From its early beginnings, as a project of then New York State Assemblymen, John B. Sheffer II and William B. Hoyt, the GLP has grown in its scope and efforts. Both Sheffer and Hoyt were aware that the future of the Western New York region was tied into the resources of the Great Lakes, and the influence that this ecosystem has on the biological, socioeconomic, industrial and recreational climate of the area. These political visionaries, joined forces with then UB Provost, William R. Greiner, to plan the development of a Western New York Center for Great Lakes Resources. According to early correspondence between Sheffer and Greiner, the "principle purposes would be to function as a clearinghouse and resource center for information related to the Great Lakes. The primary focus of the center, which would be housed at SUNY/Buffalo, would be the use of freshwater resources generally, and Lake Erie in particular, for economic growth and job creation in Western New York."

This clearinghouse and resource center was formed as the Great Lakes Program, under the original guidance of Wendy Katkin and Ann DeWitt Brooks. During its early stages, the program focused its attention on policy-oriented studies of problems and issues of the Great Lakes . Efforts were initiated to create a clearinghouse to compile the volumes of information which were being generated around the Great Lakes basin. To this day, the Great Lakes Program maintains a library which houses Great Lakes information for use by scholars, researchers, educators, students and the general public.

As the mission and potential of the GLP became clearer, the direction of the program was placed in the capable hands of Dr. Ralph R. Rumer, currently the Director of the NYS Center for Hazardous Waste Management. Under Dr. Rumer's direction, the GLP focused its attention to the synthesis of science in support of public policy formulation. According to a 1988 Program History and Prospectus, "Most of the problems and issues facing the Great Lakes, however, also involve major elements of science and technology. Resolution of problems and issues is frequently impeded by incomplete knowledge of these elements. The Great Lakes Program has evolved and expanded its scope of activities to include science and technology oriented investigations. The making of rational public policy will require the best possible understanding of how the Great Lakes work and the cause and effect relationships that enable us to appreciate the impacts of societal intervention into these complex systems."

Dr. Rumer is credited with establishing the program's External Advisory Board to provide technical expertise. According to Rumer, this effort served to "legitimize and add credibility" to the program, and "move the Great Lakes Program to the type of program that truly mirrored the high standards of the University." Under the guidance of Dr. Rumer, the program also established an internal Research Advisory Panel, published its first newsletter, and produced inaugural issues of monographs and occasional papers. These publications have grown throughout the decade, but much credit belongs to the foresight and dedication of Dr. Rumer and original staff members.

Always quick to share credit, Dr. Rumer praised the early efforts of Katkin and Brooks during a recent interview. When asked for information on those who were instrumental to the development of the GLP, Rumer offered the names of Donald W. Rennie and Lorraine Oak. Dr. Rennie was a strong supporter of the program for many years, and his important contribution was recognized by creating the Donald W. Rennie Memorial Monograph Series after his untimely death.

Dr. Oak's support and commitment has continued to grow throughout the years. Today, Dr. Oak not only celebrates her seventh anniversary as a member of the GLP Advisory Board, she also serves on New York Sea Grant's Board of Governors. According to Dr. Oak, she "has always been aware of the importance of the Great Lakes." Her disciplinary background, as a coastal geomorphologist, and personal interest in these important bodies of freshwater have kept her involvement with the Great Lakes Program strong throughout the past decade. Dr. Oak commented that "the world is watching the fate of these important bodies of water" and she believe that "the University recognizes the importance of the Great Lakes Program."

Dr. Rumer also credited Warren Flint, Margaret Wooster and other faculty affiliates and early staffers for their efforts in building a strong foundation for continued growth of the GLP. Rumer praised Warren Flint, the GLP's first Associate Director, as a person of "great drive, who made things happen." He spoke of Flint's programmatic efforts and aggressiveness in having the GLP recognized throughout the basin.

During his tenure as Associate Director, Warren Flint was involved in the program's Small Grants Program, research projects and outreach efforts - such as conferences and seminars. For a 1988 article on the GLP from the Reporter, a University of Buffalo publication, Flint stated, "Our focus is on synthesizing information, providing it to decision-makers, and on facilitating the coming together of others to decide where existing problems lie and how to solve those problems." Flint characterized the GLP as playing the role of "middleman" in Great Lakes decision- making and problem solving. His efforts to increase the program's visibility around the basin, served to strengthen the role the GLP has continued to play in research and outreach.

