< About this document > Title: Michigan Areas of Concern NEWS - Volume VIII, Fall 1995 Description: Biannual newsletter of the Michigan Statewide Public Advisory Council (SPAC). Provides general information on the RAP process in each AOC, the SPAC's grant program and the SPAC Annual Citizens' Conference, and updates on Michigan's 14 AOCs. Date: Fall, 1995 Author: Matt Doss (editor) Agency: Great Lakes Commission Keyword: RAPS, Areas of Concern Contact: Matt Doss (mdoss@glc.org) Great Lakes Commission 400 Fourth St., Argus II Building Ann Arbor, MI 48103-4816 Phone: 313-665-9135, Fax: 313-665-4370 MICHIGAN AREAS OF CONCERN NEWS Newsletter of the Statewide Public Advisory Council for the Michigan Areas of Concern Program, Volume VIII, Fall 1995 < Funding cuts hit Michigan AOC Program > Cuts in funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) will severely affect Michigan's AOC Program. Diana Klemans, chief of the Remedial Action Unit at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), presented the bleak news at the SPAC's July 20 quarterly meeting. Funding from the USEPA, which provides 95 percent of the state's base AOC Program funding, will be significantly reduced in Fiscal Year (FY) 1996 due to federal budget cuts and fewer dollars available to carry forward from past fiscal years. In addition, the AOC Program will share funding with the Lakewide Management Program (LaMP), which is currently funded by a separate grant. MDNR will have approximately $1 million for the two programs in FY 1996. This compares to the $1.3 million and $320,000 available for the AOC and LaMP programs, respectively, in FY 1995. While the exact impact of the funding cuts is still being determined, they undoubtedly will affect MDNR's ability to maintain support for the RAPs at its current level. Staff devoted to the AOC Program are expected to decline from the current 13 full-time employees to 9 in FY 1996. Combining staff from the AOC and LaMP programs may lessen this impact somewhat, but RAP coordinators' and other staff's time inevitably will be spread more thinly among the state's 14 AOCs. Funding to support local RAP activities and the SPAC is also expected to be affected, but the exact impact could not be determined at the July SPAC meeting (see the related article on SPAC funding priorities on this page). Declining federal support for the AOC Program highlights the importance of state and local support for the RAPs. Klemans explained that a wide variety of grant programs exist from which local units of government and nonprofit agencies can seek funding for RAP efforts. These funding opportunities are generally not available to state agencies. She and the RAP coordinators feel that leadership at the local level will be critical to moving the RAPs forward in the future. The SPAC plans to explore ways to enhance awareness of and access to these potential funding sources among the Michigan RAP community. The SPAC anticipates reviewing the final FY 1996 funding situation at its October meeting. Working with the SPAC, MDNR is committed to using the limited dollars available in the most effective manner possible to move the RAPs forward. In conclusion, it is important to note that Michigan is not the only state in which AOC program funding is being cut back. By way of comparison, the following are some highlights from other state and provincial AOC programs: * Wisconsin plans to focus all its funding on the Green Bay and Milwaukee RAPs. * Minnesota is reducing staffing for the St. Louis River RAP by half. * Environment Canada's budget will be reduced by 27 percent over the next three years. < Citizens' Conference emphasizes local initiative for RAPs > If Public Advisory Councils (PACs) didn't exist, we would have to invent them, particularly as local communities take on a larger role in addressing environmental problems. This theme--empowering citizens to set the environmental agenda--recurred throughout the fifth annual Michigan Citizens' Conference on the Great Lakes Areas of Concern Program. Sponsored by the Statewide Public Advisory Council (SPAC) and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), the conference attracted more than 100 citizens, elected officials, agency staff, and Remedial Action Plan (RAP) participants to a day-long series of discussions and training workshops on May 17 at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing. With declining federal support for environmental programs, the SPAC focused the citizens' conference on building initiative at the local level to ensure a healthy future for the Areas of Concern (AOC) Program. SPAC members discussed their activities and their plans for the future, as well as how PACs can work with various stakeholder groups in their community to move RAPs forward. Training workshops taught participants how to work with the media to reach stakeholders; how to use the Great Lakes Information Network to gather information on environmental issues; and how to incorporate public health concerns into the RAP process. The conference's two keynote speakers stressed that the shift away from federal control of environmental programs will heighten the role played by states and local communities. Tracy Mehan, director of MDNR's Office of the Great Lakes, encouraged the SPAC to focus on the unique contribution it can make to supporting the AOC Program. "Success is going to require a narrowing of focus to find the value-added dimension," Mehan noted, adding that "if value is lacking, we need to create it. No individual RAP, PAC, or AOC can escape this." Mehan suggested that government be viewed as one resource among many and reminded the audience that "the resources we need must be found by ourselves, they won't be given to us." Chris Grundler, director of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Great Lakes National Program Office, echoed Mehan's comments. Responding to the shift to greater local control, Grundler explained that the EPA is adopting a new strategy titled "community-based environmental protection." By changing the unit of work from "program implementation" to "community protection," Grundler emphasized that the new strategy would "return a sense of control over the place where they live to the people who live there." The strategy builds upon the expanded capacity of state and local governments and the public's increased knowledge and involvement in environmental programs. Grundler encouraged the SPAC to make sure that RAPs set the agenda of state and local agencies in a way that creates positive change and an improved quality of life. "The barriers are not technical or even financial," Grundler said, "they are institutional. And institutional barriers can be overcome by leadership." The training workshops offered at the conference fit well with the call for greater local control. The media workshop taught participants what newspapers and TV and radio consider newsworthy and how to work with reporters and editors to get coverage of RAP activities. Panelists Jeff Alexander of the Muskegon Chronicle, Tim Skubick of WKAR Public TV, and Rick Jameson, press secretary for Michigan United Conservation Clubs, discussed what makes them interested in a story and what RAP participants should do to get exposure in the media. The second