Future of St. Lawrence Seaway -- 50 years old today -- hinges on sustainability

BUFFALO, NY -- To mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway -- today, June 26, 2009 -- over 50 public interest groups from across the region are outlining seven principles to guide an environmentally sustainable future for shipping on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.

Lake Superior at McLain State Park, between Hancock and Calumet. The health of our beaches depends on environmental stewardship of the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Seaway ecosystem. (Photo © 2009 Keweenaw Now)

"The opening of the Seaway took a devastating toll on the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem," said Jennifer Nalbone, director of Navigation and Invasive Species at Great Lakes United and lead author of the report. "If the shipping industry wants to be truly sustainable it needs to rethink how it operates on the Great Lakes. These seven principles provide the goal posts by which to measure that future."

Outlined in "A Better Seaway: Seven Principles to Guide Sustainable Shipping on The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River," the principles address a broad range of environmental impacts, associated with shipping on the Great Lakes and with domestic operations -- from invasive species to ice-breaking to air emissions.

The principles to guide a better Seaway are as follows:
1. Ships must not introduce or spread aquatic invasive species.
2. Climate change is a real threat, and proactive steps must be taken to meet this challenge head on.
3. Unnecessary and costly system expansion proposals must be abandoned.
4. Air emissions should be cleaned up for shipping to truly be the cleanest mode of transportation in regards to air pollution.
5. Work towards the elimination of all pollutants into the Great Lakes.
6. Minimize ice-breaking, especially in sensitive areas.
7. Citizen engagement and industry transparency should become the norm in Seaway governance.

Since the Seaway opened on June 26th, 1959, the environmental and economic damage brought on by opening the Great Lakes to international ships has been significant. Construction of the Seaway itself resulted in irreversible environmental loss as new channels were dug in the riverbed, shallow sections were flooded, islands blasted away, six villages displaced and a series of locks constructed. International ships have become the primary source of new non-native aquatic invasive species such as the zebra and quagga mussels. Invaders like these have caused tremendous damage to Great Lakes ecosystem. The University of Notre Dame estimates that the species that gained access to the region through the Seaway cost citizens, businesses and cities in the eight Great Lakes states alone at least $200 million per year in damage to the commercial and recreational fishery, wildlife watching and water infrastructure. While exact economic data does not exist for the Great Lakes region in Canada, similar damages can be expected.

More organizations are endorsing the principles every day. To read more information and sign yours up go to www.abetterseaway.com. Citizens are also invited to sign a petition supporting these principles.

Read more on the Great Lakes United Web site.
See also: "An Action Plan on Invasive Species for President Obama and the 111th Congress."