As the program's role was expanding, so were Dr. Rumer's roles as he was asked to provide leadership for the New York State Center for Hazardous Waste Management. Although he was able to juggle the demands of both programs initially, as the programs grew, it became apparent to Dr. Rumer that the GLP duties should be relinquished. In January 1991, Dr. Joseph V. DePinto left his faculty position at Clarkson University to become a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at UB and join the GLP as its new director. Dr. DePinto's research experience and expertise in mathematical modeling of the fate and transport of contaminants in aquatic systems, aquatic chemistry, applied limnology, nutrient cycling, eutrophication models and other lake issues made him an excellent choice for the position.

Although its first five years were dedicated to continuing its mission of providing synthesis of scientific information in support of policy formation, a new niche was being carved out for the GLP due to Dr. DePinto's strong background in Great Lakes research. A new emphasis was placed on expanding the program's role and enhancing its identity "as a major contributor to the scientific and technical knowledge base used for forming public policy and managing Great Lakes resources." (GLP 1990-1991 Annual Report)

Under Dr. DePinto's direction, the mission statement of the program was modified to reflect its evolution toward science and technically oriented research. The mission of the Great Lakes Program is to develop, evaluate, and synthesize scientific and technical knowledge on the Great Lakes Ecosystem in support of public education and policy formation.

The GLP became involved with major research projects including the initiation of GEO-WAMS (Geographically-based Watershed Analysis and Modeling System) and participation in the EPA-funded project for the "Development and Validation of an Integrated Exposure Model for Toxic Chemicals in Green Bay, Lake Michigan, under the direction of Dr. DePinto.

Dr. DePinto's first year as director was memorable, since it was highlighted by the successful organizing and hosting of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Association for Great Lakes Research. The conference brought over 500 researchers to Buffalo to hear the presentation of more than 250 scientific papers. This was just the first of a number of international conferences that the GLP has been involved in since Dr. DePinto assumed leadership.

To this day, the GLP continues to be a major contributor to Great Lakes research and information transfer. Coordination is provided for researchers from the University at Buffalo and other academic institutions, as well as state, federal and provincial researchers. Most research projects are supported by externally sponsored programs obtained through grants and contracts to the GLP or its affiliated faculty. The GLP is proud of its successful collaboration and cooperation with the US Environmental Protection Agency, New York Sea Grant, Cornell Cooperative Extension, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, NY Great Lakes Research Consortium, International Association for Great Lakes Research, NYS Center for Hazardous Waste Management (UB), Toxicology Research Center (UB), and the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (UB).

Although the aforementioned collaborations have added to the success of the GLP, one collaboration has special significance. In the fall of 1993, a collaborative arrangement with New York Sea Grant provided for a joint Associate Director/Sea Grant, Cornell Cooperative Extension Specialist position to be created. This position, filled by Helen M. Domske, has provided for renewed emphasis on education and outreach efforts. The unique position allows for the capabilities and resources of New York Sea Grant and Cornell Cooperative Extension to be meshed with the resources of the GLP. A number of new initiatives, including publications, conferences, seminars and teachers' workshops have come about because of this new collaboration.

According to Domske, "the collaborative position allows for better balance among the research, education and outreach goals of the GLP." The GLP has long been recognized as a leader by those involved in research and management, but Domske points out that her recent efforts "have made a broad spectrum of educators and stake-holders aware of the resources and programs that the collaborative parties have to offer to address Great Lakes issues" Domske believes that "the educational and outreach goals of all three parties mesh so well, this collaborative position has endless possibilities."

New York State legislative support was instrumental in the development of this unique position, further demonstrating the status of the GLP within the State. Although no longer a member of the New York political system, John B. Sheffer II, continues to interact with the GLP as a faculty affiliate in the School of Law at UB.

The latest addition to the periodic publications of the GLP, a collaborative effort involving the GLP, NY Sea Grant Institute and the NY Great Lakes Research Consortium, is entitled the Great Lakes Research Review. The goal of this semi-annual publication is to fill an information niche for managers, researchers and stake holders who need to understand scientific issues that relate to public policy concerns. The Great Lakes Research Review is designed to provide a substantive review of research activities in a format that is more detailed than a popular article, yet less technical than a peer-reviewed journal article. The first two issues have focused on the fate and transport of toxic substances and research related to the human and ecological effects of toxins. The next two issues will focus on research related to Great Lakes fisheries. Dr. DePinto stated that he was "very excited about this new publication. I believe it truly fills a void in the translation and communication of recent scientific findings on Great Lakes problems to the myriad of organizations and individuals who play a role in managing this vital resource."

