Public Forum to be Held on Waukegan Harbor Area of Concern
Date

The International Joint Commission's (IJC) Great Lakes Water Quality Board , Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Waukegan Citizens' Advisory Group are hosting a public forum (agenda) to examine the restoration and protection of beneficial uses of Waukegan Harbor. The public forum, which will be held twice, will focus on an examination and exploration of progress toward restoring beneficial uses including benefits to humans and fish and wildlife. This includes determination of currently unmet needs such as dredging the navigation channels, further environmental enhancement and redevelopment of older communities, downtown and brownfields.

The meetings are free of charge and open to all citizens concerned with water quality in the Waukegan Harbor area. It is being held Thursday, May 11 from 10 a.m. - noon at the Waukegan City Hall and again from 7:30 - 9 p.m. at the Madison Avenue restaurant, lower level, 34 North Sheridan Road, Waukegan.

The public forums will address the following topics:

  • progress on PCB levels in fish and details of remaining remediation needs;
  • dredging needs - commercial shipping, recreational boating and safety issues;
  • the Citizen Advisory Group's view on progress and remaining needs; and
  • downtown development in relation to area remediation and future growth.

It also will provide the opportunity for questions and answers between the community and members of the Great Lakes Water Quality Board; federal state and local officials; and Citizen Advisory Group members.

The International Joint Commission is a binational Canada-United States organization established by the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909 to help the two governments prevent and resolve disputes over use of the water along the U.S. and Canadian border. Under the 1978 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, the Commission assesses progress by the two countries to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the waters of the Great Lakes basin ecosystem. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.ijc.org (.)

Contacts for more information:

Jennifer Day (313) 226-2170 x.6733 
International Joint Commission

Greg Michaud (217) 785-3819 
Illinois EPA

Mary Walker (847) 244-3133 
Waukegan Citizens' Advisory Group

Susie Schreiber (847) 835-2517 
Waukegan Citizens' Advisory Group