Environmental health policy: Analytic "framing" of the Great Lakes picture

The International joint Commission (IJC) has overseen the implementation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between Canada and the United Stat es for 25 years. Part of its mandate has been to facilitate international c ooperation among a diversity of stakeholders focusing on the "waters" and t he "ecosystem." In the 1970s policy focused on phosphorus reduction and ind ividual contaminants, with some efforts (after 1978) to take an ecosystem ( ecological perspectives) approach. In the last 15 years human health effect s from (real and perceived) environmental causes have received considerable recognition. By contrast, less concern has been expressed for what is trad itionally considered "environment" issues (such as protecting fish species) . This shift at the policy level is well illustrated in the manner in which human health is increasingly used as a way for mobilizing environmental ag endas. This paper analyzes nine IJC biennial reports to track how the frami ng of Great Lakes issues has shifted from concern for its waters to concern for human neurobehavior and reproductive systems. Frame analysis is used t o conceptualize the controversies that are expressed through the Great Lake s policy documents. The analysis of the reports also reveals a shift in ope rational frames, used by the IJC to mobilize decision-makers into action.