workshop, Public Health Concerns and the AOC Program, showed how two beneficial use impairments common to Michigan's AOCs are being addressed as public health issues. John Hesse of the Michigan Department of Public Health discussed the process for issuing fish consumption advisories. Thomas Hoogerhyde, also of the Department of Public Health, spoke on beach closings and threats to public health from body contact with polluted water. Finally, Tanya Cabala, SPAC member and Michigan director of the Lake Michigan Federation, provided an overview of how her organization's community health project is addressing health concerns potentially related to pollution in the White Lake and Muskegon Lake AOCs. The final workshop involved a hands-on demonstration of the Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN), a system for obtaining and distributing Great Lakes information on the Internet and other online computer systems. Working at computers hooked up to the Internet and using workbooks tailored to the Great Lakes AOCs, participants learned how to use GLIN to retrieve data and information related to the RAPs and other environmental programs. (Additional copies of the GLIN workbooks are available upon request. For details, see the article on page five, Workbooks available for self-guided tour of Great Lakes Information Network.) Taken together, the workshops offered the type of skills and knowledge that residents need to energize their RAPs and move the environmental cleanup process forward in their communities. The last conference session, RAP Up; An Agenda for the Future, was an interactive discussion among the audience and a panel of SPAC members on the SPAC's plans for the future. The SPAC's draft Long-Term Strategic Plan was presented and the audience was asked for input and advice. This lively discussion produced a number of useful suggestions that the SPAC will incorporate in to its strategic planning effort. The conference participants went away with a renewed awareness of how they can cooperate with other committed citizens to move the RAPs forward and bring about the environmental improvements that are the ultimate goal of the AOC Program. As states and communities take on greater leadership in environmental programs, the SPAC will continue to foster empowerment at the local level as the key to a successful AOC Program. A proceedings document will be prepared and distributed to conference attendees. If you did not attend the conference but would like a copy of the proceedings document, contact Lori Reynolds at the Great Lakes Commission (phone: 313-665-9135; e-mail: lreynold@glc.org). < Chair's Report, By Nancy Douglas > Seeking adequate funding for Michigan's AOC Program has been a prominent concern for the Statewide Public Advisory Council (SPAC) since it was founded in 1991. As the other articles in this newsletter make clear, the program now faces a funding crisis of unprecedented proportions. With federal support declining by half, moving the RAPs forward at a reasonable pace will be difficult, not to mention the costly remediation projects that may be necessary in many of the AOCs. Now, more than ever, is the time for the state and local communities to step up to the plate and show their support for this important program. The trend toward greater local control over environmental programs such as the RAPs is clear; what this will mean is less clear. Will the state kick in more money for the AOC Program to help compensate for federal cutbacks? Will local municipalities be called upon to help fund the RAPs? Everyone says they support a clean and healthy environment; now is the time to turn words into action. This won't happen unless we make it happen, however, and this is the challenge facing Michigan's RAP community. This point was made by the two keynote speakers at this year's citizens' conference, Chris Grundler, director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes National Program Office, and Tracy Mehan, director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resource's Office of the Great Lakes. We must ensure that RAPs set the agenda of state and local agencies, Grundler said, adding that "the barriers are not technical or even financial, they are institutional. And institutional barriers can be overcome by leadership." Mehan was more blunt, stating simply that "the resources we need must be found by ourselves, they won't be given to us." These are good words to remember. For my part, as SPAC chair, I testified before MDNR's Natural Resources Commission (NRC) at the public hearings held this July in my home town of Menominee. I reviewed the history of the RAP program, emphasizing what we "RAP insiders" already know: "It is a good process." I also explained how federal funding cuts will affect the AOC Program, including reductions in staff, local public participation activities, water quality and habitat improvement projects, and nonpoint source pollution control projects. My main point was to plead for greater allocation of state dollars for the RAPs. After noting that the RAPs "bring together those folks, locally, statewide, and federally who can make a difference in the ecosystem health of the Great Lakes," I stated that "we are ready at the statewide level and in local communities to continue our efforts." What is needed, and what I tried to communicate most forcefully, is "direction from this Commission to staff regarding a higher priority for this program." Of course, this "direction" is needed not only from the NRC, but from elected officials and policy makers at all levels, from the governor down to planning and zoning officials, drain commissioners, and others working at the local level. Over the next year the SPAC will be working to raise the priority of the AOC Program within the State of Michigan. We will examine alternative arrangements for raising revenue for the program, as well as the simple, but important, question of increasing the state's contribution to the RAPs. We can't do this alone, however. The entire RAP community, working at all levels, must ensure that the RAPs "set the agenda." We have a good program and an important process in motion. And with 14 AOCs spread across the state, we also have a potent community of interests behind the RAPs. Now is the time to mobilize this community and show the leadership needed to maintain momentum toward the clean and healthy environment that is our ultimate goal. < Governor Creates Department of Environmental Quality > From the Office of the Great Lakes Activity Report The Michigan AOC Program, as of Oct. 1, 1995, will fall under the new Department of Environmental Quality. An executive order, signed by Governor John Engler, creates the Department of Environmental Quality, giving it cabinet status, and consolidates environmental protection and regulatory functions (from the DNR) in the new department to provide a more coordinated process. The new department will also address permits on a more comprehensive watershed basis. Russ Harding, currently the DNR's deputy director for Environmental Protection, will be named the new department's director. Rollie Harmes will remain director of the DNR. < Guest Feature By Don Estebo: Partnerships > --This space is reserved for guest articles from elected officials, agency representatives, citizens, and others with a special interest in the AOC Program or the environment of the Great Lakes. The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the SPAC, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or the Great Lakes Commission.