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Selected Delisting and Redesignation Efforts and Associated
Documents
United
States
Michigan Areas of Concern - Delisting of Beneficial Use Impairments (BUI)
Manistique River
- BUI: Degradation of Benthos
Oswego
River - Delisted Area of Concern
In July
2006, the Oswego River became the first U.S. waterway to be delisted
as an Area of Concern. The status of each of the beneficial use
impairment (BUI) indicators has been resolved and an understanding
has been achieved that a significant impairment and/or threat
to the AOC environment does not exist. The conclusion is that
the lower Oswego River and harbor area no longer warrant the AOC
designation.
The New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), U.S. EPA,
and other agencies will continue to use the existing suite of
environmental law and regulatory oversight to implement, monitor
and enforce programs that protect the environment in and around
the AOC. The presence of local area environmental groups, concerned
citizens, and the agencies' purview provides a vigilance that
assures beneficial uses will remain intact and that the riverine
system will not revert back to impaired status.
The Executive
Summary of the 81-page Stage 3 document for the Oswego River
Remedial Action Plan is available for viewing on the NYSDEC web
site. The report was designed specifically to focus on and address
the resolution of the 14 RAP BUI indicators in detail.
For further
information on the delisting of the Oswego River AOC, go to www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dow/oswdlist.html.
For an historical and complete narrative, view the U.S. EPA web
page for the Oswego River at www.epa.gov/glnpo/aoc/oswego.html.
Presque
Isle Bay Area of Concern - Area of Recovery Status
In December
2002, the Presque Isle Bay Area of Concern became the first U.S.
AOC to achieve the "Recovery" designation, at the request
of local citizens acting through the AOC’s Public Advisory
Committee (PAC). The Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) and the bay’s
PAC concluded, in April 2002, that the overall health of the brown
bullhead population had improved and that the best method for
remediating the bay’s sediment was to allow natural processes
to improve sediment quality. The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency concurred with this recommendation and Presque Isle Bay
was redesignated as the first Area of Concern in the "Recovery"
stage. This new designation means that all active remediation
to address the sources of environmental degradation is complete.
See the IJC congratulatory
letter acknowledging the "Recovery" status for Presque Isle
Bay.
For Presque Isle Bay, the "Recovery" stage designation
is considered a major first step toward eventual delisting. The
PADEP and the Presque Isle Bay PAC are committed to monitoring
to ensure progress continues toward meeting delisting targets
and are working on detailed monitoring plans for sediment, fish
and the watershed. They are also engaging experts on fish pathology,
sampling, and sediment contamination to assist with the development
of delisting targets. Pennsylvania
Sea Grant was awarded several grants from U.S. EPA to establish
a Fish Tumors Task Force and hold two workshops on developing
standardized criteria for the assessment of fish tumor rates in
Areas of Concern.
The
processes being created to determine when restoration of the fish
tumor impairment is complete will help other AOCs in developing
their own delisting targets. One of the grants (from U.S.
EPA-GLNPO) is to develop histology and field guides to assist
all affected AOCs in conducting fish tumor studies using the same
protocols. For further information, visit:
http://www.pserie.psu.edu/seagrant/communication/communication.html,
scroll down to "Conference Proceedings" and select the
"Fish Tumors Conference" links.
Black
River Area of Concern - Fish Tumors and Other Deformities Beneficial
Use Impairment (BUI) Redesignation
In April
2004, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-Great Lakes
National Program Office approved a requested change in status
of the "Fish Tumors and Other Deformities" BUI in the
Black River AOC from being impaired to that of being in a "Recovery"
stage. See the U.S.
EPA-GLNPO letter of acceptance regarding the proposed
change in status of this impairment.
In its
Application
for Change in Status for the Fish Tumors and Other Deformities
Beneficial Use Impairment, the Black River RAP Coordinating
Committee determined that sufficient progress in the Fish Tumor
or Other Deformities BUI has been documented and that no additional
remedial action steps are necessary.
While no
formal delisting targets for this impairment have been set, either
by the U.S EPA or the International Joint Commission, the Coordinating
Committee has been utilizing the draft Delisting Guidelines for
Ohio Areas of Concern for guidance. The assessment process used
by the Black River Coordinating Committee may be able to provide
a case study for other areas of concern with similar problems.
This re-designation is an important first step in demonstrating
the improvements to the Black River Area of Concern.
Canada
Collingwood
Harbour - Delisted Area of Concern
This former
Canadian AOC is situated on the south shore of Nottawasaga Bay,
which constitutes the southern extension of Lake Huron's Georgian
Bay. Collingwood
Harbour was the first Area of Concern to be delisted.
