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Remedial Actions Plans (RAPs) for the Great Lakes Areas of Concern Overview | General Resources | Related Resources 
What's New Wisconsin makes green efforts The Badger Herald (10/10) Not only are several independent organizations actively advocating for cleaner air and water in Wisconsin, legislators and the governor are making moves to improve the state's environment in an economically sustainable way. More riches, green promised The London Free Press (9/23) The Liberals unveiled their full policy platform and it contained new environment promises, including a new national water strategy to regulate and clean up "hot spots" in the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg and the St. Lawrence. House takes up bill to help clean up Great Lakes The Chicago Tribune / The Associated Press (9/18) The House is taking up the Great Lakes Legacy Act, which would expand a program to reduce contaminated sediments in the lakes. COMMENTARY: Obama Lakes Plan Could Help Woo Michigan The Washington Post (9/18) Michigan is one watery swing state, and the Obama campaign is likely hoping his proposal Tuesday for a $5 billion Great Lakes restoration program will help some votes flow his way there and in Ohio. EDITORIAL: Cleanup fund deserves renewal Detroit Free Press (9/15) Another piece of Great Lakes-related legislation that needs a final push this month is renewal of the Great Lakes Legacy Act, which has provided money to clean out toxic hot spots like the so-called Black Lagoon in the Trenton Channel of the Detroit River.
Overview Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) identify specific problems in severely degraded Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOC) and describe methods for correcting them. Forty-three such areas have been identified by the U.S. and Canadian governments; 26 in U.S. waters, 17 in Canadian water (five are shared between U.S. and Canada on connecting river systems). Collingwood Harbour, in Ontario, is the first of these 43 sites to be delisted. The U.S.-Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA), as amended via the 1987 protocol, directed the two federal governments to cooperate with state and provincial governments to develop and implement Remedial Action Plans for each Area of Concern. RAPs are typically compiled by a state or provincial department in charge of natural resources; then they are signed by the secretary or minister of that department and submitted to the International Joint Commission for comment. As outlined in Annex 2 of the GLWQA, each RAP should take an ecosystem approach to restoring and protecting beneficial uses in Areas of Concern. Each RAP will include problem identification, steps to solve such problems including determination of responsible parties and timetable for action, and documentation that problems are resolved. Because each AOC is faced with different environmental problems, each RAP will be unique in the beneficial uses that are impaired and the options chosen for remediation. One plan may have a large human health component while another focuses largely on contaminated sediments. The goal is to have a final product that accurately reflects the environmental conditions, encompasses the concerns of all stakeholders and has a commitment for implementation.
General Resources Human Health and the Great Lakes U.S. EPA Region 5 / Great Lakes Commission Featuring information on hot topics like drinking water and fish consumption, Human Health and the Great Lakes provides complete and up-to-date information about issues of human health in the Great Lakes region. Also contains a comprehensive glossary of Great Lakes terms and several links to related online resources. Based on data taken from the EPA's Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP) studies. Canadian Great Lakes Remedial Action Plan Updates Our Great Lakes, Environment Canada Provides progress reports for the 17 AOCs in Canada for lakes Erie, Huron, Ontario and Superior, and the connecting channels. Great Lakes Areas of Concern U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) Information on U.S. AOCs including current RAP status, scheduled meetings, progress and achievements, beneficial use impairments, research, publications, community involvement and funding partners. Great Lakes Remedial Action Plans U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Great Lakes Regional Headquarters An overview of the Corps' program to support RAP development and implementation. Michigan Great Lakes Areas of Concern Program Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Provides basic information on the Michigan AOCs, RAPs and LaMPs.
Related Resources GLIN: Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes Region GLIN: Beneficial Uses in the Great Lakes Areas of Concern GLIN: Lakewide Management Plans (LaMPs)
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