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Friends of the Earth CANADA E-Newsletter                     June 2007-Issue 19

 

June 12, 2007

 

 

Prime Minister Stephen Harper

President George Bush

Premier Gary Doer, Manitoba

Governor John Hoeven, North Dakota

Governor Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota

 

Dear Messieurs,

 

Just as the blue-green algae is exploding in Lake Winnipeg, North Dakota has opened its gates at the Devils Lake outlet, cementing the death sentence on the sixth Great Lake, Lake Winnipeg.  Friends of the Earth considers that at two o’clock on June 11, 2007, North Dakota committed a hostile act against Canadians by commencing operation of the outlet. (pictures at www.foecanada.org)

 

Friends of the Earth has worked with citizens across Canada and the United States to express our concerns over this water conflict and to look for the necessary means to resolve it to mutual satisfaction.  Almost two years ago, you jointly announced a “layered system of environmental safeguards at the Devils Lake outlet and a cooperative approach to monitoring throughout the Red River Basin”. 

 

We are now calling you to account for those commitments, in particular 1) to make public the first year of IJC testing results, and 2) to report on installation of the advanced filter or disinfection system.

 

At this point, we are not aware of any action on the ground to replace the dump truck full of gravel (the so called filter) that is supposed to protect Lake Winnipeg from foreign organisms.

 

You are acting like the Pirates of Devils Lake since you are operating the outlet in defiance of your own safeguard agreement. Friends of the Earth urges you to issue the required orders to turn off the tap immediately and until the sophisticated filter is in place.

 

Sincerely yours,

 

Beatrice Olivastri

Chief Executive Officer

 

c.c            Members of Parliament

Relevant Media

 

For more info, please go to www.foecanada.org

OPENING DEVILS LAKE OUTLET—

HOSTILE ACT AGAINST CANADIANS

The agreement, announced August 5, 2005 between the United States, Canada, North Dakota, Minnesota and Manitoba was intended to protect against the ongoing risks of any nuisance (invasive) species entering the Red River Basin through Devils Lake. The participants to the agreement have settled upon a layered approach involving both mitigation measures and joint monitoring.

 

Specifics to the agreement include:

 

· That North Dakota will put in place a rock and gravel intermediate filter before opening the outlet, to prevent the release of macroscopic aquatic nuisance species from Devils Lake;

· The United States and Canada will cooperate in the design and construction of a more advanced filtration and/or disinfection system for the Devils Lake outlet, taking into account the results of ongoing monitoring and risk assessment;

· The participants will work with the International Red River Board, of the International Joint Commission, to develop and implement a shared risk management strategy for the greater Red River Basin, involving an early detection and monitoring system for water quality and nuisance species throughout the Basin;

· The participants will take immediate measures to prevent the spread of any aquatic nuisance species that pose significant risk to the Basin

Read U.S Department of State Joint Press Statement

Governments Fail to Act on Environmental Safeguards