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Library copy OOOR89001
GREAT LAKES
COMMITTEES AND WORKGROUPS
SUPPORTING
THE CLEAN WATER ACT
AND THE
GREAT LAKES WATER QUALITY
AGREEMENT
U.S. EPA
Great Lakes National Program Office
Chicago, Illinois
August 31, 1989
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How the Policy Committee Will Work
The Committee will meet twice a year in advance of the semi-annual Parties'
consultations and at other times if needed.
The Committee will operate on a consensus basis whenever possible and where
consensus cannot be attained, members may provide minority opinions if
necessary;
Meeting agendas will be established by the Committee chair after considering
suggestions from members. Members may place items on the agenda in any
meeting by consensus;
One standing subcommittee exists in the form of the U.S. Section of the Binational
Objectives Development Committee and the U.S. Chemical Objectives Work Group
which reports to it:
Work Groups and Task Forces will be established by consensus as needed to
conduct the business of the Committee;
Work Group and Task Force reports will be considered by the Committee and
forwarded to the EPA NPM with recommendations for action among U.S.
organizations or for consideration in binational consultations;
Staff support will be provided by GLNPO through its staff or by contract or
cooperative agreements;
Staff (secretariat) support will include arranging meeting facilities, keeping of
minutes and the drafting of issue papers and reports in consultation with
committee members. GLNPO staff will provide a minimum base level of support.
The extent of supplemental support will depend upon the availability of funds and
establishing satisfactory contract/cooperative agreement support.
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WORKGROUPS AND COMMITTEES SUPPORTING
THE CLEAN WATER ACT AND THE
GREAT LAKES WATER QUALITY AGREEMENT
The 1987 revisions to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA)
between the United States and Canada (the Parties) require:
the Parties to hold semi-annual meetings to review progress and workplans for
implementation of the GLWQA; and
to report progress of the Parties to the International Joint Commission (IJC) on
a bi-annual basis.
The Clean Water Act (CWA), Section 118, requires the US Environmental
Protection Agency (USEPA) to report to Congress annually on progress by Federal and
State agencies in meeting the requirements of the GLWQA.
To respond to these new requirements in the GLWQA and the CWA, the US Policy
Committee was formed to provide coordination and advice in these areas. The group is
composed of representatives from appropriate Federal and State agencies and public
interest groups. The primary focus of the US Policy Committee is to prepare for the
semi-annual meetings of the Parties as required by the GLWQA. The Committee also
supports the preparation of the annual report to Congress and bi-annual reports to the
IJC. Exhibit 1 illustrates the various workgroups and committees that support the
implementation of the GLWQA and respond to the requirements of the CWA. Exhibit II
provides further illustration of the workgroups and committees supporting the
U.S./Canada responsibilities under the GLWQA.
The functions of three of the four committees shown under the US Policy
Committee in Exhibit 1 can be met by existing groups:
For contaminated sediments, the Section 118 Demonstration Program
(Assessment and Remediation of Contaminated Sediments) will be utilized;
For nonpoint source matters, the Great Lakes Phosphorus Task Force is utilized;
and
For Annex 2 management and planning matters, the water program directors and
the GLWQA Implementation Workgroup will continue to be utilized.
If these existing workgroups prove unable to provide needed responses to needed
requirements, new groups will have to be established.
For objectives development work, there was no existing group for this function,
therefore, a new US/Canada Objective Development Committee was created to develop and
revise objectives and related Annex 1 products. This committee will report to the US
and Canadian Parties co-chairs through the US Policy Committee. A US Chemical
Objectives Development Workgroup will develop US chemical objectives and criteria in
cooperation with US regulatory programs. These objectives and criteria will be
coordinated through the bi-national Committee.
Secretariat support for the US Policy Workgroup is provided by the Great Lakes
National Program Office (GLNPO) staff and through cooperative agreements. This
includes support of State and public interest group participation to ensure public input
and full consideration of the Great Lakes Governors Toxics Substances Control
Agreement.