-- Partnerships among business, community, and PACs critical to successful RAPs By Don Estebo, Human Resources, Great Lakes Pulp & Fibre As the eight story building that will soon be Great Lakes Pulp & Fibre (GLP&F) is going up on the Menominee River, there is a lesson to be learned for anyone who is working on a project where environmental issues are involved. GLP&F is a $220 million dollar development. The 150,000 square foot mixed office waste pulp mill is being built on 40 acres on the Menominee River. It is expected to be completed by mid-1996 and will create nearly 100 new jobs. The facility is designed to be the world's most technologically advanced and cost effective recycled pulp mill, capable of handling 750 tons of mixed office waste a day. The process will dry the pulp, which will then be baled for shipment similar to virgin pulp. The deinking process uses three bleaching stages, none of which use chlorine. The site was chosen for its central location to both U.S. and Canadian mills and its international seaport dock capabilities. It is just north of the mouth of the Menominee River and has historically served as a location for heavy industry. Over the last 25 years it was largely an abandoned scrap yard. This lower reach of the Menominee River is one of the 42 Areas of Concern identified in the Great Lakes Basin as not meeting the water quality objectives of the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. A Remedial Action Plan (RAP) to identify actions to restore the area has been developed by the local Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). Great Lakes Pulp & Fibre took nearly five years to go from conception to ground-breaking and along the way required us to work very closely with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in both Michigan and Wisconsin and with the CAC for the Menominee River RAP. The good news is that our involvement with the CAC actually helped facilitate the development of an environmentally sound investment that will pay huge dividends to this community. Our early and frequent involvement with the CAC was due to one of its members, Nancy Douglas, who also serves as the President of the Menominee Chamber of Commerce. In that role, she acted as liaison between Great Lakes Pulp & Fibre and the Michigan Department of Commerce and the Michigan DNR. It was Douglas who made sure that we addressed the CAC and its concerns very early in our planning process. GLP&F representatives attended a number of RAP meetings as we developed our proposal and plans to learn of their concerns and hear their suggestions. The key to these lines of communication was Douglas' dual role as RAP-CAC Chair and Chamber President. It demonstrated the importance for the CACs to involve business and community leaders as part of their membership. The project planning proceeded and as environmental issues arose, the CAC and the plan they had developed helped provide us with a road map for proceeding. These issues included: Site Cleanup: The site contained a number of lime piles that were left by long-abandoned industries on the site. These piles are now encapsulated on site which will prevent any future runoff into the river. Some minor soil remediation was also done. DNR Permits: We were able to discuss and influence the parameters of the permits by working with the CAC and with both Michigan and Wisconsin DNR representatives. Site Landscaping: Information in the RAP plan helped us consider what we could do to protect the river as we developed our landscaping design. Establishing a Mitigation Project: The building site contained a lagoon that needed to be filled in before construction began. The DNR granted permission for us to fill in the lagoon as long as we agreed to a mitigation project in the Area of Concern. Working with the CAC and MI DNR, we realized that one of the identified goals of the RAP was to restore the degraded fishery habitat on the Menominee River. We subsequently agreed to establish a spawning area for Northern Pike. We are currently working with the Michigan DNR which is overseeing this mitigation project, which is being done entirely at our company's expense. It is the first such project under the Menominee River RAP. In keeping with the company's commitment to sound environmental practices, we will build a secondary treatment plant on our site, which will further protect the river. In addition, we are developing and will maintain our own landfill on an upland site. To summarize, we see that part of the key to our success working in an environmentally sensitive area lay in: 1) Broad-based community and business representation on the CAC; 2) An understanding and acknowledgment of the Remedial Action Plan; 3) A corporate commitment to consider the RAP in our planning processes. The Menominee River, Green Bay, and Lake Michigan are major natural resources, and GLP&F has pledged and will ensure that this is an environmentally sustainable development that will in fact enhance the quality of life in our local area. < SPAC funding prioritie: statewide activities/public awareness > Confronting funding cutbacks from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and at the request of MDNR, the Statewide Public Advisory Council (SPAC) for Michigan's Areas of Concern (AOC) Program identified priorities for its Fiscal Year 1996 program at its July quarterly meeting in East Lansing, MI (for more details, see related article). With an extremely reduced budget, the SPAC had to make difficult choices among the many projects and proposals developed over the past year to promote Michigan's AOC Program. The SPAC's priorities for the coming year reflect its two major goals of increasing public awareness of and support for the AOC Program and building initiative at the local level to move the RAPs forward. The SPAC decided to emphasize statewide efforts, including its newsletter and public involvement demonstration grant program; grants for community-based activities, including Public Advisory Councils and local implementation and outreach projects; and educational efforts, such as written materials, workshops, and efforts to increase public participation in the RAP process. The SPAC also recommended that MDNR make available $5,000 per AOC for implementation of high priority RAP activities at the local level. MDNR will try to emphasize these priorities with the limited funding available. Two projects that the SPAC is moving ahead with immediately are a brochure providing background on the state's AOC Program and radio public service announcements (PSAs) to raise public awareness of the program. The brochure will be available for residents, agency staff, community leaders, elected officials, and others interested in the program. By providing a general overview of the Michigan AOC Program, it will complement material that focuses on specific AOCs. The SPAC hopes that RAP participants will use the brochure in community organizing, communicating with elected officials, and other