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IJC to add new members to lake management board

Jason Smith
/
WRVO News (file photo)

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 International Lake Ontario - St. Lawrence River Board, which 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 Kevin Bunch is a communications specialist with the IJC.

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

More specifically, he says they're looking for elected officials from municipalities along the U.S. and Canadian shore.

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

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.

Veronica Volk is a Reporter/Producer for WXXI News. She comes from WFUV Public Radio, where she began her broadcasting career as a reporter covering the Bronx, and the greater New York City area. She later became the Senior Producer of WFUV’s weekly public affairs show, Cityscape. Originally from Ocean County, New Jersey, Veronica got her B.A. in Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University, concentrating on Media, Culture, and Society.