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Exhibit I
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE CLEAN WATER ACT
(CWA) AND THE GREAT LAKES WATER QUALITY AGREEMENT (GLWQA)
IJC FUNCTIONS
U.S. PARTY FUNCTIONS
Reports to the IJC
and to Congress
Facilitate CWA/GLWQA
Implementation
Conduct Meetings of the
Parties
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GREAT LAKES NATIONAL PROGRAM MANAGER (NPM)
GREAT LAKES NATIONAL PROGRAM OFFICE (GLNPO)
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U.S. POLICY COMMITTEE
(GLNPO DIRECTOR, CHAIR)
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GLWQA Implementation
Work Group
Surveillance
Atmospheric
Action Plans
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(RAPs/LMPs)
INTERNATIONAL JOINT
COMMISSION (IJC) RECOMMEND
TO THE PARTIES (US/CANADA)
1
RECOMMENDATIONS AND REPORTS
TO THE IJC COMMISSIONERS
IJC WATER QUALITY BOARD
(WQB)
GLNPO CO-CHAIR
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WQB PROGRAMS COMMITTEE
GLNPO DIRECTOR, CO-CHAIR
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8/31/89
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Exhibit II
US/CANADA
SEMI-ANNUAL MEETINGS
US POLICY
COMMITTEE
G.L. Initiative
Steering Commitee
Technical Work
Group
Public Partici-
pation Group
U.S. Sediment
Coordinator
GLWQA
Implementation
work group
]Other work groups J
'as needed '
US Objectives
development
work group
Binational objectives
development
committee
Ecosystem
objectives
development
work group
Chemical
objectives
development
work group
| ActionPlans L
'JRAPs/LMP_s[;
Surveillance
Coordinators
Atmospheric
Coordinators
Sediment
Coordinators
iLoadings & Sources
1 Coordinators
COA BOARD
8/30/89
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TERMS OF REFERENCE
U.S. GREAT LAKES WATER QUALITY AGREEMENT
POLICY COMMITTEE
The terms of the U.S./Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA), as revised
in 1987, commit the Parties to many accomplishments that can only be achieved through
the cooperative efforts of many federal and state organizations. There are also new
reporting and consultation commitments that were added in 1987. One specific
consultative requirement is that "The Parties, in cooperation with State and Provincial
Governments, shall meet twice a year to coordinate their respective work plans with
regard to the implementation of this Agreement and to evaluate progress made". The U.S.
Department of State and External Affairs Canada have agreed that these meetings should
be at the working level and conducted on their behalf by USEPA and Environment Canada.
To assist in fulfilling the terms of the GLWQA the U.S. Policy Committee (Policy
Committee) has been established to provide a forum to bring together representatives of
the affected federal, state and public interest organizations to:
Identify key provisions of the GLWQA that require the coordinated efforts of more
than one program to produce the needed result and identify the key steps needed to
ensure success;
Identify situations where GLWQA revisions are not being met due to a lack of
adequate coordination and the key steps needed for correction;
Identify situations where a lack of sufficient priority by one or more
organizations is resulting in failure to implement the GLWQA and recommend
solutions;
Identify matters that need to be addressed in the semiannual meetings of the
Parties;
Review matters to be discussed in these semiannual meetings and advise the Great
Lakes National Program Manager (NPM) (who is the lead for the U.S.)
concerning the interests and concerns of the committee members;
Advise the NPM on matters and information that should be included in reports to
the International Joint Commission (IJC) and to the U.S. Congress;
Review and comment on draft reports to the IJC and U.S. Congress;
Advise federal agencies on actions needed to better coordinate with and support
the Great Lakes Governors' Toxic Substances Agreement and the Great Lakes
Charter;
Provide a mechanism in support of the GLWQA provisions calling for public
consultation by including publicinterest group members in the regular business
of the Committee and advising the NPM on related matters.
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GREAT LAKES COORDINATION
U.S. EPA HEADQUARTERS
GREAT LAKES
NATIONAL PROGRAM MANAGER
GREAT LAKES
NATIONAL PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMITTEE
ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR FOR WATER
ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE OFFICE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES
GREAT LAKES NATIONAL PROGRAM OFFICE DIRECTOR
REGIONAL ADMINISTRATORS FOR REGIONS II, III, V
(DRA FOR REGION V SERVES AS RA REGION V)
U.S. EPA REGIONAL
GREAT LAKES
NATIONAL PROGRAM MANAGER
GREAT LAKES
NATIONAL PROGRAM OFFICE DIRECTOR
GREAT LAKES COORDINATING COMMITTEE
REGIONS II, III, V OPERATING DIVISIONS
OFFICE OF RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
(ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LAB - DULUTH)
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GREAT LAKES NATIONAL PROGRAM OFFICE
INTERNAL EPA COORDINATION
Within EPA, Great Lakes activities are coordinated primarily through two committees in
addition to the coordination which occurs through the intergovernmental structure.
The Great Lakes Coordinating Committee (GLCC) advises the GLNPO Director on
extramural projects to be funded using Great Lakes line item monies and serves
as a coordinative forum at the Regional level. Membership represents Divisions
and Offices from Regions II, III and V, and the Environmental Research
Laboratory at Duluth (ORD-ERL-Duluth).
The Great Lakes National Program Advisory Committee (GLNPAC) is convened by
the Great Lakes National Program Manager at the headquarters level to address
policy issues and headquarters level coordination. Membership represents the
Assistant Administrator for Water, ORD, the Office of International Activities,
and the Regional Administrators for Regions II, III, V (The DRA of Region V serves
for the RA).
In addition to overall coordination by the GLCC and GLNPAC, coordinative
committee structures are established for all major GLNPO-sponsored projects
such as the Upper Great Lakes Connecting Channels study and the Green Bay Mass
Balance Project.
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