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Great Lakes trivia – which four of the five are bordered by both Canada and the United States, for example – is popular in elementary school geography lessons. But these interconnected lakes are under such threat that perhaps more pertinent questions should be asked – and not just of schoolchildren.
Such as: which cities dump untreated sewage into the Great Lakes, and what will happen if the invasive Asian carp get into the lakes?
A new American plan to protect and restore the Great Lakes tackles these and other grave concerns about the lakes. The five-year plan envisions spending more than $2.2 billion to set “a new standard of care that will leave the Great Lakes better for the next generation.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plan is a welcome first indication of how President Barack Obama will meet his campaign pledge to make Great Lakes restoration a national priority. Though short on details, the Obama plan identifies the most urgent threats facing the lakes, the conservation targets and ways to achieve them.
So, where is Canada’s plan? Troublingly, it seems our federal government is not nearly as concerned about the health of the lakes.
Ottawa is working with Ontario to update a 1980s water quality agreement that will address issues such as pollution. But work has not begun on a wide-ranging plan comparable to Obama’s, according to Great Lakes United, a coalition dedicated to restoring the ecosystem.
But the Obama administration’s initiative could help get Canada in the game. “To see the Americans move on that will, hopefully, force our federal and provincial governments to move in the same direction,” says Ontario Environment Minister John Gerretsen. And it will take more than just a glossy plan, Gerretsen acknowledges. “Substantial amounts of money are going to be required.”
Indeed, sustained funding is needed to address Great Lakes issues. But one-off agreements have plagued previous attempts to restore the lakes. Now, though, with the U.S. preparing a longer-term plan, it is time for Canada to take up its share of the responsibility.
With invasive species like Asian carp on the doorstep of the Great Lakes, if we don’t take proactive action now, we’ll be forced to spend far more to try and clean up the mess later.