efforts to bolster support for the RAPs. SPAC members also plan to distribute PSAs to radio stations in their communities to reach out to a broad segment of the public. The key message will be that the RAP process is working to improve environmental quality and restore important beneficial uses in the AOCs and that residents should become involved. The brochure and PSAs are elements of a broader Statewide Public Awareness Campaign developed by the SPAC this year. The campaign focuses on efforts to raise awareness among key audiences statewide, with the goal being to bolster their involvement in and support for the AOC Program. With the exception of the brochure and PSAs, funding limitations prevented the SPAC from pursuing the campaign's other components, which will be pursued if money becomes available. The SPAC encourages local PACs and other community groups to implement public awareness projects within their AOC. If you would like copies of the AOC Program brochure to use as part of RAP outreach efforts, or a copy of the SPAC's Statewide Public Awareness Campaign, please contact the Michigan Department of Natural Resources at (517) 335-6970. < Free Guidebooks available for self-guided tour of GLIN > One of the most popular workshops at this year's SPAC citizens' conference was the training offered on the Internet-based Great Lakes Information Network, or GLIN. One purpose of GLIN is to disseminate information on the Great Lakes for use by policy makers, community activists, teachers, students, and others interested in learning more about this vast natural resource. Like the Great Lakes themselves, GLIN continues to evolve. New material is added and new links are provided to the ever-growing community of organizations, agencies, and institutions that make up the Great Lakes community. Staff at the Great Lakes Commission in Ann Arbor, which developed and manages GLIN, redesigned the network in August 1995 to improve its organization and make it easier to use. GLIN has a new home page, which provides different pathways into the information online. One view, for example, focuses on places in the Great Lakes region, providing a link for all information available online about the Great Lakes, or a city, or Area of Concern. You can easily reach all the sites listed above from GLIN's regional index. Free guidebooks are available for those interested in learning more about what GLIN has to offer and how it can be used to access information on Great Lakes issues. The guidebooks were a big hit at the citizens' conference, and they've been revised to reflect the changes made recently to GLIN. Whether you're new to GLIN and the Internet, or simply want an overview of GLIN's new format, make sure you get a copy of the new guidebook so you can make the most out of this valuable information resource. To order a copy of the guidebook, contact Lori Reynolds at the Great Lakes Commission at (313) 665-9135 or send an e-mail to lreynold@glc.org. < Some Interesting Great Lakes Internet Sites from GLIN > GLIN home page: http://www.great-lakes.net:2200/glinhome.html Guide to the Saginaw Bay National Watershed Initiative: http://epaserver.ciesin.org/glreis/nonpo/nprog/sag_bay/ sagbay.html Statewide Public Advisory Council home page: http://www.great-lakes.net:2200/partners/GLC/projects/mspac/ spachome.html NOAA Great Lakes CoastWatch Program: http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/cw/cw.html Map of Great Lakes Areas of Concern: http://www.cciw.ca/glimr/topic-browse/graphic-mode/water-quality/ areas-concern/intro.html Groundwater projects in the Great Lakes Basin: http://www.great-lakes.net:2200/envt/water/hydro/ground/ ground.html Great Lakes Program - State University of New York: http://ncgia.geog.buffalo.edu/GLP/GLPhome.html < Water Watcher trainees head to the water > Thanks to a grant from the Statewide Public Advisory Council for the Michigan Areas of Concern Program, the Partnership for the Saginaw Bay Watershed (formerly Saginaw Bay Watershed Council) was able to continue its successful series of Water Watcher training sessions earlier this year. Developed in 1992, the Water Watcher project seeks to involve citizens from a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines in the ongoing effort to improve, protect and restore the Saginaw River/Bay Area of Concern. The 1995 Water Watcher training sessions consisted of an intense ten-hour training on a variety of water quality topics including chemical and biological water testing, wetland studies and delineation, wastewater treatment, and general watershed ecology. Participants listened to a variety of experts speak on different water quality topics, designed and constructed their own water quality testing equipment, and received an information packet filled with posters, guide books and other brochures. Sessions also included a canoe trip, hosted by representatives of state and local water quality agencies, down one of the streams that feeds into the Area of Concern. One of the most unique features of Water Watchers is the fact that each training session is different; each concentrates on those particular water quality problems that are facing that immediate area. Like previous Water Watcher sessions, the main goal of this program was to inform participants about the importance of good water quality in the hope that they would take this information and pass it on to someone else. Each participant was asked to commit to twenty hours of volunteer time relating to water quality improvement, which could range from stream cleanups and water testing on their own, to educating a neighbor, a relative or a whole classroom of students. Like its predecessors, the sessions held under SPAC funding were well received by the many participants who attended them. < Overview of the Assessment and Remediation of Contaminated Sediments Program > Contaminated sediments at the bottom of rivers, lakes, and bays are a major cause of environmental damage in the Great Lakes AOCs. In fact, all but one of the AOCs are dealing with contaminated sediments. Recognizing the importance of this subject to Michigan's AOCs, the SPAC invited Steve Garbaciak of the USEPA's Great Lakes National Program Office to discuss the agency's Assessment and Remediation of Contaminated Sediments_or ARCS_Program at its April 20, 1995 meeting. The following is a summary of his presentation. Scientists began noticing the environmental problems caused by contaminated sediments in the early 1980s. One clue was the increase in concentrations of DDT and PCBs in fish tissue, long after use of these toxic chemicals was restricted or banned. Beginning with bottom dwelling organisms, contaminants from sediments are magnified as they move up the food chain, leading to fish consumption advisories and birth defects and low reproduction rates among fish-eating birds. While contaminated sediments were recognized as a serious problem, no one knew exactly what to do about them. In response, Congress directed the USEPA in 1987 to conduct a study and demonstration program on the best ways to assess and clean up contaminated sediments. At the same time, revisions to the U.S.-Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement called upon the USEPA to work with its counterpart, Environment Canada, to establish compatible methods for managing contaminated sediments and the cleanup technologies available to address them. The ARCS Program was launched in 1987 by USEPA's Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) in Chicago. The specific aims of the program were to: measure concentrations of contaminants at priority sites on the Great Lakes; determine ways of gauging the effects of these concentrations on aquatic life; recommend ways to measure risks to wildlife and to human health posed by the contaminants; and test technologies that might be used to clean up the sediments. As part of the program, five AOCs were selected for demonstration projects: Saginaw Bay, MI; Sheboygan Harbor, WI; Grand Calumet River, IN; Ashtabula River, OH; and Buffalo River, NY. Through its work at these five sites, the ARCS Program developed techniques and approaches that environmental managers throughout the Great Lakes can use to make cost effective, environmentally sound decisions about contaminated sediments. Each site provided a demonstration of a different type of cleanup technology. One of the program's priorities was to ensure that procedures developed and demonstrated be scientifically sound and technologically and economically practical. Three technical work groups were formed to meet the goals of the program. The Toxicity/Chemistry Work Group assessed the current nature and extent of contaminated sediment problems by studying the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of contaminated sediments and the plants and animals that live around them. The work group also demonstrated cost effective assessment techniques that could be used in the AOCs. The Risk Assessment/Modeling Work Group assessed current and future hazards presented by contaminated sediments to the environment under the "no action" and other cleanup alternatives. It developed a ranking scheme for making comparisons among different sites. The Engineering/Technology Work Group evaluated and tested available cleanup and other technologies for contaminated sediments, selected promising technologies for further testing, and demonstrated many of these technologies in the field. A fourth work group communicated the results of the ARCS Program to the public and facilitated feedback from the public on needs, expectations, and perceived problems related to contaminated sediments that required the attention of the ARCS staff. The ARCS Program produced a vast amount of valuable information on the potential effects of contaminated sediments, methods for assessing their extent and impacts, and the pros and cons of various alternatives for treating or removing contaminated sediments. The program's results are summarized in numerous reports, some of which are specific to the five AOCs used as demonstration sites. For a complete list of ARCS documents, or for further information on the program, call the USEPA hotline at 1-800-621-8431 or write to the Great Lakes National Program Office, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604. AOC UPDATES < Clinton River, By Bill Smith > The Clinton River RAP PAC work groups have finished their review of our biennial report, the Clinton River Watershed Remedial and Preventive Action Plan 1995 Update, to be released early this fall. This is the first detailed and complete review of AOC impairments since the initial 1988 RAP, which did not reflect the changes mandated by the 1987 protocol to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. One of the PAC's actions was to expand the AOC from the Lower Clinton River to the whole Clinton River Watershed. This change represents a major milestone in the Clinton River AOC RAP process. The Update will be a working plan, which can be changed as necessary. The plan conforms to the RAP streamlining process formulated in MDNR's Strategies to Improve Michigan's RAP Process. The RAP process involves some 56 municipalities, four counties, and almost 1,000 state and federal agencies, departments and their subdivisions, all of which have some statutory, regulatory, or service responsibility for actions that affect RAP outcomes. These various levels of government work cooperatively, utilizing personnel, funding, and other agency assets as they are available. Our particular AOC's pollution problems are complex and no quick fixes are available. In fact, the scope of our pollution problems are not yet fully known. New surveys of septic system failures and well water contamination indicate that these are serious problems, as are the introduction and impact of exotic species of fish, mussels, and aquatic plants. The full impact of accelerated urbanization in the watershed, now and in the future, is unknown. Some effects of urbanization are now becoming evident, such as beach closings in the lakes along the upper reaches of the Clinton River and in Lake St. Clair around the mouths of both the Clinton River and the Clinton River Spillway. Our capability to monitor and survey these developing pollution problems is just coming on line and will be updated in our working plan. The RAP process for the 1995 Update has been both a learning and coordinating experience. As a result of the process, three primary channels of action affecting RAP outcomes have evolved: 1) The RAP PAC, which advises MDNR on RAP actions and assists in technical planning and formulating the RAP; 2) The Clinton River Watershed Council, which involves and educates the public, advises and assists local governments, and generally represents the interests of the river and its public and businesses; and 3) Oakland University, which involves academe, research science, and computer information and data management systems. These three organizations are jointly and individually providing the leading channels for RAP involvement within the Clinton River AOC. < Deer Lake, By Jim Russell-Parks > There have been no new developments in the Deer Lake AOC since publication of the last newsletter. For a review of the status of the Deer Lake RAP, see the spring issue of the Michigan Areas of Concern NEWS. < Detroit River, By Mary Ginnebaugh > The path toward completing the draft Biennial Report for the Detroit River RAP has taken several turns since early spring. As a result, the projected date for the final report has been pushed to early 1996. At the June Binational Public Advisory Council (BPAC) meeting several BPAC members took issue with the format and content of the draft report. Although the draft contains many recommendations that will work toward remediating the river, members were concerned over whether some of the recommendations would specifically address the river's impaired uses. Many BPAC members felt that the recommendations were not complete enough to develop into a coordinated strategy. As a result, various technical work groups met to address these concerns. Both the Habitat and Point Source/Non-Point Source Technical work groups met to add detail to their recommendations. Because the issue of environmental justice in economically poor, urban areas has gained considerable attention through the USEPA, the BPAC members felt it appropriate to include an Environmental Justice chapter in the Detroit River RAP Biennial Report. Although work has begun on this chapter, BPAC members raised concern