In 1994, the governments of Canada and Ontario agreed that impaired
beneficial uses had been restored in accordance with the Great
Lakes Water Quality Agreement, and the two governments removed
Collingwood Harbour from the list of Areas of Concern. Monitoring
work in Collingwood Harbour continues to ensure that restored
ecosystem health of the area remains protected for future generations.
See the IJC
congratulatory letter acknowledging the "Delisted"
status of Collingwood Harbour.
Severn
Sound - Delisted Area of Concern
This former
Canadian AOC is located in southeastern Georgian Bay, which lies
in the northeastern portion of Lake Huron. The governments of
Canada and Ontario officially removed Severn
Sound from the list of Areas of Concern in January,
2003. Severn Sound was only the second Great Lakes Areas of Concern
(AOC) to be delisted out of the 43 AOCs originally identified
in 1987.
The Severn
Sound RAP Stage 3 Report describes the strategy implemented
to restore beneficial uses and meet locally defined goals in the
AOC. The report represents the conclusions of the RAP Team, the
Public Advisory Committee, the local municipalities, the public
at large, the Agencies’ Technical Review Team and ultimately,
the federal and provincial governments. The evidence presented
in the report provides the rationale to remove the designation
of “Area of Concern” from Severn Sound.
These letters
document the removal of Severn Sound from the list of Areas of
Concern, as defined by Annex 2 of the Canada-United States Great
Lakes Water Quality Agreement.
Monitoring in Areas of Concern
Monitoring
and Assessing Marsh Habitats in Great Lakes Areas of Concern:
Interim Summary Report of 2005 Project Activities
This report
documents activities and summary results of year one of this two-year
AOC wetland monitoring project, a project aimed to develop and
initiate a wetland monitoring strategy in AOCs where such work
is most needed. The project is based on the Marsh Monitoring Program
(MMP) protocol established by Bird Studies Canada and Environment
Canada in 1994 which utilizes "citizen scientists"
to provide information on marsh bird and selected amphibian populations,
and to contribute to our understanding of their habitat needs.
The MMP contributes to the conservation of wetlands and wetland
dependent wildlife in the Great Lakes region.
For each of the five AOCs where project activities
occurred during 2005, there are interim summary results and discussion
of MMP marsh bird/amphibian, macroinvertebrate community and physical
and chemical water quality data, data that were collected by both
volunteers and project staff. The purpose of this interim report
is simply to report the basic results of wetland monitoring activities
that occurred by both MMP volunteers and MMP field staff for amphibian,
bird, and macroinvertebrate biotic assemblages, and for abiotic
physical and chemical limnology of these wetlands. A more comprehensive
analysis and discussion of all selected AOCs over the two-year
project duration will be completed by January of 2007.
Other RAP Resources
Great
Lakes Water Quality Agreement
Canadian
Remedial Action Plans
International
Joint Commission - Annex 2 - RAP and LaMP Information
Sediment
Remediation Projects in Great Lakes Areas of Concern
U.S.
EPA Contaminated Sediments Program
Workshop Proceedings
U.S. Areas of Concern
Program Annual Meeting: Implementing Restoration Targets and Achieving On-The-Ground Results for the Great Lakes (October 2009, Milwaukee, WI)
The annual meeting for the U.S. Areas of Concern (AOC) program convened over 160 participants to review recent developments affecting the program; discuss approaches for implementing delisting targets; build capacity to implement on-the-ground restoration actions; identify opportunities to address AOC restoration priorities under President Obama’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative; improve linkages between the AOCs, Lakewide Management Plans (LaMPs) and other programs; and consider actions that will strengthen the regional U.S. AOC program. Agenda highlights included keynote remarks from Todd Ambs, Water Division Administrator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and breakout sessions on a number of topics important to the AOCs.
Building Capacity and Partnerships to Restore Michigan’s Great Lakes Areas of Concern Under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (August 2009, East Lansing, MI)
In his FY2010 budget, President Obama proposed $475 million for a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, with a substantial portion dedicated to cleaning up the Great Lakes Areas of Concern. The purpose of the workshop was to identify restoration priorities in Michigan’s 14 Areas of Concern and develop partnerships and other arrangements to prepare proposals and seek funding for key restoration projects. At the workshop, staff from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality reviewed restoration needs in Michigan’s Areas of Concern. Representatives from U.S. EPA and other federal agencies discussed funding opportunities under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Local leaders from Michigan’s Areas of Concern were also present to discuss restoration needs, network with project partners and consider next steps for preparing funding proposals.