For more than half of its existence, the GLP has relied on the efforts of Monica Moshenko, Administrative Assistant, to provide clerical, logistical and editorial support to its operation. Her enthusiastic and outgoing personality has always guaranteed that the GLP put its best foot forward and that initial contacts with the Program were positive. The program has also benefitted from the enthusiastic support provided by student assistants throughout the years. Many of these students have a career interest in the environmental field and it is hoped that their experiences with the GLP provides a foundation for their future efforts.

Although this anniversary marks a decade of dedication to the Great Lakes, the staff, faculty affiliates and members of its Advisory Board have offered a commitment to continuing their efforts for the protection and enhancement of the Great Lakes ecosystem. The need for research, education and outreach are as great today - if not greater - than they were a decade ago.

Dr. DePinto to serve on Niagara River RAC
Dr. Joseph DePinto, Director of the Great Lakes Program, has been invited to serve on the Remedial Advisory Committee (RAC) for the Niagara River Remedial Action Plan (RAP). The Niagara River RAP was developed in response to a request from the International Joint Commission (IJC). The Niagara River is one of 43 Areas of Concern within the Great Lakes Basin for which Remedial Action Plans are being implemented.

As stated in the summary report on the Niagara River RAP, "The 1987 amendments to the United States-Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) specify requirements for 'remedial action plans' (RAPs) for the Areas of Concern. The RAPs are to define environmental problems and identify actions needed to restore beneficial uses of the waterbody. Plans are to embody a systematic, comprehensive, ecosystem approach to restoring and protecting the biota and water quality. They should set time schedules, name responsible agencies, and describe processes to monitor the Area of Concern environment and track implementation. The lead agency for the RAP should work closely with citizens to develop an ecosystem-based plan that represents the concerns of the local community." (Niagara River Remedial Action Plan Summary, September 1994, page 1-1.)

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), which is the lead agency for the RAP process in the State's Areas of Concern, has responded to the IJC's request that a public involvement component be included in the preparation and implementation of the RAPs by appointing a citizens advisory committee. During the development of the Niagara River RAP, the Niagara River Action Committee worked with the NYSDEC to ensure citizen involvement. According to the NYSDEC, "the purpose of the Remedial Advisory Committee (RAC) is to advise and assist in the implementation of the Remedial Action Plan and to make recommendations to maintain and improve the water quality and ecological integrity of this valuable resource."

The initial meeting was held on January 26, 1995, with a follow-up meeting on March 9. These meetings have provided the RAC members with an opportunity to review and become familiar with the Niagara River RAP. Through an overview on the RAP report, offered by Richard Swiniuch of the Buffalo DEC Regional Office, the RAC members learned of the contents of the report and the study process used in the technical assessment of the current conditions in the Niagara River. These meetings have also provided a review of the goals and strategy of the RAP, a summary of the IJC review of the Canadian Niagara River RAP, and a report on the International Advisory Committee (IAC). The RAC was also involved with a review meeting of the New York Niagara River RAP Report which was held on March 23, 1995. This meeting was also attended by representatives of the IJC and their review panel, along with representatives of the NYSDEC.

According to the NYSDEC's summary of the Niagara River RAP, the "mission of the RAP is to restore the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Niagara River ecosystem in a manner that reflects the community's concern for the remediation, preservation and protection of the river. Specific goals of the RAP are the protection and enhancement of human health, fish and wildlife, aesthetics and recreation, and the economy of the Niagara River Area of Concern. Drinking water, bathing and aquatic life have been established as the best uses of the Niagara River through a public process under the New York State Stream Classification System. The RAP is designed to restore these uses where they have been impaired and to move toward the reduction of all sources of pollution. (Niagara River Remedial Action Plan Summary,September 1994, page S-1.)

The Niagara River Remedial Action Plan Report Summary, published in September 1994, by the NYSDEC offers a comprehensive look at the RAP that was prepared by the DEC in cooperation with the Niagara River Action Committee. The first two chapters of the report summary provide an introduction and setting for the RAP and the Area of Concern. Chapter 3 offers a discussion of RAP goals and the planning process. Chapters 4-6 include information on the problems (impairments, pollutants and disturbances); evaluations of known and potential sources of pollution; and remedial programs. The following chapters (7-9) look at recommended remedial strategy, the commitments for implementation and the implementation tracking and monitoring plan. The last two chapters discuss land use recommendations and the public participation component. Information on the Niagara River Remedial Action Plan Report Summary, and the full report may be obtained by contacting the NYSDEC Region 9 Office, 270 Michigan Avenue, Buffalo, New York 14203-2999.