about the context in which the Environmental Justice Work Group was formed and organized, the contents of the chapter to date, and the chapter's relevance to the Detroit River RAP recommendations. The Environmental Justice Work Group is seeking members with expertise in this area to help define the scope and role of environmental justice in the Detroit River RAP. The next BPAC meeting has been tentatively scheduled for the week of Nov. 10th with the intent of reviewing the draft report for final comments. < Kalamazoo River, By Mary Powers > Public health concerns and limited funding to address them continue to be the major concern of the Kalamazoo River AOC. Over 300,000 pounds of PCBs are estimated to be present in sediments in the Kalamazoo River, leading to fish consumption advisories for most species of fish in the river. Despite this situation, and after 18 years of fish consumption advisories, problems on the Kalamazoo River still have not been clearly defined. The Kalamazoo River Public Advisory Council (K-PAC) is implementing a major signage project along the river. Large signs are being placed at 15 access points to alert anglers to the fish consumption advisories in place. The signs provide general information on the advisories and the public health concerns related to the consumption of fish caught in the river. One side of the signs contains information on the species of fish covered by the advisories, along with a photograph of the fish to facilitate their identification by anglers. The other side of the signs provides information on the best way to cook and prepare the fish to minimize potential health effects. The K-PAC continues to be active in efforts to increase support for the RAP. The PAC has written to the Kalamazoo and Allegan county boards of commissioners asking for their support, and several PAC members are attending the International Joint Commission (IJC) meeting in Duluth, MN, to show local backing for the RAP process. Recently, the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners donated $10,000 to be used in 1996 as matching grant funding. The PAC is sending letters to the other 17 units of government on the river apprising them of this funding and asking for their financial and political support. Finally, K-PAC chair, Robert G. Beck, wrote to the IJC commissioners expressing concern over the lack of state support for the RAP process and encouraging the IJC to continue its efforts to protect the health of humans and wildlife by reducing exposure to persistent toxic chemicals. The letter noted that "creating standards addressing acceptable levels of toxicity in sediment is an immediate need throughout the Great Lakes basin." Beck concluded by stating that "the problems of toxic materials released into the air and water and onto the land cannot be legislated away or ignored. Toxins must be addressed though systematic investigation and remediation for the benefit of all citizens of the Great Lakes Watershed. Our hope is that the IJC will continue to spearhead this effort." < Manistique River, By Leif Christensen > There are exciting developments in the Manistique River and Harbor Area of Concern. Remediation of PCB contaminated sediments is slated to begin in early September, with completion scheduled in 1996. Remediation of contaminated sediments will be a landmark success for the Superfund Program as well as for the AOC Program. Once the sediments are remediated, Manistique River has the potential to be the first U.S. Great Lakes AOC to achieve delisting. Manistique Papers and Edison Sault Electric have reached tentative agreement with USEPA to remediate approximately 17 acres of sediments by installing an engineered armored cap. The cap will provide effective chemical and biological isolation of the sediments. Long-term monitoring, consisting of surface water quality sampling, core sampling of the cap, sampling of benthic invertebrates and caged fished studies, will be undertaken to monitor protectiveness of the remedial option. < Menominee River, By Nancy Douglas > There have been no new developments in the Menominee River AOC since publication of the last newsletter. For a review of the status of the Menominee River RAP, see the spring issue of the Michigan Areas of Concern NEWS. < Muskegon Lake, By Kathy Evans > The Muskegon County Soil Conservation District (MCSCD) continues to administer the Muskegon Lake and White Lake RAP Implementation and PAC Support project, funded through the MDNR's AOC Program. The Muskegon Lake PAC has identified actions to implement the RAP; those in place include a LakeWatch program for monthly monitoring of the lake, sediment analysis of stormwater discharge areas and a nearshore (littoral) plant survey. Environmental education is also a PAC priority. The PAC held a teacher workshop that taught water quality testing in Bear Creek, Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan. The two-day workshop introduced middle and high school teachers to the "Rivers Program," a cooperative program of the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District and the MCSCD. Participants performed tests to determine total phosphorous, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, temperature, clarity, conductivity, turbidity and pH. The workshop featured a tour of Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan aboard Grand Valley State University's research vessel, D.J. Angus, as well as a hike to a "true bog" at Muskegon State Park. The next scheduled education project will be a Leopold Education Project workshop, September 23 at P.J. Hoffmaster State Park. The volunteer LakeWatch program is underway, taking samples for chlorophyll, temperature, clarity, and total phosphorous. The Muskegon County Wastewater Management System is performing the analyses of total phosphorous. The volunteer lab team performs chlorophyll analyses at the NOAA/Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab (GLERL) Lake Michigan Field Station in Muskegon. GLERL's Senior Research Scientist, Gary Fahnensteil, provided training for the volunteers. The volunteers performed LakeWatch demonstrations at GLERL's Lake Michigan Science Partners '95 open house, attended by 800 people in August. Bob Day, of MDNR's Surface Water Quality Division, and Jerry Engle, Muskegon Lake PAC chair, spoke about the LaMP/RAP connection. Five $500 Landscape Awards to improve water quality and habitat along Muskegon Lake, Muskegon River, Ryerson Creek and Four-Mile Creek have been awarded to landowners. Volunteers are developing an outdoor classroom that will include three different habitats at the Four-Mile Creek Muskegon Community College site. Last June, as a result of public concern, the MDNR tested sediments in Ruddiman Creek. Test results showed significantly elevated levels of metals. MDNR contacted the Michigan Department of Public Health to evaluate the human health implications of the concentrations found. MDNR core samples taken in October, 1994 indicated elevated metals in sediments at the Division Street storm sewer outlet as well. MDNR is currently evaluating data. Reports for both test sites will be available through MDNR or the Muskegon Lake PAC. < River Raisin, By Roger Jones, MDNR > During the week of August 7, 1995, USEPA arrived