When polluted lakes and rivers are cleaned up, local communities can see economic benefits to the tune of billions of dollars, according to the Brookings Institute. A new video, “Revitalizing Local Waterfront Economies: The Great Lakes Legacy Act” offers a rundown on this federal and local partnership program, its procedures and successes.
The 10-minute video explores Great Lakes waterways blighted by decades of industrial discharges like heavy metals, oil and chemicals such as PCBs and PAHs. The 2002 U.S. Legacy Act created an initiative to clean up contamination in these places, designated Areas of Concern (AOC) by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). There are currently 29 AOCs in the United States, with five shared with Canada. The habitat, water and sediment quality have become severely degraded at these sites.
The video informs anglers, boaters, marina operators and local businesses of the benefits that can come from a remediated AOC through the Legacy Act. The procedures and successes are the result of strong partnerships among states, municipalities, non-governmental organizations and businesses. Under this voluntary, collaborative program the EPA and its non-federal partners have allocated almost $400 million toward sediment remediation.
The partnership leads to payoff. One restaurateur featured in the video said removal of contaminated sediment means his riverfront establishment is flourishing, and he’s brought 200 jobs to the Milwaukee area.
As of September 2012, the program has removed or capped 2.4 million cubic yards of degraded sediment. But more waterways need to be cleaned up, and community involvement is essential. “This video can help simplify and personalize the sediment cleanup process, which at first glance may seem too complex and scientific,” said Caitie McCoy, an Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant environmental social scientist and co-producer of the video. “The Great Lakes Legacy Act has been incorporating community values with technical science for more than a decade.
“Cleaner lakes and rivers improve human health, fish and wildlife health, recreation, tourism, and redevelopment so that residents can better capitalize on these opportunities,” added McCoy.
The video, funded by a grant from the EPA Great Lakes National Program Office, features several Great Lakes AOCs, including the Sheboygan River and Milwaukee Estuary (in Wisconsin), Muskegon Lake (in Michigan) and Grand Calumet River (in Indiana).
University of Wisconsin Sea Grant videographer John Karl shot and edited the footage for the video. “I am pleased I could help tell people about the Legacy Act and what it’s doing for Great Lakes communities,” Karl said. “I hope the video inspires even more people to get involved in addressing the problems of Great Lakes pollution.”
Kathy Evans knows firsthand what cleanups can do for communities. In the video, she says, “We’re thinking about our future, our children, our grandchildren and what they will be able to enjoy in this beautiful place that we call our home.” Evans is with the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission in the Muskegon Lake AOC and said the remediation and restoration has provided a broadened tax base and more recreational opportunities.
Visit seagrant.wisc.edu/videos to view the video. To order a DVD copy, go to Coastal Restoration in the Products section at iiseagrant.org. Soon, it will also be available at aqua.wisc.edu/publications.
Visit epa.gov/glla for more information about the Great Lakes Legacy Act.
