Other

EPA announces Notice of Funding Opportunity to support the Great Lakes Fish Monitoring and Surveillance Program

EPA announces Notice of Funding Opportunity to support the Great Lakes Fish Monitoring and Surveillance Program
josterme01
Mon, 01/13/2025 – 3:40 pm

Lake trout collection at the Keweenaw Point sampling location in Lake Superior. Photo credit: Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes National Program Office has issued a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) to support the Great Lakes Fish Monitoring and Surveillance Program. EPA is seeking applications for a project to continue analysis for legacy and emerging chemicals in composite top-predator whole-fish samples to report on long-term temporal trends of chemicals in fish tissue. The deadline for applications is March 14, 2025.

Applications are requested for a project to conduct contaminant analyses of whole-fish composite samples in support of The Great Lakes Fish Monitoring and Surveillance Program. EPA expects to provide funding for one cooperative agreement of up to $7,200,000 under this NOFO over an approximate six-year period.

The Great Lakes Fish Monitoring and Surveillance Program is funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Learn more about this funding opportunity.

Mon, 01/13/2025 – 3:40 pm

Keywords


funding


fish

Lake trout collection at the Keweenaw Point sampling location in Lake Superior. Photo credit: Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes National Program Office has issued a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) to support the Great Lakes Fish Monitoring and Surveillance Program. EPA is seeking applications for a project to continue analysis for legacy and emerging chemicals in composite top-predator whole-fish samples to report on long-term temporal trends of chemicals in fish tissue. The deadline for applications is March 14, 2025.

Applications are requested for a project to conduct contaminant analyses of whole-fish composite samples in support of The Great Lakes Fish Monitoring and Surveillance Program. EPA expects to provide funding for one cooperative agreement of up to $7,200,000 under this NOFO over an approximate six-year period.

The Great Lakes Fish Monitoring and Surveillance Program is funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Learn more about this funding opportunity.

Mon, 01/13/2025 – 3:40 pm

Keywords


funding


fish

Other

Ohio Lake Erie Commission Releases Request for Proposals for Environmental Justice Grant Program

Ohio Lake Erie Commission Releases Request for Proposals for Environmental Justice Grant Program
josterme01
Mon, 01/13/2025 – 9:59 am

olc logo

The Lake Erie Environmental Justice Grant Program is one of five Great Lakes Environmental Justice Grant Programs funded by U.S. EPA through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). The goal of these programs is to fund GLRI projects in disadvantaged and other communities with environmental justice concerns by providing technical assistance and reducing the administrative barriers to applying for and managing federal grant funds. 

 Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC) has released the Request for Proposals for their Lake Erie Environmental Justice Grant Program. This grant program will support environmental restoration and education projects in the Lake Erie Watershed with a specific focus on historically underserved and overburdened communities. OLEC has partnered with Black Environmental Leaders (BEL) and Rural Action (RA) as equity partners
to help connect these underserved communities to funding. Eligible projects include habitat restoration, invasive species control, nonpoint source runoff reduction, aquatic connectivity, storm water management, and environmental education. 
 

OLEC’s website with a link to the Request for Proposals and application materials. 

Mon, 01/13/2025 – 9:59 am

Keywords


RFA

olc logo

The Lake Erie Environmental Justice Grant Program is one of five Great Lakes Environmental Justice Grant Programs funded by U.S. EPA through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). The goal of these programs is to fund GLRI projects in disadvantaged and other communities with environmental justice concerns by providing technical assistance and reducing the administrative barriers to applying for and managing federal grant funds. 

 Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC) has released the Request for Proposals for their Lake Erie Environmental Justice Grant Program. This grant program will support environmental restoration and education projects in the Lake Erie Watershed with a specific focus on historically underserved and overburdened communities. OLEC has partnered with Black Environmental Leaders (BEL) and Rural Action (RA) as equity partners
to help connect these underserved communities to funding. Eligible projects include habitat restoration, invasive species control, nonpoint source runoff reduction, aquatic connectivity, storm water management, and environmental education. 
 

OLEC’s website with a link to the Request for Proposals and application materials. 

Mon, 01/13/2025 – 9:59 am

Keywords


RFA

Other

NII president Jessica Linthorne provides update to Bruce County council

(By Pauline Kerr) Jessica Linthorne, president and CEO of the Nuclear Innovation Institute, provided an update on NII activities and accomplishments over the past year to Bruce County council on … Continue reading NII president Jessica Linthorne provides update to Bruce County council

The post NII president Jessica Linthorne provides update to Bruce County council appeared first on Kincardine Independent.

