Hearings of the International Joint Commission in re remedies for the pollution of boundary waters between the United States and Canada : Being public hearings held at Buffalo, N.Y., and Detroit, Mich., June 21-27, 1916, and Ogdensburg, N.Y., August 25, 1916

In the summer of 1916 the International Joint Commission gathered citizens, engineers and health officials from the United States and Canada to confront a growing concern: the contamination of the lakes and rivers that cross the border. Convened in Buffalo, Detroit and later Ogdensburg, the hearings examined whether the 1910 treaty on boundary waters was being breached and evaluated a technical report prepared by Professor Earle B. Phelps of the U.S. Public Health Service. The discussion blends diplomatic protocol with scientific detail, offering a clear picture of early 20th‑century environmental policy‑making.

Listeners will hear formal statements, questions from municipal leaders, and the commission’s careful attempt to reconcile differing views on water‑purification measures for the Great Lakes region. The record captures the earnest collaboration between neighboring towns, state health boards and the joint commission as they seek practical solutions to protect public health and property on both sides of the border.