Air and Water Quality

Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS)
Since 1991, the Great Lakes Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) has worked to prevent and control the occurrence of aquatic nuisance species in the Great Lakes. This is an immense task, as more than 87 nonindigenous aquatic species have been accidentally introduced into the Great Lakes in this century. Once introduced, they must be managed and controlled, as they are virtually impossible to eradicate. For more information, contact Kathe Glassner-Shwayder at shwayder@glc.org

Areas of Concern
The Areas of Concern are watersheds along the Great Lakes suffering from degraded environmental conditions stemming from historic and ongoing pollution. They were designated under the U.S.-Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement based on the presence of beneficial use impairments, such as restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption, beach closures, drinking water restrictions, loss of fish and wildlife habitat, etc. For more information, contact Matt Doss at mdoss@glc.org

Chicago Waterway Study
The Great Lakes Commission (GLC) and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (GLSLCI) are leading an initiative to develop and evaluate scenarios for separating the Mississippi River and Great Lakes watersheds to prevent the transfer of aquatic invasive species (AIS), with a focus on the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS). The concept is referred to as “ecological separation.” With support from a team of consultants, the project will provide a detailed evaluation of potential scenarios for ecological separation, including their costs, benefits and impacts. For more information, contact Tim Eder at teder@glc.org

Dredging
The Great Lakes Dredging Team (GLDT) is a partnership of federal and state agencies created to assure that the dredging of U.S. harbors and channels throughout the Great Lakes, Connecting Channels and tributaries is conducted in a timely and cost-effective manner while meeting environmental protection, restoration and enhancement goals. For more information, contact Victoria Pebbles at vpebbles@glc.org

Great Lakes Air Deposition (GLAD) Program
The GLAD program is coordinated by the Great Lakes Commission to address the deposition of toxic pollutants to the waters of the Great Lakes region and to coordinate efforts to reduce such deposition and the resulting adverse impacts on human and wildlife health. The program, funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, supports scientific research, information gathering and collaboration among policy makers. For more information, contact Anna Soehl at asoehl@glc.org

Great Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control
The purpose of the Great Lakes Basin Program -- coordinated by the Great Lakes Commission under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-Region V, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) -- is to coordinate the efforts of the various levels of government with the specific goal of protecting and improving Great Lakes water quality by controlling soil erosion and sedimentation. For more information, contact Gary Overmier at garyo@glc.org

Habitat Restoration
Habitat Protection and Restoration is a priority of the Great Lakes Commission and has been identified as an initiative area in the Commission’s biennial workplan. Critical habitats, including coastal and inland wetlands are of particular importance because of their significant ecological services and high rate of loss or degradation. For more information, contact Heather Braun at hbraun@glc.org

Lake St. Clair/St. Clair River Management Plan
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Great Lakes Commission are leading a binational project that will develop a comprehensive management plan for Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River. The plan will be a concise, action-oriented document that synthesizes existing studies and recommendations into cohesive, ecosystem-based framework. The preliminary outline calls for a review of the sources and causes of environmental degradation to Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River followed by a series of topical chapters. For more information, contact Matt Doss at mdoss@glc.org

Michigan Clean Water Corps
The Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps) was created through an executive order by Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. The mission of MiCorps is to network and expand volunteer water quality monitoring organizations statewide for the purpose of collecting, sharing and using reliable data; educate and inform the public about water quality issues; and foster water resources stewardship to facilitate the preservation and protection of Michigan’s water resources. For more information, contact Matt Doss at mdoss@glc.org

Michigan Statewide Public Advisory Council
The Statewide Public Advisory Council (SPAC) was formed in 1991 to facilitate public participation in decisions affecting Michigan's statewide Areas of Concern (AOC) program, heighten public awareness of and participation in the Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) being developed in the AOCs, and generate public support for implementation of restoration and protection measures in the AOCs. For more information, contact Matt Doss at mdoss@glc.org

Michigan Volunteer River, Stream and Creek Cleanup Program
The Michigan Volunteer River, Stream and Cleanup Grant Program (VRSCCP) provides small grants to local units of government to help implement volunteer cleanup efforts of rivers, streams and creeks to improve the waters in Michigan. Funded by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, these grants help to cover the costs for the cleanup and removal of trash and debris from rivers and streams and along their banks. For more information, contact Laura Kaminski at laurak@glc.org

Oil Spill Contingency Planning
Since 1992, the Great Lakes Commission has provided support to the U.S. EPA Region 5 and the Inland Area Planning Committee (IAPC) in developing the Area and Regional Contingency Plan and associated Sub-area Plans under OPA and the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP), including Sub-area Plan preparation and data compilation through the use of a geographic information system (GIS) in the Great Lakes States. For more information, contact Stuart Eddy at seddy@glc.org

Ship-Mediated Harmful Microbes: Protecting the Great Lakes Ecosystem
The Northeast-Midwest Institute along with several collaborators including the Great Lakes Commission, received a $1 million grant from the Great Lakes Protection Fund to identify and describe a practicable approach to assessing, detecting and managing the risks to the Great Lakes posed by the introduction and translocation of non-indigenous microbes, particularly human and nonhuman pathogens, by commercial ships. For more information, contact Tim Eder at teder@glc.org or Allegra Cangelosi at acangelo@nemw.org with the Northeast Midwest Institute.

The Great Lakes Coast
The Great Lakes has over 10,900 miles of coastline that provides valuable ecologic and economic benefits to the region. Past and ongoing human activities have negatively affected this coastal environment, leading to loss of wetlands, toxic pollution, and overall ecosystem degradation. The Great Lakes Commission has a number of projects dedicated to protecting this important area. For more information, contact Victoria Pebbles at vpebbles@glc.org.