to cover all five lakes and focus on chemicals and toxic substances.

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

In 1987, the two countries identified the most toxic hotspots around the lakes and adopted action plans to clean them up. However, as scholars of North American environmental regulations acknowledge, both nations too often allowed industries to police themselves.

In 2012, the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement was updated to reaffirm both countries' commitments to restoring water quality and ecosystem health in the Great Lakes Areas of Concern. Under the agreement, 43 Areas of Concern were identified, 12 of which were Canadian and 5 of which were shared binationally.

The International Joint Commission (IJC) is responsible for regulating shared water uses between Canada and the United States, as well as investigating transboundary issues and recommending solutions. The IJC has noted that both governments have been slow to address chemical pollution in the Great Lakes, but they are making some progress.

Blue-green algae

The number of reports of blue-green algae blooms in the Great Lakes appears to have increased in recent years. In August 2014, severe blooms in the western basin of Lake Erie interrupted access to drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people.

Chemicals and toxic substances

The Great Lakes have been a source of concern for both Canada and the United States for several decades. In 1978, the two countries updated the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement to cover all five lakes and focus on chemicals and toxic substances. This agreement was perhaps the first international agreement to adopt an ecosystem approach to pollution control, considering the interactions between water, air and land.

In 1987, the two countries identified the most toxic hotspots around the lakes and adopted action plans to clean them up. However, progress has been slow, and both nations have been criticised for allowing industries to police themselves.

Under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, 43 Areas of Concern (AOCs) were identified, 12 of which were Canadian and 5 of which were shared binationally. These areas had experienced high levels of environmental harm due to chemical pollution. One of the key concerns is the presence of new and emerging chemicals, such as flame retardants, which could have unknown impacts on the ecosystem.

For decades, factories had been dumping chemical pollutants into the lakes and the waterways that flowed into them. This, combined with a lack of government oversight, has led to high levels of pollution in the Great Lakes. Waste, pesticides, fertilisers and agricultural runoff from surrounding cities and industrial plants have all contributed to the problem. As a result, dead fish began to appear along the shoreline, leading to the phrase "Lake Erie is dead" in the late 1960s.

Despite the challenges, there has been some progress in reducing pollution levels in the Great Lakes over the past 40 years. One positive trend is the decreasing concentration of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) in fish tissue.

Industrial pollution

The Great Lakes have been a source of concern for Canada and the US for many years, with both countries recognising the need to address chemical pollution in the lakes. In 1978, the two countries updated the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement to cover all five lakes and focus on chemicals and toxic substances. This agreement was the first international agreement to adopt an ecosystem approach to pollution control, considering the interactions between water, air and land.

Despite this, progress has been slow. In 1987, the two countries identified the most toxic hotspots around the lakes and adopted action plans to clean them up. However, industries were often allowed to police themselves, and the lakes continued to be polluted by chemicals and waste from factories, sewers, industrial plants and agriculture.

One of the main sources of industrial pollution in the Great Lakes is chemical pollutants. For decades, factories have been dumping chemicals into the lakes and the waterways that flow into them, such as the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Detroit River in Michigan. These chemicals include pesticides, fertilisers, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

The impact of this pollution has been devastating. In the late 1960s, dead fish began to appear along the shoreline of Lake Erie, leading to the phrase "Lake Erie is dead" being coined in national publications. While pollution levels in the Great Lakes have decreased over the past 40 years, there is still much work to be done to restore the health of these important ecosystems.

Ecosystem approach to pollution control

Canada is concerned about pollution in the Great Lakes because of the high levels of environmental harm that have been caused by chemical pollutants. The Great Lakes Basin has lacked substantial government oversight, which has allowed waste and pesticides from surrounding cities' sewers, industrial plants and agriculture to make its way into the lakes. This has resulted in dramatic reductions in pollution levels over the past 40 years, including a decrease in the concentration of PCBs in fish tissue.

In 1978, the US and Canada updated the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement to cover all five lakes and focus on chemicals and toxic substances. This version formally adopted an ecosystem approach to pollution control that considered interactions between water, air and land. This agreement was perhaps the first international agreement to do so.

The ecosystem approach to pollution control recognises that the health of an ecosystem is dependent on the interactions between its various components, including water, air and land. By addressing pollution at its source and considering the interconnectedness of the environment, this approach aims to restore and protect the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem.

As part of the ecosystem approach, the two countries identified the most toxic hotspots around the lakes and adopted action plans to clean them up. These action plans may include measures such as increased government oversight of industrial activities, the implementation of best management practices for agriculture, and the restoration of natural habitats to improve water quality.

While progress has been made, it is important to continue addressing chemical pollution in the Great Lakes. This includes staying vigilant about new and emerging chemicals, such as flame retardants, and their potential impact on the ecosystem.

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