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IJC to add new members to lake management board

Veronica Volk
/
WXXI News

Since the flooding of 2017, the International Joint Commission has been criticized for mismanagement of Lake Ontario. Now, in response to some of those criticisms, the IJC is adding two new seats to the board that regulates the outflows of Lake Ontario.

"The idea here is to make sure that people who live along the shorelines of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River -- make sure that they have a voice," said IJC Communications Specialist Kevin Bunch.

The board make-up has been criticized before, for not including lakefront property owners. Bunch said the main criteria of these new members is living near the lake.

More specifically, he said they are looking for elected officials from municipalities along the United States and Canadian shore.

"They can bring their experiences and their knowledge to the decision making the board does," he said.

One of the main responsibilities of this board is following the guidelines of the controversial lake level management Plan 2014. The IJC says the plan will remain in place for now.

The commission is also seeking funding for a proposed advisory group to look at the impact of high water levels upstream and downstream.

The IJC is still developing a nomination process for new board members.

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