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Opportunity to let your business idea soar with Hawk’s Nest

(By Liz Small) Move over, dragons. It’s time for the hawks to take flight. Partners Saugeen Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) and Bruce Community Futures Development Corporation (Bruce CFDC) are once … Continue reading Opportunity to let your business idea soar with Hawk’s Nest

The post Opportunity to let your business idea soar with Hawk’s Nest appeared first on Kincardine Independent.

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Ashland, Green Bay, Two Harbors, and Oscoda Township selected for engineering and design support through Great Lakes coastal resilience program

Ashland, Green Bay, Two Harbors, and Oscoda Township selected for engineering and design support through Great Lakes coastal resilience program
josterme01
Mon, 12/30/2024 – 9:49 am

Overhead view of Bay City Creek area along Lake Superior's shoreline in Ashland, WI. (Photo Credit: Ed Monroe)

Overhead view of Bay City Creek area along Lake Superior’s shoreline in Ashland, WI. (Photo Credit: Ed Monroe)

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have selected Ashland (WI), Green Bay (WI), Two Harbors (MN) and Oscoda Township (MI) for engineering and design support through the Initiative for Resilient Great Lakes Coasts. Over the next year, the Cities Initiative, NOAA and technical partners from Dewberry and LimnoTech will work with community collaborators to plan and design their habitat-focused projects that address coastal challenges—like flooding and stormwater runoff—and improve climate resilience. Read the full story about the initiative

 

Overhead view of Bay City Creek area along Lake Superior's shoreline in Ashland, WI. (Photo Credit: Ed Monroe)

Overhead view of Bay City Creek area along Lake Superior’s shoreline in Ashland, WI. (Photo Credit: Ed Monroe)

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have selected Ashland (WI), Green Bay (WI), Two Harbors (MN) and Oscoda Township (MI) for engineering and design support through the Initiative for Resilient Great Lakes Coasts. Over the next year, the Cities Initiative, NOAA and technical partners from Dewberry and LimnoTech will work with community collaborators to plan and design their habitat-focused projects that address coastal challenges—like flooding and stormwater runoff—and improve climate resilience. Read the full story about the initiative

 

Other

Ashland, Green Bay, Two Harbors, and Oscoda Township selected for engineering and design support through Great Lakes coastal resilience program

Ashland, Green Bay, Two Harbors, and Oscoda Township selected for engineering and design support through Great Lakes coastal resilience program
josterme01
Mon, 12/30/2024 – 9:49 am

Overhead view of Bay City Creek area along Lake Superior’s shoreline in Ashland, WI. (Photo Credit: Ed Monroe)

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have selected Ashland (WI), Green Bay (WI), Two Harbors (MN) and Oscoda Township (MI) for engineering and design support through the Initiative for Resilient Great Lakes Coasts. Over the next year, the Cities Initiative, NOAA and technical partners from Dewberry and LimnoTech will work with community collaborators to plan and design their habitat-focused projects that address coastal challenges—like flooding and stormwater runoff—and improve climate resilience. Read the full story about the initiative

 

Mon, 12/30/2024 – 9:49 am

Keywords


habitat


stormwater


infrastructure

Overhead view of Bay City Creek area along Lake Superior’s shoreline in Ashland, WI. (Photo Credit: Ed Monroe)

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have selected Ashland (WI), Green Bay (WI), Two Harbors (MN) and Oscoda Township (MI) for engineering and design support through the Initiative for Resilient Great Lakes Coasts. Over the next year, the Cities Initiative, NOAA and technical partners from Dewberry and LimnoTech will work with community collaborators to plan and design their habitat-focused projects that address coastal challenges—like flooding and stormwater runoff—and improve climate resilience. Read the full story about the initiative

 

Mon, 12/30/2024 – 9:49 am

Keywords


habitat


stormwater


infrastructure

Other

SVCA submits 2025 budget to municipalities for review

(By Pauline Kerr) In a marathon meeting that went well past its usual 4 p.m. on Nov. 21, Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority’s board of directors approved its draft budget, which … Continue reading SVCA submits 2025 budget to municipalities for review

The post SVCA submits 2025 budget to municipalities for review appeared first on Kincardine Independent.

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Thomson Reservoir Remedial Action Project Wraps Up First Season of Construction

Thomson Reservoir Remedial Action Project Wraps Up First Season of Construction
josterme01
Mon, 12/16/2024 – 3:20 pm

Crews place pelletized activated carbon at the Thomson Reservoir during the 2024 construction season. (Credit: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency)

The EPA has completed the first year of construction for the Thomson Reservoir Remedial Action project. This two-year, $35 million project is being conducted under Great Lakes Legacy Act and is funded in partnership with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and a private non-federal partner. The project is the final sediment remediation site on the Minnesota side of the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Completion of this project will progress efforts to remove the Restrictions on Dredging Activities and Degradation of Benthos Beneficial Use Impairments in the AOC, with the eventual goal of delisting the AOC. 

