By Rosm Steveun Durham Riding MP The Great Lakes are a mqjor natural reSurce that many of us are too much incined to talc. fer grantod. Thoir importance ta Canada and the U.S. i. undorlined br the fact that those lakes contain almost one-fifth of our worlds total supply of fresh water. It's another fact, unfortunatoly, that for the generations both countries have usod the Great Liakes as a sewer and waste duxnp - ta such an extent that they're now dangerously poiluted. This won't b. news ta anyone who koeps informed about environmiental concerne. For at loast throe docades scientise and environmientalists have been issuing regular warnings about the deterioration of the Great Lakos. Thone warnings had ironic emphasis in 1969 when a river flowing into Lake Erie at Cleveland actually caught fire because it was so loaded with polutants. Governments can't ho accused of ignoring this. Thirty years ago the Province of Ontario was on. of the first jurisdictions anywhere ta enforce regulations requiring the treatment of al municipal sowage. In 1972 Canada and the U.S., acting on recommendations of the International Joint Commission, agreed ta co-operate in a multi-million dollar cleanup program. The aim at that timo was ta reduce the high levels of phosphorous from laundry detorgenta and industry, and ta build new sewage planta. That programi proved largely succesafulim achieving its mol.Te resurgonce of salmon and trout fisjiing in Lake Ontario demonstrates how successfuil it was. This sport fishing is extremely important for recreation and the local economy. But while ono problemn was being solved, alarm bole began sounding about another and much more serious danger - the growing concentration of toic chemicals i the Great Lakes. In 1978 Canada and tho U.S. signed another agreement under which they hope oventually ta stop the discharge of all pollution inta the lakes. %hs was followed by a third agreement in 1987 for broader and stepped up progranis workcing ta specific deadlines. As a reslt, on Oct. 10 Health and Welfare Minister Perrn Beatty announced that the federal government will spend *125-million over -the noxt five years ýas Canada's share of the Great Lgkes cleanup; *50-million wiil be spent on preserving the Great Lakes ecosystem from chemicals and also froni pollution caused by shipping and airborne contaminants. Another *20-million will b. useca ta assesa and monitor health riskso.The largest amount - *55-million - is for remedial work on 17 severely pollutod locations in Canada's part of the Great Lakes basin. Just a few days after the minister's announcement, there was a sharp reminder that the Great Lakes problema cannot now ho forgotten. The grim realities were detailed in a report prepared by mndepondont scientists froni both aides of the 'Great Lakes, Great Liegacy?' is the result of a two-year study conducted by the Canadian Institut. for Research on Public Policy and the U.S. Conservation Foundation. Its 300 pages state bluntly that the Great Lakes are in an environmental criais. Many of you probably read or heard about this report from the news media. (Copies of 'Great Lake%, Great Legacy?' cost $24.95, and can ho ordered by phoning toîl-free 1-800-565-0659, or by writing ta: Institut. for Research on Public Policy P.O. Box 3670 South Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3K6). Among other things the report confirms that the war against pollution wil ho expensive and must ho fought on a very broad front. For example, though DDT has hoen banned -i Canada and the U.S. for some 20Oyears, it was detected in Lake Superior, and presumably was carried north by wind currents from Central Amnenca. Contrary ta popular belief, the levels of concentration of many chemnicals in the Great Lakes have decreased over the past two decades. Unfortunately, however, those concentrations h ave struck a plateau at higher levels than are acceptable. The initiatives of the Canadian and U.S. governiments demonstrate that they are prepared ta do what is necessary. However these programns and measures will cost a very great a.mount of money over an extanded period of time. Some businesses and individuals are bound to ho affected adversely by a cleanup of this magnitude. It's quite possible that ail of us may have ta make some changes in our lifestyles. Politicians at ail levels of governiment need ta ho reminded snd re-assured that there is a genuine public will and dema2nd ta spend the necessary money and ta continue until the Great Lakes are ecologically safe once more. There is no quick or simple answer. As a recent newspaper editorial pointed out, there's a danger in individuals holieving that such ecological crises simply are a by-product of business greed. A hunger for profits may have-led ta the use of super oil tankers such as the one that was wrecked creating environniental havoc on the coast of Alaska. But no did consumer demanda for the lowest possible price at the gas Punlp. W. ail have a role i the Great Lakes cleanup. WIM2BYFRME PIRSS, WEDNESDAYV -DE( I PRE-CHRISTrMAS SAVI NGS I ~ COMM ITTEE FOR I FAIR SHOPPIENG. Cleamg up the When it cornes to Sunday Shopping the real issue i. Fairness. 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