Lake Erie Areas of Concern Summit (July 2006, Erie, PA)
This meeting convened participants from the 12 Lake Erie AOCs to network and enhance communication; review recent developments affecting the AOC program; identify opportunities to expedite progress on key AOC tasks; and improve linkages between the AOCs and the Lake Erie Lakewide Management Plan. The program provided an overview of AOC and lakewide management efforts on Lake Erie; a review of opportunities for Lake Erie’s AOCs to benefit from federal and state programs; and examples of how local RAP groups have developed the capacity needed to advance restoration efforts in their AOCs.
AOC
Summit III: Charting a Course to Delisting (February
2006 - Kalamazoo, MI)
This AOC
Summit convened federal, state and local Remedial Action Plan
participants to begin implementation of the Michigan Department
of Environmental Quality's (DEQ) new Guidance
for Delisting Michigan's Great Lakes Areas of Concern. The
delisting guidance identifies specific criteria that the State
of Michigan will use to determine when beneficial use impairments
(BUIs) in the AOCs have been restored. It also outlines the process
the state will use to track progress in restoring the BUIs and
ultimately support delisting of Michigan's AOCs. The purpose of
the AOC Summit was to formally present the guidance and begin
the process of applying it in Michigan's 14 AOCs.
Development
of Delisting Targets for Presque Isle Bay Area of Concern (May
2005 - Erie, PA)
This workshop
was convened to support the establishment of delisting targets
for the Presque Isle Bay Area of Concern (PIB AOC). The PIB AOC
Sediment Subcommittee and representatives of the national Science
Advisory Group on Sediment Quality Assessment met to:
•
Assess the status and trends of sediment quality conditions in
PIB AOC;
and,
• Identify delisting targets that can be used to determine
when sediment
quality conditions have improved sufficiently to
justify petitioning for
delisting of PIB as a Great Lakes AOC.
The delisting targets will also provide a basis for designing
a long-term monitoring program that will provide the data required
to assess trends in sediment quality conditions and to support
sediment management decisions in PIB.
Restoring
Fish and Wildlife in Great Lakes Areas of Concern: Establishing
a Pathway for Action (July 2004 - Monroe, MI)
This workshop
outlined a process for achieving restoration goals and delisting
fish and wildlife impairments in Michigan's Great Lakes Areas
of Concern. Workshop presentations assessed the status of restoration
efforts for fish and wildlife in the Areas of Concern and provided
a recommended “pathway” for establishing measurable targets for
fish and wildlife habitat, populations, and benthic communities.
Staying
on Target: A Regional Workshop for Establishing Restoration Targets
for Great Lakes Areas of Concern (June 2003 - Romulus, MI)
This workshop
advanced efforts to restore and delist Great Lakes Areas of Concern
by facilitating the development of measurable restoration targets
for beneficial use impairments in the AOCs. The workshop also
informed RAP participants about the role of restoration targets
in documenting progress toward, and ultimately achieving, AOC
delisting and identified tools for developing measurable goals
for beneficial uses.
The
Latest and Greatest for the Great Lakes: Innovations in Assessment,
Monitoring and Restoration of Beneficial Uses in Great Lakes Areas
of Concern (November 2002 - University Center, MI)
This workshop
reviewed federal and state programs for assessing, monitoring
and reporting on progress in restoring beneficial uses in the
Great Lakes Areas of Concern. The workshop included case studies
of the latest technologies and management approaches for restoring
environmental quality in the Great Lakes and a review of guidelines
for delisting the Areas of Concern. It also reviewed options for
setting quantifiable restoration goals for beneficial use impairments.
Funding Sources
Great
Lakes Legacy Act
The Legacy
Act, passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush
in 2002, authorizes $270 million in funding over five years to
remediate contaminated sediment in the AOCs. In its FY ‘04
Request for Projects under the Legacy Act, the U.S. EPA-Great
Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) listed as its highest priority
projects geared toward on-the-ground remediation of contaminated
sediments in an AOC. Remediation projects can include, but are
not limited to, remedial options such as dredging, capping, monitored
natural recovery, treatment technologies, or a combination of
remedial alternatives.
U.S.
EPA - Great Lakes National Program Office
The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes National Program
Office (GLNPO) requests proposals annually for projects furthering
protection and clean up of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Projects
generally address contaminated sediments, pollution prevention
and toxics reduction, habitat protection and restoration, invasive
species, strategic or emerging issues, and other Lakewide Management
Plan or Remedial Action Plan (LaMP/RAP) Priorities. GLNPO's request
for proposals (RFP) normally goes out in late winter or early
spring.
