The International Joint Commission and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

In the 19th century, as population and industry expanded in the Great Lakes region, and along other waterways adjacent to the international border, Canada and the United States began to encounter serious issues with respect to sharing the transboundary waters and the pollution of these waters. [...] The basic role of the IJC is to prevent and resolve disputes between the United States of America and Canada under the auspices of the Boundary Waters Treaty and pursue the common good of both countries as an independent and objective adviser to the two governments. [...] In the Great Lakes region, the IJC has a critical role in evaluating efforts by both countries to protect and restore the Great Lakes basin ecosystem and recommending actions to the two federal governments to implement the goals and objectives of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA). [...] The following section provides a more detailed review of the history and content of the agreement and illustrates the application of the principles of interjurisdictional agreements as listed earlier. [...] There is clear recognition by the IJC and by other groups and agencies in the Great Lakes region that, while the GLWQA remains a key instrument for the restoration and protection of the Great Lakes, the vision, purpose, and many provisions of the agreement need to be updated and/or supplemented in the face of new and emerging environmental and socio-economic issues.