Data and Information Management program
Project Summaries

1. Regional Air Toxic Emissions Inventory Project
   This project is a multi-jurisdictional inventory of point, area and mobile sources of toxic air emissions that have the potential to impact environmental quality of the Great Lakes region. This ongoing initiative has been undertaken through an intergovernmental partnership involving the air regulatory agencies of the Great Lakes states and the province of Ontario, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). The development of the emission inventory is an important step in meeting the goals of the 1986 Great Lakes Toxics Substances Control Agreement (signed by the Great Lakes governors and Premier of Ontario), and sections 112 of the 1990 U.S. Clean Air Act Amendments. The Commission produces an annual emission inventory that focused on the 213 contaminants, as listed under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and U.S. EPA’s Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, section 112(c)(6). The project addresses Article I, Sections 4 and 5 and Article VI, Sections 1 and 12 of the Great Lakes Basin Compact, and addresses Goal 2 Objective A, Strategic Action ii; Goal 2 Objective E, Strategic Action i, ii and iii; Goal 4 Objective B, Strategic Action i and ii; Goal 4, Objective C, Strategic Action i.

2. Great Lakes Air Deposition (GLAD) Program
   The Commission is leading a large scale collaborative effort that supports and assists the eight Great Lakes state air agencies and their regional partners in taking informed and coordinated actions toward mitigating the adverse impacts of atmospheric deposition of persistent toxic substances to the waters of the Great Lakes basin. The GLC is working collaboratively with state agency staff to develop methods for implementing solutions for each of the GLAD Program priorities. Close coordination among states will facilitate transfer of data, information and technology, ensure comparability, encourage collaboration and provide a context for state, local and basin-wide actions. The GLAD Program focuses primarily on PBTs that are identified by other Great Lakes initiatives, including the Great Waters Program, the Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy, the Great Lakes Water Quality Guidance and the Lakewide Management Plans for each of the Great Lakes. Other pollutants of concern are also be considered based on new and expanding scientific information. The project addresses Article I, Sections 4 and 5 and Article VI, Sections 1 and 12 of the Great Lakes Basin Compact, and addresses Goal 2 Objective A, Strategic Action ii; Goal 2 Objective E, Strategic Action i, ii and iii; Goal 4 Objective B, Strategic Action i and ii; Goal 4, Objective C, Strategic Action i.

3. Great Lakes Observing System
   This project is a planning and implementation effort funded by the NOAA Coastal Services Center. It is focused on development of the Great Lakes regional elements necessary for a national network of integrated coastal ocean observing systems. At this stage, the groundwork is being laid for a regional association of state and federal agencies and academic, commercial and non-governmental organizations. The effort has included assembling representation from a number of agencies, outreach to a variety of user communities, user needs assessments, compilation of a draft business plan, and significant input to federal agencies involved in the broader national effort. The GLOS Regional Association, once formalized, will help steer regional and national observing system policies and practices, regional data coordination efforts and the development of new data resources and products. This project begins implementation of recommendations drawn from several reports prepared for Congress by the National Ocean Research Leadership Council of the National Ocean Partnership Program involved in the observing system. It is a long term effort which, through its broad information access and new data development priorities, will address or support numerous elements of the draft Strategic Plan, contributing to Goals 1 and 2; Goal 3, Objective A, Strategic Action 1; Goal 4, Objective A, Strategic Action iv and Objective B, Strategic Actions i and ii; Goal 5, Objective A, Strategic Action ii and Objectives B and C.

4. Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Study
   This project is a five-year study being undertaken by the International Joint Commission to improve outflow regulation within the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River system. The Great Lakes Commission has played a significant role in the information management portion of the study, interacting heavily with the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Environment Canada, Quebec Region. Commission computers host the central online mapping interface for the project and serve as a clearinghouse for study metadata and document management. The GLC has provided technical support to the IJC in addressing issues of data ownership, updates and maintenance, quality assurance and control, metadata compilation, database development, proprietary data and licensing, liability and security and Internet-based access and distribution. This project addresses several sections of the draft Strategic Plan, including Goal 2, Objective B, Strategic Action ii, Goal 3, Objective A, Strategic Action 1 and Objective B, Strategic Action ii, Goal 4, Objective B, Strategic Actions i and iii, and Goal 5, Objective C, Strategic Action i. In addition, the online mapping services showcased by the Lake Ontario–St. Lawrence River Study have served as a template for other Great Lakes projects where large amounts of mapping and other environmental and scientific data need to be distributed.

5. Inland Sensitivity Atlas Series Development and Contingency Planning Support
   This project is a joint partnership between U.S. EPA Region 5 and the Upper Mississippi River Basin Association and supports findings and recommendations from the Great Lakes Spill Protection Initiative established in 1992 as a joint initiative between the Great Lakes states and the major oil companies of the basin. Work under this project supports Annex 9 of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 1978 and the statutory and regulatory mandates of the U.S. federal Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-380). The Commission produces a series of atlases for emergency planners and responders cataloging environmentally and economically sensitive areas and potential spill sources; develops regional contingency plans to prepare for and respond to oil and hazardous substances spills; trains first response personnel; and supports broader education and outreach initiatives. The project addresses Article I, Sections 2 and 4 and Article VI, Sections 1 and 12 of the Great Lakes Basin Compact, and addresses Goal 2, Objective A, Strategic Action ii and Goal 2, Objective F, Strategic Action iii of the draft Strategic Plan.