Town Hall Interview - Lana Pollack of the International Joint Commission

IMG_0981sm.JPG ~Enlarge

On January 29th of this year President Obama nominated Lana Pollack of Michigan to the International Joint Commission (IJC).

The IJC is the U.S. and Canadian agency that advises the two governments on a range of transboundary water issues, and one need only look at a map to see the vast scope of what the commission touches.

In the scheme of presidential appointments, Pollack's received scant attention but that doesn't diminish its importance. Water defines the U.S. - Canada border and if it's the oil of the 21st century and beyond, the IJC and Pollack have the potential to be critical players.The Great Lakes region of the U.S. and Canada are stewards of 20% of the Earth's fresh surface water.

Pollack was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in June and named to be the U.S. Chair for the IJC. She recently participated in her first meetings.

Pollack has a long history of environmental and political leadership in Michigan where she ran the Michigan Environmental Council and also served in the state senate. Reaction to her appointment was direct and without equivocation.

Noah Hall at the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center (GLELC) in Detroit called her "knowledgeable, experienced, and savvy" when he publicly proclaimed his support for her nomination.

Author, policy advisor, and Town Hall co-editor Dave Dempsey worked with Pollack at the Michigan Environmental Council and wrote in a recent commentary that she won't be a "chair-warmer... she'll ask tough questions and forge thoughtful policies..."

Hugh McDiarmid, the current Communications Director at the Michigan Environmental Council, wrote in his Mitten State blog that Pollack is an "environmental maverick" and "will do what she thinks is right. Always."

It will be interesting to see how Pollack approaches her new role given that she works for the State Department where diplomacy usually trumps what one thinks is right when the two diverge.

Pollack also faces a challenging perception, if not a reality - that the IJC is out of touch.

Despite decades of water stewardship, no easy task in managing a resource that crosses international borders, the IJC has been criticized in recent years for being inaccessible to citizens and environmental advocates.  

Veteran activist Jane Elder from Wisconsin recently wrote in the Great Lakes Echo that the IJC has "little visibility or interaction with various constituencies of the region." 

There also have been concerns about transparency in its processes. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported extensively last year about the IJC's refusal to release key documents related to the Upper Great Lakes water level study.   

Commenting on transparency in general, the GLELC's Noah Hall says, "While the IJC has taken some voluntary steps to make its work more open to the public, it is still far behind most federal and state/provincial agencies in this area. The IJC should commit to comply with the established standards for access to information, making all of its records, documents, and information available to the public."

The Town Hall recently interviewed Pollack and she addressed citizen engagement, diplomacy, as well as her role at the IJC, Asian Carp, how she will measure her success, and more.

Questions were developed by Town Hall co-editor Gary Wilson and Pollack responded by e-mail. Frank Bevacqua of the IJC's Washington office facilitated the interview and we thank him for his consideration and diligence.

                           ---------------------------------------------

Town Hall Interview with Lana Pollack

U.S. Chair of the International Joint Commission.

(Great Lakes Town Hall) -You've had a long and distinguished career in Michigan politics and environmental work. Why did you seek to become an IJC commissioner now?

(Lana Pollack) - I was pleased and honored to be asked by the President to serve on the IJC  because this organization plays a major role in addressing transboundary environmental issues between two great countries. Quite simply, I hope to make a difference in the protection and restoration of the Great Lakes. As I learn more about the boundary waters beyond the Great Lakes, I hope to be able to play a positive role in the those areas also.

(GLTH) - The Town Hall is a citizen site. How would you describe the work of the IJC and why should it be important to the average citizen who, while interested in Great Lakes, may not even know that the IJC exists let alone what it does?

(LP) - The IJC's work is important to all those who care about the health of the Great Lakes. Historically, the IJC has been a catalyst in restoring the lakes, particularly in controlling nutrient and toxic pollution. In addition, the traditional role that the IJC plays in the regulation of water levels and flows has major implications for Great Lakes wetlands.

Looking forward, the IJC can play an important role as a sentinel for the next generation of threats, especially  as a new Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement is being drafted. Pollution from land use activities, invasive species, human health issues, groundwater protection and potential toxic runoff from mining  operations are all worthy of attention.

Both the Boundary Waters Treaty and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement call for citizen involvement in IJC deliberations. Active engagement with Great Lakes residents, as well as governments and business interests, will be essential to successful outcomes in all these areas.

(GLTH) -One criticism of the IJC is that it's not really accessible or welcoming for the average concerned citizen.  Writing in the Great Lakes Echo recently, long-time activist Jane Elder said the following:

...the IJC itself is now a commission with little visibility or interaction with the various constituencies of the region. In spite of a few good presentations, the last IJC meeting I attended was so pre-packaged in terms of public dialogue and interaction with the boards and commissioners, that it left me and a lot of others, asking "why bother?"

How do you espond to Elder and others who have expressed similar concerns?

(LP) - Broad-reaching public engagement will always be essential to the IJC's success.  The IJC will only  be effective in meeting its traditional obligations by incorporating the best insights of the public. Informed public voices will be even more important if the IJC is to play a critical role as an effective voice raising awareness of emerging threats to the Great Lakes.  I'm new to this position, but my first impressions are that my colleagues share this goal of an enhanced  partnership with an informed public.

(GLTH) - Speaking at a commencement address at the University of Michigan in 2008, you said the following concerning the difference between being bold and being brave in our work.

