The International Joint Commission was slated to issue its ruling this afternoon as to whether or not it would enforce its draft supplementary order for Rainy and Namakan lakes, which are set to take effect tomorrow.
Fabien Lengellé, press secretary for the IJC in Canada, said yesterday the commissioners were slated to meet at 2 p.m. (ET). He also noted his office was still receiving faxes and letters from people with concerns over the proposed rule curves for both lakes.
“We are still briefing commissioners as to what we’re receiving,” Lengellé said. “The commissioners’ decision will come down [today] after we’re sure we’ve received everything.”
The IJC announced its draft supplementary order on the Rainy and Namakan levels Nov. 30. That order would see the rule curves on Rainy Lake stay the same as the ones set in 1970 but with a slightly wider band during the spring refill period and a modest draw down in the late summer and fall.
This was contrary to the request from the international steering committee that did a five-year study on the water levels on the two lakes.
But the IJC did accept the steering committee’s recommendation for Namakan, which called for higher water levels in the spring, with the modification of a wider band during the spring refill period.
The supplementary order was to go in effect “if no new and compelling concerns” were raised. People and groups were given until yesterday to submit written comments and criticisms of the order–which they’ve done in spades.
“A number of interests have taken the time to write us,” Lengellé said. “Definitely, we’ve heard from the environment perspective. We’ve heard from the tourism industry, and we’ve also heard from the companies [near] Fort Frances.
“[But] I do not know if any of that meets any of the criteria the commission published a month ago,” he added.
Paul Radomski, with Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources, and Bill Darby, area manager for the Ministry of Natural Resources here, who co-chaired the international steering committee study, both said last month they would be sending their concerns on the lack of changes on Rainy Lake.
Both claimed a late summer draw down on Rainy Lake would be beneficial in cleaning the spawning grounds for walleye and northerns.
Meanwhile, concerns raised on the industrial end of things revolve around the changes on Namakan. Jim Gartshore, manager at Abitibi-Consolidated’s mill here, noted the changes reduce the amount of water available to release from Namakan into Rainy Lake to make power at the dam at Fort Frances.
“We basically oppose anything that restricts our ability to make power,” he said, noting it’s estimated to be around a five-six percent reduction in power–meaning the company would have to buy more from Ontario Hydro.
“We’re also worried about the risk of floods [on Namakan],” Gartshore added. “We want to make sure the IJC has good, solid science for any changes [it makes] on the lakes.”
Many of these concerns were brought up at the IJC public hearing here last summer, Lengellé said. He said the IJC’s role is to take these opposing views and try to come up with what’s most fair to everybody.
“In a few words, it’s a balancing act,” he remarked. “One wants A, the other wants B, and we’re here to try and sort out the issue.
“In this case, we’ve issued the report, and in that report, we’ve addressed most of what we’re hearing,” Lengellé added. “But if any new information comes out, we’ll obviously consider it.”
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
