U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes National Program Office

2018 AOC Conference

Getting Work Done at AOCs: Moving Towards Delisting

Marc TuchmanUnited States Environmental Protection AgencyGreat Lakes National Program Office

May 16-17, 2018

Torch Lake

St. Louis River

Deer Lake

St. Marys River

Manistique River

Menominee River

Fox River /Southern Green B a y

Sheboygan

R iver

Milwaukee Estuary

Waukegan Harbor

White Lake

Muskegon Lake

Kalamazoo River

Saginaw River & Bay

St. Clair River

Clinton River

Detroit River

Rouge RiverRiver Raisin

Maumee RiverBlack River

Cuyahoga River

Ashtabula River

B u f f a l o R i v e r

Niagara River

Eighteen Mile CreekOswego River

Rochester Embayment

St. Lawrence River

Grand Calumet River

Status: MAY2018

AOCs with Management Actions Completed

Remaining Areas of Concern

Status

Delisted Areas of Concern (AOCs)

U.S. Great Lakes Areas ofConcern

Great Lakes AOC Program Accomplishments under GLRI

Over $800 million spent in AOCs

▪ 3 AOCs Delisted

▪ 7 AOCs Management Actions Complete

• 1 additional management action projected for 2018

▪ 67 BUIs removed (Total of 77 removed)

▪ Approx. 3,000,000 yd3 contaminated sediment remediated

▪ 2015: Approx. 900 acres of habitat restored

Step One: Ensuring that BUI removal targets are Realistic, Achievable and Measurable (RAM).

So, What is our Path to Delisting?

Path to Delisting

Execute Management Actions:

Execute actions with available funding

Monitoringof BUI criteria or targets

Remove BUIs:

• Actions are complete

• Data show that BUI removal criteria have been met

Goal:Complete management actions that will lead to BUI Removal and AOC Delisting.

DevelopManagement Actions Lists:

Establish projects that will accelerate removal of each BUI

Management Action ListsAgreed upon list(s) of the on-the-ground projects necessary to be implemented to remove BUIs:

▪ Great Lakes Legacy Act Sediment projects

▪ USACE Strategic Navigation dredging projects

▪ Restoration projects

◦ Habitat

◦ Fish passage

◦ Reef creation

Path to Delisting

Execute Management Actions:

Execute actions with available funding

Monitoringof BUI criteria or targets

Remove BUIs:

• Actions are complete

• Data show that BUI removal criteria have been met

Goal:Complete management actions that will lead to BUI Removal and AOC Delisting.

DevelopManagement Actions Lists:

Establish projects that will accelerate removal of each BUI

Path to Delisting

Execute Management Actions:

Execute actions with available funding

Monitoringof BUI criteria or targets

Remove BUIs:

• Actions are complete

• Data show that BUI removal criteria have been met

Goal:Complete management actions that will lead to BUI Removal and AOC Delisting.

DevelopManagement Actions Lists:

Establish projects that will accelerate removal of each BUI

Path to Delisting

Execute Management Actions:

Execute actions with available funding

Monitoringof BUI criteria or targets

Remove BUIs:

• Actions are complete

• Data show that BUI removal criteria have been met

Goal:Complete management actions that will lead to BUI Removal and AOC Delisting.

DevelopManagement Actions Lists:

Establish projects that will accelerate removal of each BUI

AOC Measures of Progress and Annual Targets: GLRI Action Plan II

Baseline 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Universe

Areas of Concern where all management actions necessary for delisting have been implemented (cumulative)

7 8 9 11 12 17 31

Area of Concern BUIs Removed (cumulative)

52 60 65 72 78 85 255

So, How Are We Doing?

4 AOCs Delisted (3 since GLRI)

✓ Oswego, NY (prior to GLRI)

✓ Presque Isle, PA

✓ Deer Lake, MI

✓ White lake, MI

Management Actions Complete

7 additional AOCs with management actions complete: Ashtabula River, OH

Sheboygan River, WI

Waukegan Harbor, IL

St. Clair River, MI

Lower Menominee River, MI/WI

St. Marys River, MI

River Raisin, MI

Management Actions Complete

FY18 Planned Management Actions Completion:

➢Rochester Embayment

12 AOCs with completed actions by end of FY18

And we’re working on 5 more AOCs for FY19!

