FILE - In this June 2019 photo, Lake Ontario levels continue to rise at Fair Haven Beach State Park beach and along the shoreline of Little Sodus Bay in Fair Haven.
A Government Accountability Office study found the International Joint Commission's process for selecting Plan 2014 to manage water levels on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River was "generally consistent with relevant essential elements of risk-informed decision-making," but recommended improved communication and adaptive management plans to address concerns from stakeholders.
The three recommendations from the GAO to the commission, which consists of U.S. and Canadian members, include updates to the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board's communications plan and incorporating best public relations practices, ensuring the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Adaptive Management Committee has the information it needs to evaluate Plan 2014 and improve the adaptive management process.
Plan 2014 has been criticized by elected leaders, businesses and shoreline residents. It has been blamed for flooding that occurred along the southern shore of Lake Ontario in 2017 and 2019.
Some members of Congress, including U.S. Rep. John Katko, believe Plan 2014 should be scrapped. In a joint statement, Katko, along with U.S. Reps. Anthony Brindisi and Joe Morelle, said that Plan 2014 is "broken."
"It is important that the IJC take this GAO report seriously and follow its recommendations, but more action is necessary," the members said. "The IJC needs to take substantive steps to protect Lake Ontario's southern shoreline, listen to our communities and act in a transparent way to ensure fairness and safety in our region. We will not stop fighting for the families, businesses and homeowners that continue to pay the price for the IJC's inaction."
Communication was a major focus of the GAO's report. The agency said that the IJC's communications plans "partially align" with best practices and that an updated plan could improve communication with stakeholders.
According to the GAO, 12 of the 14 stakeholders interviewed had concerns about the commission's communications. Nine of the stakeholders said they were concerned about Plan 2014's rules, and 10 worried about its implementation.
In a letter to the IJC, U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer urged the IJC to adopt the agency's recommendations and to expedite the review process of Plan 2014's effectiveness.
"It is critical that the IJC have robust plans in place for communication with stakeholders about Plan 2014, as well as for assessing and making changes to the plan," the senators wrote. "While we recognize that the IJC commissioners and the board have taken action to facilitate and improve stakeholder communications, we believe that more improvement is needed and these GAO recommendations will help ensure effective communication between the IJC, the board and stakeholders moving forward."
The GAO provided the IJC with a copy of the report and the commission offered a response. In a lengthy letter detailing its response to each of the three recommendations, the IJC told the GAO that it sought the advice of an outside consultant to update its communication plan. The updated plan will be ready by the end of the year.
Before the plan is ready, the IJC noted that it's already held a series of webinars to better inform the public about managing water levels and factors that might affect those decisions.
The IJC is following the GAO's recommendations and seeking additional entities that could provide data and the adaptive management strategic plan is being revised.
Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.
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