What is the Lake Ontario LaMP?
The Lake Ontario Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP) is a binational framework for coordinating environmental efforts on Lake Ontario, as called for under the U.S. – Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The main purpose of the LaMP is to reduce the amount of contaminants entering the lake and address causes of lakewide problems. The LaMP is led by the “Four Parties”: Environment Canada, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Ontario Ministry of the Environment and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The Lake Ontario LaMP Stage 1 Report published in 1998 identified four lakewide problems, known as beneficial use impairments: • Restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption • Bird or animal deformities or reproductive problems • Degradation of wildlife populations • Loss of fish and wildlife habitat The LaMP Stage 1 Report determined that the first three impairments are caused by elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT, mirex, dioxins/furan
