Sen. Aubertine Urges Public To Speak At Ijc Hearings

WATERTOWN (June 13, 2008)—Public hearings with the International Joint Commission on water levels in the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario will be held June 19 in Massena, June 25 in Alexandria Bay and June 26 in Oswego. All hearings start at 7 p.m.

“It’s important that we all make our opinions known to the IJC,” Sen. Aubertine said. “This is our chance to speak out as a community and make it clear that the status quo is unacceptable. We will continue to speak out against any plan that does not does not represent a change from the current policies that hurt us environmentally and economically.”

The Senator, his elected colleagues at local, state and federal levels, the scientific community, business and environmental leaders from across the region have endorsed the plan known as B+, which was developed as part of a five-year $20 million study, as the best course of action. This plan most closely mimics the natural flow of the river while taming the extremes of high and low water levels. This benefits the economy and power production at the Moses-Saunders hydropower dam near Massena.

 “The inconsistent water levels we’ve seen year after year hurt our tourism industry and frustrate our recreational boaters,” Sen. Aubertine said. “B+ will help restore natural wetlands, bring a new vitality to our coastal environment and benefit us economically. It’s a win-win situation. We have to make this clear to the IJC.”

The IJC’s decision to ignore the study and form its “Plan 2007” is widely thought to be just a continuation of policies that have already endangered the river and could end up causing even more damage. Plan 2007 artificially constrains water levels, a practice that has damaged more than 50 percent of the region’s coastal wetlands and significantly impacted many fish and nesting water birds. Plan B+ would obtain roughly 90 percent the ecological benefits associated with a return to fully natural conditions, while limiting adverse shoreline impacts associated with natural lake level flux by about 90 percent.

“We must speak out at these three forums,” Sen. Aubertine said. “The IJC seems to be just running the clock out until the next administration, but we should not be forced to wait. We have the right plan for the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. Let’s all be sure our voices are heard by telling the IJC that we want B+ and we want them to implement it immediately.”
Among the groups promoting Plan B+ as the best available option are the Save The River, the Nature Conservancy, and the Citizens Campaign for the Environment. These groups have joined with local leaders around Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River to promote the benefits of Plan B+.

 “By attending public hearings and writing to the IJC, the public can help end the decades of destructive water management for Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River,” said Dereth Glance, Executive Program Director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “It is imperative that the IJC adopt the plan to provide more natural water level fluctuations to restore our Lake and River, support our local economy, and improve water quality.”

“The Nature Conservancy commends the IJC for realizing the need to update a 50-year old water management plan for Lake Ontario.  It’s time for a new plan, and Plan B+ is clearly the best option,” said Jim Howe, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy’s Central and Western New York Chapter.  “Plan B+ controls extreme high and low water levels which can cause economic damage and also supports a greater diversity of species, including species at risk like the northern pike and black tern.”

“The St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario – and the recreation economies that they support – have been seriously and consistently degraded for fifty years due to the current, antiquated water levels management plan. Now is the time to end this disproportionate lost by implementing Plan B+ immediately,” said Jennifer J. Caddick, Save The River Executive Director & Upper St. Lawrence Riverkeeper. “We urge everyone concerned about the health of the river and lake environment to attend the upcoming hearings. It is critical that the IJC Commissioners hear loud and clear the importance of this issue to our communities.”

Below you will find a list of upcoming public hearings. People who wish to comment will be asked to sign in, but no pre-registration is necessary. Statements in writing can be submitted at the meeting, online at www.ijc.org/en/activities/losl/how_to_comment.php, or sent in via mail, fax or email.

 
CANADA

The Secretary, Canadian Section
International Joint Commission
234 Laurier Avenue West, 22nd Floor
Ottawa ON K1P 6K6
Fax: (613) 993-5583
E-mail: comment@ottawa.ijc.org

UNITED STATES

The Secretary, United States Section
International Joint Commission
2401 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Fourth Floor
Washington, DC 20440
United States
Fax: (202) 254-4562
E-mail: comment@washington.ijc.org

HEARING SCHEDULE

June 19, 2008
Quality Inn
10 West Orvis Street
Massena, NY 13662

June 25, 2008
Bonnie Castle Resort
Home of the Stars Room
31 Holland Street
Alexandria Bay, NY 13607

June 26, 2008
American Foundry
246 West Seneca Street
Oswego, NY 13126