Braddock Bay, Rochester Embayment AOC

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2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2023 2024 2025

Cu

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UIs

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ove

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Fiscal Year

Beneficial Use Impairments RemovedAt Great Lakes Areas of Concern

Star

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LRI

End

of

GLR

I Act

ion

Pla

n I

End

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Pla

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End

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Pla

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Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA) ▪ Since 2004: $650 M in Great Lakes Legacy Act remediation

projects of which ~ $ 275 M has been leveraged as cost-share

▪Over 4 Million cubic yards remediated

▪ GLLA Leveraged funds are contributed by States, Municipalities and Industry

▪ GLLA Match: State Bond funding, NRDA Settlement funds and in-kind contribution have been a significant source of non-federal match

▪ Thirty-seven industries have participated in GLLA projects

Update on Action Plan III

Proposed Goals:

▪ Removal of 124 BUIs (half the BUIs)

▪ An additional 4-6 AOCs with management actions complete

▪ New AOC Measure: Completion of Management Action Lists

Delisted:Oswego

Presque Isle

Deer Lake

White Lake

Actions Complete:Ashtabula

Menominee

River Raisin

Sheboygan

Waukegan

St. Clair

St Marys R 2025+

18 Mile Creek

Niagara

Kalamazoo

Detroit R.

Saginaw

Note: Fiscal Year Completion

2019Manistique

Buffalo River

Clinton River

Muskegon Lake

Black River

.2018

Rochester

Actio

n P

lan II 2020-2024

Grand Calumet

St. Louis River

Cuyahoga River

Fox River

Maumee River

St. Lawrence River

Milwaukee Estuary

Torch Lake

Rouge River

Proposed AOCs for Action Plan III

Progress Towards Completing Management Actions

Update on Action Plan III (cont.)

Proposed New Measure:

▪ Areas of Concern with a complete and approved list of all management actions necessary for BUI removal and delisting

Key Considerations/Issues for AOC Program

◦ Coordination and communication

◦ Project Prioritization and Management Action Lists

◦ Long term Maintenance/Sustainability

◦ Remediation to Restoration to Revitalization

Cooperation, Coordination and Communication (C3) in the AOC Program

▪ Annual State / Feds AOC Meeting

▪ EPA Task Force Lead (TFL) for every AOC

▪ Monthly Calls among federal agencies

▪ Provide assistance in the development of Management Action List

▪ Work cooperatively to determine most efficient way to implement projects

▪ Annual AOC Conference

Discussion Items at State Meetings▪ Ensuring BUI removal criteria are realistic, achievable &

measurable

▪ Status of management action lists

▪Who is best positioned to implement projects

▪ Potential use of “AOC in Recovery” designation

▪ Long-term stewardship of habitat projects

▪ 3 Tiers for project funding

▪ Development of Management Action Lists

▪ Focus of a Breakout session this afternoon

AOC Project Prioritization Criteria

Long-Term Maintenance/Stewardship

▪There is a recognized need to maintain restoration work being conducted under GLRI

▪ It is not envisioned that GLRI will fund long term stewardship

▪Plenary Session / Breakout

The R3 Paradigm:“Its not just sediment remediation”

Remediation Restoration Revitalization

FY18 Budget

▪ FY 18 GLRI budget is $300M

▪AOC budget is ~$94M

▪Currently working on determining funding needs and priorities (~quarters 3 and 4) as well as FY 19 budget needs.

What “Getting Work Done” Looks Like

Clinton River AOC:St. Lawrence Cemetery

After

Before

Clinton AOC Project Partners• Macomb County Public Works

• City of Sterling Heights

• City of Utica

• City of Auburn Hills

• Huron-Clinton Metropark

• City of Troy

• City of Rochester Hills

• Clinton River Watershed Council

• Macomb County

• Oakland County

• Clinton River Watershed Council

• Clinton River Public Advisory Council

• EPA

• NOAA

• US Army Corps of Engineers• - Oakland University Campus• - Shelby Township• - Harley Ensign Memorial Boat

Access

• MDEQ

• MDNR

Before

After

Black River AOC: Heron Rookery

Before

After

St. Clair River AOC: Blue Water Restoration

Buffalo River AOC: Seneca Bluffs

St. Marys River: Little Rapids Project:

Muskegon Lake AOC, Zephyr Refinery

Spring 2018 Excavation

“The Future”

Wetland Excavation Area

Staging Area

Thanks for all of your great work to keep AOCs moving

towards delisting!!

Questions?