On May 31, 2016, the Canadian and United States governments announced the designation of eight "chemicals of mutual concern" under the 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA). These include mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

The original GLWQA was established in 1972, with a primary focus on reducing algae. It was updated in 1978, 1983, 1987 and again in 2012. The 2012 Agreement was organized as a series of Articles and Annexes, including Annex 3, on Chemicals of Mutual Concern.

Among other things under Annex 3, Canada and the United States agreed to identify chemicals which originate from human sources that are viewed as potentially harmful to human health or the environment. Following this, they would be targeted for action by preparing bi-national strategies and coordinating the development and application of domestic water quality standards, objectives, criteria and guidelines, as appropriate. Other objectives are to:

  • Reduce anthropogenic releases of chemicals of mutual concern and products containing chemicals of mutual concern throughout their entire life cycles;
  • Promote the use of safer chemical substances and the use of technologies that reduce or eliminate the uses and releases of chemicals of mutual concern;
  • Continue progress toward the sound management of chemicals of mutual concern using approaches that are accountable, adaptive and science-based;
  • Monitor and evaluate the progress and effectiveness of pollution prevention and control measures for chemicals of mutual concern and adapt management approaches as necessary;
  • Regularly exchange information on monitoring, surveillance, research, technologies, and measures for managing chemicals of mutual concern; and
  • Coordinate and collaborate with various stakeholders on science priorities, research, surveillance and monitoring activities in the Great Lakes basin ecosystem.

On the same day as these designations were released, Canada and the U.S. also posted a request for the nomination of a second set of candidate chemicals of mutual concern. Nominations can be sent to the Canadian Great lakes Executive Committee Secretariat of the Great Lakes Environment Office.

As we previously blogged, the ongoing work for Great Lakes protection got a boost last November, when the Ontario government passed the Great Lakes Protection Act, 2015.

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