in Monroe to collect samples in the AOC with their specially designed sediment core sampling vessel, the Mudpuppy. They were assisted by the Army Corps of Engineers, MDNR, and City of Monroe staff in taking a number of sediment core samples for chemical analysis. This was the third time that the Mudpuppy gathered samples in the River Raisin AOC. The sample results from this project will help to better define the extent of sediment contamination in the area. The next PAC meeting will be held at Monroe Community College on October 19, 1995 at 7:00 p.m. New officers will be elected at this meeting. The development of a biennial report, tentatively due for completion in April of 1996, will be discussed at the meeting. The PCB-contaminated sediment hot spot (containing the highest known concentrations of PCBs in Michigan waters) awaits cleanup by the Ford Motor Company. Summer of 1996 is the latest tentative cleanup date; cleanup during this timeframe will occur if Ford can locate a suitable dredged materials disposal site. < Rouge River, Keith Krinn and Carla Davidson > MDNR, Rouge River National Wet Weather Demonstration Project, local governments, Rouge RAP Advisory Council (RRAC), and citizens continue to implement the RAP. New MDNR projects include an information packet for salvage yard owners, a fish consumption advisory brochure, and an improved communication system regarding construction projects in the watershed. The RRAC has six subcommittees that are now tracking issues and carrying out projects. Current RRAC subcommittee projects include a workshop on lessening the impact of construction in headwaters areas, development of a new slideshow, and a workshop on land use. A survey of on-site sewage disposal systems (septic systems) in urban areas of the watershed is nearly complete. A written report is expected to be completed in October. For more information on the Rouge RAP, contact Cathy Bean, Rouge RAP coordinator, at (313) 953-1441. Saginaw River/Bay No AOC update submitted. < St. Clair River, By Bob Spagnoli > Overall, the St. Clair River's sediment habitat conditions in the nearshore river environment have improved substantially since 1986 and 1977, as identified in the 1990 Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy (OMOEE) sediment quality - benthic macroinvertebrate community assessment report. Certain areas, such as those in the upper river near the Ontario shoreline, adjacent to the industrial facilities, remain impaired. Sediment in these areas exceed the provincial Aquatic Sediment Quality "Severe Effect Level" Guidelines (PSQG) for one or more contaminants and in some cases there was also evidence of benthic community degradation. The results of the 1990 report also were used by the RAP team to characterize areas of sediment contamination in the river into sediment impact zones. These sediment impact zones were then prioritized into three priority groups, priority 1 referring to those zones with the largest negative impact on the organisms living in the sediment. The priority exercise revealed three priority 1, four priority 2 and four priority 3 sediment impact zones. In order to ensure responsible and effective environmental management decisions, in 1994 the Lambton Industrial Society and the OMOEE further characterized the priority 1 zones defining the extent and severity of the sediment contamination. This information will be utilized by the RAP Implementation Committee as a basis for selecting remedial measures for sediment and point-source controls. The Binational Public Advisory Council (BPAC) exhibited the RAP Mobile display at various community venues throughout the summer. The fourth annual "Celebrating the St. Clair River" photo contest is also underway as well as the BPAC's 1995 Environmental Achievement Recognition Award process. Awards night for both events will be held in November. < St. Marys River, By Jarl Hiltunen > In the St. Marys River AOC, the current public issue involves remedial action to correct, or at least mitigate, adverse effects of pollution from the past operation of a local tannery. The present owner of the affected property, Cannelton Industries (also known as Cyprus AMEX), is negotiating a plan with USEPA and MDNR to remove most of the heavy-metal contaminated soil from the surface land, and to construct retaining walls in the surrounding wetland. The wall is intended to curtail the further spread of contaminants. Once the plan is implemented, the City of Sault Ste. Marie may be able to accept part of the site for community uses. < Torch Lake, By Jim Spence > News from the Keweenaw Peninsula's Torch Lake AOC is mixed--some good and some not-so-good. Within the Keweenaw Peninsula, only Torch Lake has been designated as an AOC. It is, however, just one part of the much larger Keweenaw Waterway, which has also been severely affected by the dumping of copper mining wastes over the last 140 years. In addition, numerous smaller lakes and streams scattered throughout the peninsula have been similarly impacted. These sites are collectively known as the Torch Lake Superfund Site, one of the largest Superfund sites in the nation with over 15 separate areas within a 900 square mile watershed. Consequently, USEPA and MDNR Superfund monies have driven remediation efforts to date. Through these studies, we have learned that the various sites pose relatively small human health risks but represent very significant environmental hazards. Total remedial action costs are estimated to be $7.2 million. Presently, our RAP does not assess environmental conditions based on the beneficial use impairments identified in Annex 2 of the 1987 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, and the area does not have a local Public Advisory Council. We hope to see this change soon. Now the good news. Planning has been completed for remediation of hundreds of acres of above-surface stampsand tailings in Torch Lake. Potential donor sites for almost 70,000 yards of capping soil have been identified and negotiations for their purchase are underway. An outside private business has expressed interest in purchasing and removing all the heavily contaminated smelter slag in the area as well as some of the stampsand. A recently discovered contamination of a major tributary to Torch Lake with several million tons of stampsand will likely be added to the proposed remediation effort. The local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the lead local agency for remediation planning, has been awarded up to $20,000 from the MDNR to construct a fish spawning reef, which will also act as a barrier protecting an exposed remediated stampsand bank from further shoreline erosion. From a public involvement perspective, it has been a fairly busy summer. The Houghton-Keweenaw Soil and Water Conservation District's (H-KSWCD) Public Involvement Project is nearly complete. Using funds awarded from the Statewide Public Advisory Council, the project has developed a brochure describing how our rich mining heritage also led to widespread environmental damage and the current plans for remediation of impacted areas. Two displays were also completed. One was placed on the National Park Service's 180 ft. Isle Royale ferry, the Ranger III. The other was shown at last May's Citizen's