Summary of the report: IMPACTS OF CHLORINE USE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH
by Elizabeth S. Kent
The mere presence of chlorine in a chemical compound does not mean that the compound is predisposed to be a toxic substance which could cause harm to humans or to the environment. This finding, by the Michigan Environmental Science Board (MESB), was included in the report Impacts of Chlorine Use on Environmental and Public Health, submitted to the Governor of Michigan in June of 1994. The report culminated a six-month investigation examining the scientific basis for the International Joint Commission's (IJC) 1992 recommendation to sunset chlorine and chlorine-containing compounds as industrial feedstocks. The MESB was also charged with the responsibility to evaluate whether Michigan's state regulations affecting the use of chlorine and chlorinated compounds adequately protect the public health of Michigan's citizens, the state's environment and its Great Lakes.

Six MESB members constituted the MESB Chlorine Panel. The investigation consisted of the accumulation and evaluation of peer-reviewed and some non-peer-reviewed literature and data on chlorine. Verbal and written statements from experts, industry specialists, environmental organizations, state governmental agencies and concerned citizens were considered. Experts in engineering, ecological sciences, economics, chemistry, physics, biological sciences, human medicine, statistics, risk assessment and geology prepared the report. The MESB investigating panel was chaired by Dr. Lawrence J. Fischer, MESB chairperson and Director of the Institute for Environmental Toxicology at Michigan State University.

Certain characteristics of chemicals were determined to be problematic, including the ability of a substance to produce toxic effects at relatively low levels of exposure and its resistance to environmental degradation which permits accumulation in the food chain. Both chlorinated and non- chlorinated substances can possess the environmental traits of concern. Certain environmentally-persistent chlorinated substances, such as dioxins and PCBs, were recognized by the Panel to present potential for harm. Current monitoring and toxicity testing practices applied to complex waste streams were determined to be of questionable effectiveness in detecting compounds having adverse characteristics similar to PCBs and dioxins. The Panel recommended that better testing and monitoring procedures be devised to detect unknown compounds having undesirable chemical and biological properties.

The Panel reiterated the IJC's recommendation that discussions among industry, government and public interest groups be commenced by considering the risks and benefits of chlorine- containing compounds. A timetable extending 30 years was proposed by the Panel to allow sufficient time to permit the use of "sound science," and to acknowledge the current importance of chlorine to society. The Panel recognized the lack of current alternatives to chlorine which are of known safety and effectiveness for use while prioritizing, classifying and replacing known and suspected problematic chlorine-containing compounds with non-chlorinated substances that have been scientifically shown to have less potential for harm.

The practice of grouping chemical compounds according to their physical, chemical and biological characteristics for regulatory purposes was deemed acceptable by the Panel. Consequently, it was recommended that environmentally persistent compounds, which are toxic in laboratory tests using low exposures, be considered problematic and be controlled regardless of their chlorine content. Alternatively, non-persistent chlorine-containing compounds could be addressed on an individual basis. Only where scientifically sound toxicity testing indicates a potential problem with a non-persistent chlorinated compound would the Panel support that action be taken to control the substance.

The major findings and conclusions include:

• The known toxicity of certain chlorinated compounds, especially those which are persistent, and the possibility that unknown products of similar toxic potential do now, or may in the future, reach the environment require the evaluation of current and future uses of chlorine and chlorinated compounds. The elimination proposal using a priority system addressing health, economic and other societal factors over a period up to 30 years was deemed reasonable for known and suspected harmful chlorinated compounds or processes.

• The chlorination of an organic molecule tends to increase the substance's solubility in lipid and tends to increase the length of time it is present in the environment (persistence). Generally, toxic compounds which bioaccumulate in the environment, particularly in the food chain, are considered a greater environmental and public health threat in comparison to equally toxic substances which do not bioaccumulate.

• Toxic compounds currently known to be persistent and bioaccumulative should be vigorously controlled. The grouping of chemical substances for regulatory purposes on the basis of physical, chemical and biological characteristics is scientifically defensible; whereas grouping by a single property (e.g. contains chlorine) is perceived to be inadequate. Consequently, for the purpose of regulatory control, persistent toxic chlorinated and non- chlorinated compounds released to the environment can be treated as a group. Detection procedures for known and unknown persistent bioaccumulative compounds should be implemented.

• Not all chlorine-containing organic compounds have similar potential to produce deleterious effects in humans and in the environment.

• Insufficient scientific evidence was found to indicate that the mere presence of non-persistent chlorinated compounds in the environment is producing an environmental or public health threat. Similarly, insufficient evidence does not prove lack of potential for harm.

