International Joint Commission appoints James T. Bernier to the International St. Lawrence River Board of Control

The International Joint Commission announced today that it has appointed James T. Bernier of Watertown, New York to serve as a member of its International St. Lawrence River Board of Control. Mr. Bernier succeeds John Spence, who has retired from the ten-member board.

Mr. Bernier is a licensed professional engineer who specializes in water supply engineering, wastewater engineering, waterfront development and related fields. He is the chief administrative officer of Bernier, Carr and Associates where he has served for 27 years. From 1966 to 1970, he supervised highway design in a five-county area for the New York State Department of Transportation. Mr. Bernier received his Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree from the Clarkson College of Technology.

The International Joint Commission was created under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 to help prevent and resolve disputes over the use of waters along the Canada-United States boundary. Its responsibilities include approving projects that would change water levels on the other side of the boundary, such as the international hydropower project at Massena, New York and Cornwall, Ontario. If it approves a project, the Commission's order of approval may require that flows through the project meet certain conditions to protect interests in both countries.

The International St. Lawrence River Board of Control was established by the Commission in its 1952 order of approval. Its main duty is to ensure that outflows from Lake Ontario meet the requirements of the Commission's Orders. The Board also develops regulation plans and conducts special studies as requested by the Commission.

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