Army
Corps of Engineers Great Lakes Remedial Action Plan Program
This program, authorized in Section 401 of
the Water Resources Development Act of 1990, enables the Corps
to provide technical support in developing and implementing Remedial
Action Plans in Great Lakes Areas of Concern. The program is broad
and can be used to support a wide array of technical, planning
and engineering assistance to state and local governments and,
in some cases, nongovernmental entities. This can include support
for environmental monitoring, watershed planning, mapping and
surveys, computer modeling, evaluation and design of remedial
options, cost estimating, etc.
The
program can support new projects, or potentially expand the scope
of existing efforts. The Corps' assistance is not provided in
the form of a grant. Instead, the Corps provides the assistance
and the local sponsor provides 35 percent of the cost in non-federal
funds or through in-kind services. Funding under the program is
allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. The application
process begins with contact, by phone, email or letter, from a
state or local agency or non-profit group expressing interest
in the program and outlining a potential project. The Corps then
works with the prospective partner to outline a scope of work,
schedule, and budget and confirms the nonfederal cost-share. Once
the scope and cost sharing have been agreed upon, a support agreement
is signed by the sponsor and the Corps. The support provided by
the Corps is actually provided by private consulting firms, other
agencies, as well as Corps staff.
Program
Contacts:
Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota - Marty Kuhn, 313-226-2015,
martin.kuhn@usace.army.mil
Illinois, Indiana - Ajit Vaidya, 312-846-5564,
ajit.vaidya@usace.army.mil
New York,
Pennsylvania, Ohio - Anthony Friona, 716-879-4215,
anthony.m.friona@usace.army.mil
Great
Lakes Basin Program for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control
The purpose
of this program is to protect and improve water quality in the
Great Lakes by reducing soil erosion and controlling sedimentation
through financial incentives, information and education, and professional
assistance. Under its grant program, priority consideration may
be given to proposed projects that address soil erosion and sedimentation
problems in areas of special significance including: designated
Areas of Concern; Corps
of Engineers 516(e) sediment modeling watersheds,
areas with high delivery rates; watersheds where erosion and sedimentation
have been identified by local, state and/or federal agencies as
major sources of impairment or where a TMDL has been established;
or water bodies on a state's Section 303 (d) list under the Clean
Water Act. The Great Lakes Basin Program typically issues a request
for proposals (RFP) in late November or December.
GLIN
- Funding and Grant Sources in the Great Lakes Region
This Great
Lakes Information Network (GLIN) link streamlines the process
of searching for Great Lakes-related funding opportunities online.
The site offers a fully searchable database of well over 100 grant,
fellowship and scholarship sources that have relevance for the
Great Lakes audience. The database is updated weekly and enhanced
over time.
Great
Lakes Program Funding
This U.S.
EPA-GLNPO web page lists a variety of Great Lakes funding sources
and links.
Catalog
of Federal Funding Sources for Watershed Protection
This
site provides a searchable database of financial assistance sources
(grants, loans, cost-sharing) available to fund a variety of watershed
protection projects.
Grants.Gov
This site
allows organizations to electronically find and apply for competitive
grant opportunities from all federal grant-making agencies. Grants.gov
is THE single access point for over 900 grant programs offered
by the 26 federal grant-making agencies.
Federal
Grant Opportunities
This site provides a unified interface for agencies to announce
grant opportunities, and for grant applicants to find those opportunities.
It also includes a registration function to receive email updates
as new grant opportunities are added. U.S. EPA is currently posting
synopses of competitive grant opportunities at this site.
The
Foundation Center - Finding Funders
Search
more than 2,400 annotated links to grantmaker web sites. The links
are categorized by grantmaker type, and all annotations are searchable
(except Community Foundations, which are listed alphabetically
by state). You can also search by name for basic information about
the more than 70,000 private and community foundations in the
U.S.
Select
Foundation Funding Sources
Great
Lakes Protection Fund
Great
Lakes Fishery Trust
Great
Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network and Fund
Charles
Stewart Mott Foundation
Joyce
Foundation
W.K.
Kellogg Foundation
The
George Gund Foundation
Contacts and Further Information
For further
information regarding the U.S. Areas of Concern program, contact:
Matt Doss
Great Lakes
Commission
Eisenhower
Corporate Park
2805 South
Industrial Hwy., Suite 100
Ann Arbor,
MI 48104-6791
734-971-9135
Fax: 734-971-9150
mdoss@glc.org
Mark Elster
U.S. EPA
- Great Lakes National Program Office
77 W. Jackson
Blvd. (G-17J)
Chicago,
IL 60604
312-886-3857
Fax: 312-353-2018
elster.mark@epa.gov
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