IAGLR, with funding from the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, has been working on a 3-year project with the Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society and others to evaluate what has been achieved and learned through more than 30 years of developing and implementing remedial action plans (RAPs) to restore Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs).
All involved are keenly aware that cleanup of AOCs has been difficult and time consuming. These communities overcame challenges in defining the scope, size, and nature of the problem and in how to even begin the work of unburdening the waters from years of abuse and neglect. They faced costly and confounding choices in tackling the legacy of toxics buried in sediments: whether and how to proceed, at what cost, and where to find the resources. In different ways and through varied approaches, they came to appreciate the importance of engaging and empowering the community in driving the cleanup. In so doing, they animated impactful processes that empowered local residents as partners.
Pollution prevention and control of contaminants at their source were priorities for all AOCs. These communities also came to incorporate in their work the restoration of habitat for fish and wildlife, resulting in a powerful and satisfying restoration of the life in and around the lakes that was such an integral part of their historic beauty and gift to human denizens. By cleaning, reclaiming, and reconnecting local communities to the waters, these communities have also catalyzed local economic development and community rebirth to the tune of hundreds of millions, even billions, of dollars of economic benefits and countless new jobs for local residents. They have also rebuilt the emotional connection—the “love of the lakes”—that is such a defining attribute for those lucky enough to live in their vicinity.
This project clearly shows the value and benefit of Great Lakes research that was the foundation of these cleanup efforts and the importance of strengthening science-policy-management linkages as part of efforts to accelerate the sustainability transition. Four examples of scientific advancements in AOCs are presented below.
Prior to the onset of RAPs in 1985, there were no comprehensive programs in Canada and the United States to assess biological impacts of contaminated sediment, estimate risk, and apply evidence-based decision making. Governments, research scientists, and RAP groups had to figure out how to make decisions on the severity and geographic extent of sediment contamination, on whether or not to remediate, on what techniques to use, and how to get the money for contaminated sediment remediation, if necessary. In many respects, both the Canadian and U.S. contaminated sediment assessment and remediation programs came out of the RAP program.
A second example of a scientific achievement in AOCs is quantifying habitat loss and degradation and establishing priorities for habitat rehabilitation and enhancement. Prior to the onset of RAPs, it was often said that “habitat had no home.” Responsibility for habitat was fragmented among many stakeholders. RAPs made habitat a priority and challenged management agencies to address it explicitly. Restoration of fish and wildlife habitat had to be addressed in a systematic and comprehensive fashion, which was particularly challenging in urban AOCs. In many cases, RAPs helped make sure that habitat was an integral part of community master plans. Early involvement of habitat scientists in project planning and partnerships was essential to habitat project success.
A third example is quantifying the relative contribution of toxic substances from all sources in order to set management priorities. Mass balance frameworks were successfully used to quantify loadings of priority contaminants, establish baseline conditions to gauge future progress, predict benefits associated with loading reductions, and better understand ecosystem dynamics.
The final example is establishing clean up guidelines that are specific, relevant, measurable, feasible, and achievable. RAPs were a pioneer in quantifying “how clean is clean,” identifying ecosystem recovery targets, and working in and through RAP institutional structures to ensure relevancy, feasibility, and achievability.
For more information about this project visit iaglr.org/aoc/.
Project Timeline
May ’17 - Restoring Great Lakes Areas of Concern symposium at IAGLR’s Conference on Great Lakes Research
2018 - Selected papers from symposium published in special issue of Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management
Aug ’19 - Great Lakes Revival published featuring 10 case studies that highlight the value and benefits of science-based cleanup of polluted areas of the Great Lakes
2020 - Monograph to be published as part of the Ecovision World Monograph Series
2020 - Review article in Journal of Great Lakes Research planned
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