[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 161 (Monday, August 19, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42902-42903]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-21170]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5557-5]


Draft Canada-United States Strategy for the Virtual Elimination 
of Persistent Toxic Substances in the Great Lakes Basin

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice of the availability of the Draft Canada-United States 
Strategy for the Virtual Elimination of Persistent Toxic Substances in 
the Great Lakes Basin (the Strategy) and opportunity to comment.

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SUMMARY: The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 1978, as amended by 
Protocol signed November 1987, between the United States and Canada 
commits the two countries to seek to virtually eliminate the discharge 
of persistent toxic substances to the Great Lakes ecosystem. Pursuant 
to this goal, the Strategy establishes a framework by which the United 
States Environmental Protection Agency, Environment Canada, the Great 
Lakes States and stakeholders, the Tribes, and national stakeholders 
whose actions affect or impact the Great Lakes Basin, can pursue 
virtual elimination of persistent toxic substances, particularly those 
which bioaccumulate, from the Great Lakes. These actions will help to 
protect and ensure the long-term health and integrity of the Great 
Lakes ecosystem.
    Virtual elimination of persistent toxic substances will be pursued 
through a variety of voluntary, regulatory, and incentive-based actions 
aimed at reducing specific pollutants over specific timeframes. The 
primary approach will be to achieve reductions through pollution 
prevention or other voluntary means.
    The geographic scope of the strategy will be focused primarily on 
the Great Lakes Basin; however, a larger geographic scale will be used 
to address atmospheric deposition. The strategy will serve as a vehicle 
to pursue discussions with jurisdictions having out-of-basin sources 
that may be adversely impacting Great Lakes water quality.
    Extensive efforts have been made to inform stakeholders and the 
public of the Strategy, its objectives, and the process established for 
public involvement. These efforts have included holding public 
meetings, issuing progress reports, and making information available 
via the Internet. A number of stakeholder meetings (9/93, 9/94, and 8/
95) were held in connection with the Virtual Elimination Pilot Project 
and Strategy development.
    During the development of the Strategy, various Great Lakes 
stakeholders, governmental organizations, and the public have had an 
opportunity to provide preliminary comments. This notice now invites a 
wider spectrum of comments from the public, governmental organizations, 
stakeholders, and other interested parties. To provide this additional 
opportunity for input, all interested commenters will have 30 days to 
submit comments on the draft Strategy.


[[Page 42903]]


DATES: The draft Strategy will be made available to the public 
beginning August 19, 1996. Comments must be submitted no later than 
September 18, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Availability of Document and Submission of Comments: Copies 
of the document may be obtained by calling the Great Lakes National 
Program Office at (312) 353-2117 or (312) 353-9299. The document will 
also be available at the U.S. EPA Region 5 Library at the address and 
phone number listed below, or through the Great Lakes National Program 
Office home page at http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/. Comments may be 
submitted in writing to Elizabeth LaPlante of the Great Lakes National 
Program Office (address listed below) or electronically to the 
following Internet address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Additional information on the Strategy may 
be obtained by contacting Elizabeth LaPlante at the following address 
and phone number:
    EPA Great Lakes National Program Office, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, 
G-9J, Chicago, Illinois, 60604; Telephone (312) 353-2694; FAX (312) 
353-2018.
    Copies of the document may be obtained by contacting the following:
    EPA Region 5 Library, 12th Floor, 77 West Jackson Boulevard, 
Chicago, Illinois, 60604; Telephone (312) 353-2022; FAX (312) 353-2001. 
Library Hours: 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

    Dated: August 13, 1996.
David A. Ullrich,
Acting Regional Administrator, Region 5.
    Dated: August 15, 1996.
Robert Perciasepe,
Assistant Administrator for Water.
[FR Doc. 96-21170 Filed 8-16-96; 8:45 am]
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