• Some non-persistent chlorinated compounds, including certain volatile organic solvents, can produce toxic effects at high exposures. The ability of non-persistent chlorinated compounds to produce long-term health effects such as cancer, neurological damage or reproductive deficits as a result of lower environmental exposures was not considered convincing at this time. Therefore, sunsetting of non- persistent chlorinated compounds should not occur precipitously.

• New chlorinated and non-chlorinated products and by-products of industrial processes should be evaluated for toxicity, persistence and bioconcentration potential. Toxicity testing of products, emissions and effluents from new industrial processes should be sufficiently sensitive to detect adverse effects that could occur in wildlife, domestic animals and humans at concentrations known or reasonably estimated to occur in the environment. The testing should be capable of detecting several types of non-lethal toxic effects, including those leading to neurotoxicity, hormone modulation resulting in reproductive and developmental toxicities and immunotoxicity. Testing processes which cannot detect the toxic effects of chemical substances present in concentrations above scientifically sound regulatory standards and currently considered to be particularly hazardous (e.g., 2,3,7,8-TCDD), should be considered inadequate for the protection of public and environmental health and replaced with other, more appropriate protocols.

• Currently used and historically used industrial processes for which inadequate information exists, regarding the identity and/or toxicity of the by-products released to the environment, should be subjected to an adequate toxicity testing paradigm. The protocol should provide data indicating the potential of released unknown by-products to produce harm to the environment and public health and sufficient information to allow a risk/benefit evaluation to be made.

• The replacement of chlorine and potentially toxic chlorinated compounds in industrial processes with alternative chemical compounds and processes requires toxicity testing for a new set of products and by-products. Studies involving the use of intact animals, cells and isolated tissues derived from animals will be required. The efficacy of the tests used to evaluate the safety of the alternative products and associated by-products should be equivalent to the tests required for chlorine-containing products and by-products.

• Chlorine and chlorinated compound-related regulations currently operable in Michigan were found reasonably adequate to protect human health, the environment and the Great Lakes. Recommendations for regulations include:
  1. periodic review and upgrading to ensure appropriate monitoring and evaluation requirements consistent with new environmental and human health data;
  2. ensuring that human and financial resources will be sufficient to allow for aggressive and effective enforcement; and
  3. a monitoring program capable of establishing and tracking changing trends in contaminants of the abiotic and biotic environments to supplement enforcement.

Editor's note:
This review is based on the 67-page report entitled: Impacts of Chlorine Use on Environmental and Public Health, prepared by the Michigan Envionmental Science Board Chlorine Panel. Copies of this report, first published in June 1994, with a second printing in September 1994, can be obtained through the Michigan Environmental Science Board, Lewis Class Building, P.O. Box 30026, Lansing, Michigan 48909. The summary was written by Elizabeth S. Kent, an intern for the Great Lakes Program.

News from New York Sea Grant
State of Lake Erie Sportfisheries Seminar Held

New York Sea Grant Extension Specialist Dave MacNeill played a key role in organizing the State of Lake Erie Sportfisheries Seminar that was held on March 24, 1995. Sponsored by New York State Assemblyman Francis J. Pordum, the seminar brought together more than 65 scientists, legislators, researchers, managers, charter captains, and other stakeholders. MacNeill put together the agenda for the seminar, which included presentations by representatives from NYSDEC, USFWS, NY Sea Grant, and the Great Lakes Center at Buffalo State College. He also served as the seminar moderator for the day-long event held in Blasdell, New York.

After welcoming remarks by Assemblyman Pordum and MacNeill, the audience heard from a number of researchers and managers. Bob Lange, of the NYSDEC Bureau of Fisheries, presented a talk on the Changing Lake Erie Sportfisheries. Dr. Steve Brandt, Director of the Great Lakes Center at Buffalo State College, then provided information on Lake Erie's Whole-Lake Assessment Study. An update on Lake Erie Walleye and Perch Fisheries and a status report on Walleye Stream Stocking were offered by Don Einhouse of NYSDEC. Two other representatives from NYSDEC included Bill Culligan with an update on Lake Erie Cold-Water Fisheries, and Mike Wilkinson who spoke about Muskellunge Studies. Dave MacNeill informed the audience about some new exotic species including quagga mussels, blueback herring, and hybrid striped bass. The final speakers were representatives from the USFWS, including Sandra Keppner who spoke on the Ruffe Assessment Program and Dieter Busch, Chief of the Lower Great Lakes Fisheries Resource Office, who offered perspectives on the future of Lake Erie.