Document B5E6dbboMka9nd5k2qDv8w1DX

Buffalo Evening News fit SAX. 2B7.21Z AUG 1 1975 ^ Smith Notes Progress on Lake Cleanup Special ta Buflela Evonlnp Netei WINDSOR. Ont., Aug. 1 The U. S. chairmen o( the International Joint Coramisilon said Thursday that there has been "tremendous progress" by both the U. S. and Canada In efforts to clean up the. Great Lakes. Henery P. Smith HI, former . North Tonawanda congressman who now heads the U. S. Sec* tlon of the UC, said the com mission wilt meet Sept. 29 in i Ottawa to prepare its watchdog . report on the Lakes program to the two nations. . The commissioner said, how-.' ever, it may be a year from now before the IJC is able to say with any degree of certain ty whether the two nations meet the Dec. 31,' 1975 deadline for municipal and industrial remedial works to be "com pleted or in the process of implementation.*' MR. SMITH said the U. S. ! Environmental Protection Ag ency takes the position that "the agreement will be sub stantially met." The chairman said the feder al agency Contends that while (| not ail of the construction will t have been completed or even started, the funds have been allocated and the initial plan ning completed. Asked if the IJC in its watch dog role will make assessment of the Status of compliance with the agreement, Mr. Smith said the commission may not have all the facts by Dec. 31 to make such an assessment. He said the commissions position at this point is that there hes been "a tremendous amount of progress made and a great deal remains to be done. The commission will certainly take (he position that this effort should be continued ... for as long as it takas to do the job." . Mr. Smith spoke to newsmen following a four-day meeting of the commission with the Great Lakes Water Quality Board and other advisory agencies involv.. ed In cleaning up the lakes. . HE SAID the EPA furnished the commission with a computor printout showing informstion on the status of some 292 of 312 major industrial dis chargers on the Lakes, but the printout provides no informa tion on the status of meeting industrial clean-up deadlines. Mr. Smith told newsmen that the Water Quality Board had urged that the two govern ments "start national discus sions on the problem of PCB (polychlorinated___ byphensls) found in fish, noting that the levels exceed by 50 times , those felt acceptable by the board. MONS 030856