AOC Conference in Lansing, as well as at local shopping malls, public meetings and county fairs. The H-KSWCD hosted a bus tour for local land owners and agency representatives accompanied by IJC, USEPA, and MDNR officials. The tour visited five sites illustrating remediation successes and failures and future remediation plans. An open public meeting followed, during which the general public was able to question agency representatives about the remediation plan. At the meeting, the H-KSWCD board of directors presented the first annual "Torch Bearer Award" to the Village of Lake Linden for their pioneering efforts to remediate their portion of the Torch Lake stampsands. Also this summer, representatives of the NRCS and their "Earth Watch" volunteer organization gave presentations on evening cruises along the Keweenaw Waterway aboard the Ranger III. The seven sellout cruises each carried 125 passengers along the waterway past some of the impacted sites then out to Lake Superior. This offered a great way to spend an evening and a wonderful opportunity to discuss the AOC. Finally, we have completed a 19-minute video describing the proposed remediation plan and integrating archival footage of the copper mining and milling processes. The video, which features before and after aerial views of sites, will be broadcast by our local cable company. Copies will be distributed to video rental stores, area libraries, and other public institutions for free use by the public. Funding cuts to the AOC Program will certainly affect efforts on Torch Lake and make update of our RAP unlikely. Our USEPA site manager informed us that remediation work on capping the above-surface stampsand tailings, scheduled to begin this summer, has been postponed because Congress refuses to release the funds. Furthermore, he thought that there was a high probability that they may not be released next year either. This affects the "No Action" remedial option for contaminated bottom sediments. The "No Action" option would allow for natural sedimentation to eventually bury them. This plan is based on the assumption that capping the hundreds of acres of exposed above-surface stampsands will stop the estimated erosion of 19 tons of stampsand per acre per year by wind and waterborne erosion into the lake and allow natural sedimentation to bury the contaminated bottom sediments. This information is of particular concern after learning that, in addition to copper and mercury, arsenic and lead have now been measured in concentrations exceeding Michigan Water Quality Standards and federal Clean Water Act human health protection criteria. These heavy metal species are found in extremely high concentrations in bottom sediments adjacent to our old smelter sites. Our local community, encouraged by efforts to date, is beginning to feel as if the rug is about to be jerked from beneath our feet. We hope that time will prove otherwise. < White Lake, By Tanya Cabala > The Muskegon County Soil Conservation District (MCSCD), serving as a local PAC coordinator, has helped increase local involvement in the White Lake Area of Concern. We have completed many important educational projects, such as creating a traveling RAP display, developing and disseminating AOC brochures, and hosting workshops. We've also initiated innovative approaches to restoring impaired uses in the area. For example, several lakefront property owners are re-landscaping their shoreline with funds from the Public Advisory Council (PAC)/MCSCD to increase native species and improve wildlife habitat in direct response to a recommendation in the RAP to assess and improve habitat. We hope that the example set by these lakefront property owners will be followed by other White Lake area residents. The PAC appreciates the diligent work of the MCSCD staff, including Greg Mund, Theresa Lauber, and Kathy Evans. In July, MDNR and the White Lake PAC held a public hearing to present the revised and updated RAP to area citizens. The revised RAP lists the impaired uses as identified by MDNR and the PAC, findings subsequent to the 1987 RAP, recommendations for filling data gaps, and actions needed to restore impaired uses. The most notable recommendations urged continuation and enhancement of all environmental prevention and cleanup programs, assessment and restoration of area habitat and wildlife populations, assessment of sediment contamination associated with the Whitehall Leather Company, and studies and measures to assess and reduce nonpoint source pollution. The White Lake PAC is determining its role in the cleanup of soil and groundwater contamination at the Whitehall Leather Company site. Company representatives were present at the August meeting to explain their current actions, which include constructing a fence to restrict public access to the site, constructing a riprap wall to prevent an on-site sludge pile from eroding into White Lake, and conducting further sampling of soil and groundwater to determine the boundaries and extent of site contamination. Ultimately, the PAC and MCSCD are committed to continuing local coordination of RAP activities and seeking funds and methods by which to make the RAP a permanent element of White Lake area community programs. < Statewide Public Advisory Council > Clinton River Representative: William Smith, Mt. Clemens (313) 468-4028 Alternate: Spencer V. Teller, Utica (810) 826-0391 Deer Lake Representative: James Russell-Parks, Marquette (906) 345-9961 Alternate: Philip Doepke, Marquette (906) 227-2812 Detroit River Representative: Mary Ginnebaugh, Grosse Ile (313) 676-1233 Alternate: Richard Armstrong, Detroit (313) 224-1103 Kalamazoo River Representative: Mary Powers, Kalamazoo (616) 345-9295 Alternate: --None-- Manistique River Representative: Leif Christensen, Manistique (906) 341-2175 Alternate: Merilee Blowers, Manistique (906) 341-4223 Menominee River Representative: Nancy Douglas (Chair), Menominee (906) 863-2679 Alternate: George Rogers, Menominee (715) 735-7411 Muskegon Lake Representative: Gerald Engle, North Muskegon (616) 744-6330 Alternate: Kathleen Evans, Muskegon (616) 788-3880 River Raisin Representative: Vivian Brighton, Hudson (517) 264-5300 Alternate: Dan Stefanski, Monroe (313) 241-5926 Rouge River Representative: Keith Krinn (Vice Chair), Pontiac (810) 858-1333 Alternate: Orin Gelderloos, Dearborn (313) 593-5339 Saginaw River/Bay Representative: Patrick Howe, Midland (517) 631-8839 Alternate: Robert King, Mt. Pleasant (517) 774-2494 St. Clair River Representative: Bob Spagnoli, Fort Gratiot (313) 845-8037 Alternate: Joe Gallagher, Port Huron (810) 987-4884 St. Marys River Representative: Jarl Hiltunen, Sault Ste. Marie (906) 632-7067 Alternate: Gaylord Alexander, Lewiston (517) 786-2613 Torch Lake Representative: James A. Spence, Dollar Bay (906) 482-0443 Alternate: Robert T. Brown, Houghton (906) 482-0945 White Lake Representative: Tanya Cabala, Whitehall (616) 722-5116 Alternate: Thomas E. Hamilton, Montague (616) 894-4301 < For More Information > Contact Lori Reynolds (lreynold@glc.org) or Matt Doss (mdoss@glc.org) Great Lakes Commission Argus II Building, 400 Fourth St. Ann Arbor, MI 48103-4816 Phone: (313) 665-9135, Fax: (313) 665-4370 - This newsletter is financed through a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. -