....... being brave implies behavior in which someone is willing to stand up to pressure, perhaps threats from a superior authority or-more commonly-pressure from peers. To be brave you need not have stepped way out of the box with position that is radical or new. Being brave just means that you have the confidence to deviate from a norm-because you think it's the right thing to do, and probably because you think it will make a difference.

Given your reputation for independence, how will you be brave when confronted by the inevitable diplomatic pressure that is sure to come in your new position?

(LP) - I am convinced that there is broadly-shared agreement on the goal of protecting and restoring a healthy Great Lakes ecosystem. I am used to working in high pressure situations. Over the years I've found that as long as I actively listen and work with integrity, at the end of the day, it's best to speak my mind honestly. 

(GLTH) - There is no shortage of issues for the IJC to focus on including lake levels, Canadian tar sands oil production, climate change, and of course the update of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.  How would you prioritize the IJC's work over the next two years? Where should its focus be?

(LP) - Of course the specific priorities will be developed in discussions with my colleagues on the Commission and other engaged parties. However, overall I think we would be wise to evaluate these matters in terms of the seriousness of the threats to the Great Lakes and the opportunities to take/encourage preventive actions. This underscores the central role of science in our work and the need to act without delay as we gain a clearer understanding of the issues. If we've learned anything from past failures, it is that the cost of remediation - if indeed remediation is even possible - is exponentially higher than the cost of protection and prevention. 

(GLTH) - The Asian Carp issue and the media attention it has attracted has put aquatic invasives in the minds of Great Lakes residents. What role do you see the IJC playing in keeping Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes? Or is this an issue that needs to be resolved between the U.S. agencies (USACE, USEPA) and the states? 

(LP) - The IJC is only one among  a number of agencies - state, national and international  - that need to be involved in actions to prevent the carp from establishing themselves in the Great Lakes. An $80 million framework plan is already being implemented (rather late, but hopefully not too late). I suggest  that the IJC could be most helpful at this point in time in initiating discussions about the larger context of threats  facing the lakes - biological, chemical and climate - and the wisdom of taking less costly and often more effective early preventative measures against these threats.  

(GLTH) - The Obama Administration is in the midst of launching a billion dollar Great Lakes restoration program under the banner of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. While everyone applauds the administration for finally funding restoration, critics say that real progress will come only through regulation and tougher enforcement of existing laws, which the initiative doesn't address. What's your assessment?

(LP) - Yes, strong regulation and enforcement are critical in many areas including wastewater discharges, groundwater source protection and air emissions. But there are also a lot of projects that need to be funded if the Great Lakes are to be cleaned up. The funding that has been committed will help a great deal.

(GLTH) - What specifically needs to be done related to groundwater source protection? I know it has been a hot button issue in Michigan as rural property owners fear that regulations will limit their access to water.

(LP) - According to the IJC's February 2010 report on Groundwater in the Great Lakes Basin, the groundwater contribution to Great Lakes tributaries ranges from 48 percent in the Lake Erie basin to 79 percent in the Lake Michigan basin. Further, 90 percent of water-borne pathogenic disease outbreaks are attributable to water systems supplied from groundwater. So clearly groundwater is a major issue and governments at all levels, as well as individuals have a role in protecting this resource. There are many actions to protect groundwater that should be considered including better management to ensure that manure fertilizer is applied to farm land in appropriate amounts and at the right time, improving the performance of septic systems through incentive programs as well as enforcement, and accelerated efforts to clean up hazardous waste sites and leaking underground storage tanks.

(GLTH) - The Great Lakes region of the U.S. and Canada have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the world's fresh water. How can we demonstrate to the world that we're good stewards when there are so many water-deprived people in the world? The Great Lakes Compact is essentially silent on this issue. Should we have a moral obligation to (sustainably) share our water with the water-deprived of the world?

(LP) -  I think we can best serve the world at large if we consistently demonstrate an ambitious conservation ethic that incorporates best practices of pollution prevention and water use. Only one percent of the water in the Great Lakes is renewed each year. The idea that there is surplus water is a myth. If we are to ensure a healthy Great Lakes ecosystem for the future, the residents of the basin need to use the water wisely, not just protect it from being removed from the basin. The IJC has long been concerned about protecting water quality and managing consumptive water uses inside the basin. It is also my understanding that the Compact does require Great Lakes jurisdictions to develop policies to address new consumptive uses within the basin.

(GLTH) - How will you measure your success as a commissioner when your term comes to an end?

(LP) - I'll know if I've made a difference. I'll be happy  if the IJC, and indeed all Great Lakes advocates and stakeholders are more engaged in preventing the next century's threats than in trying to remediate those of the past century.

(GLTH) - Finally, please share with Great Lakes residents whatever you feel is important that they know about the International Joint Commission and your work on that international body.

(LP) - For over 100 years, the IJC has demonstrated that international collaboration is both difficult and possible. Going forward, if we are ambitioius in our vision and successful in our work, the IJC can be an inspiration for enhanced international cooperation that extends beyond the United States-Canada boundary. With global commerce and global tranport of material and organisms, it's my personal opinion that we need increasingly effective, international collaborations to protect our precious, limited global water resources. 

For information on the International Joint Commission and U.S. Chair Lana Pollack go to:

http://www.ijc.org/en/home/main_accueil.htm