Thomson Reservoir is a 330-acre reservoir with legacy contamination from dioxins/furans in the reservoir’s sediments as a result of decades of industrial pollution. Within the reservoir, sediment contamination was identified in 69 acres totaling 225,000 cubic yards. To address this contamination, 1-2.5 inches of activated carbon will be place in the contaminated areas. The activated carbon will bind to the contamination in the sediment and reduce their bioavailability, preventing contaminants from moving up the food chain.

During the 2024 construction season, crews placed 8,310 tons of activated carbon material over 28 acres of the reservoir. Placement of activated carbon will resume in 2025 to address the remaining 41 acres of contaminated sediment. 

As the reservoir is a popular destination for the public, especially the recreational paddlers who actively use the reservoir and its outfalls, public access to the reservoir has been maintained throughout construction.   Coordination is ongoing with local stakeholders to ensure a safe environment for paddlers who share the water with heavy machinery. Additionally, the reservoir’s parking area was expanded at the start of construction to accommodate needs for both public parking and a construction staging area.

Mon, 12/16/2024 – 3:20 pm

Keywords


St. Louis River AOC


sediment

Crews place pelletized activated carbon at the Thomson Reservoir during the 2024 construction season. (Credit: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency)

The EPA has completed the first year of construction for the Thomson Reservoir Remedial Action project. This two-year, $35 million project is being conducted under Great Lakes Legacy Act and is funded in partnership with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and a private non-federal partner. The project is the final sediment remediation site on the Minnesota side of the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Completion of this project will progress efforts to remove the Restrictions on Dredging Activities and Degradation of Benthos Beneficial Use Impairments in the AOC, with the eventual goal of delisting the AOC. 

Thomson Reservoir is a 330-acre reservoir with legacy contamination from dioxins/furans in the reservoir’s sediments as a result of decades of industrial pollution. Within the reservoir, sediment contamination was identified in 69 acres totaling 225,000 cubic yards. To address this contamination, 1-2.5 inches of activated carbon will be place in the contaminated areas. The activated carbon will bind to the contamination in the sediment and reduce their bioavailability, preventing contaminants from moving up the food chain.

During the 2024 construction season, crews placed 8,310 tons of activated carbon material over 28 acres of the reservoir. Placement of activated carbon will resume in 2025 to address the remaining 41 acres of contaminated sediment. 

As the reservoir is a popular destination for the public, especially the recreational paddlers who actively use the reservoir and its outfalls, public access to the reservoir has been maintained throughout construction.   Coordination is ongoing with local stakeholders to ensure a safe environment for paddlers who share the water with heavy machinery. Additionally, the reservoir’s parking area was expanded at the start of construction to accommodate needs for both public parking and a construction staging area.

Mon, 12/16/2024 – 3:20 pm

Keywords


St. Louis River AOC


sediment

Other

Thomson Reservoir Remedial Action Project Wraps Up First Season of Construction

Thomson Reservoir Remedial Action Project Wraps Up First Season of Construction
josterme01
Mon, 12/16/2024 – 3:20 pm

Body of water with construction equipment.

Crews place pelletized activated carbon at the Thomson Reservoir during the 2024 construction season. (Credit: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency)

The EPA has completed the first year of construction for the Thomson Reservoir Remedial Action project. This two-year, $35 million project is being conducted under Great Lakes Legacy Act and is funded in partnership with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and a private non-federal partner. The project is the final sediment remediation site on the Minnesota side of the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Completion of this project will progress efforts to remove the Restrictions on Dredging Activities and Degradation of Benthos Beneficial Use Impairments in the AOC, with the eventual goal of delisting the AOC. 

Thomson Reservoir is a 330-acre reservoir with legacy contamination from dioxins/furans in the reservoir’s sediments as a result of decades of industrial pollution. Within the reservoir, sediment contamination was identified in 69 acres totaling 225,000 cubic yards. To address this contamination, 1-2.5 inches of activated carbon will be place in the contaminated areas. The activated carbon will bind to the contamination in the sediment and reduce their bioavailability, preventing contaminants from moving up the food chain.

During the 2024 construction season, crews placed 8,310 tons of activated carbon material over 28 acres of the reservoir. Placement of activated carbon will resume in 2025 to address the remaining 41 acres of contaminated sediment. 

As the reservoir is a popular destination for the public, especially the recreational paddlers who actively use the reservoir and its outfalls, public access to the reservoir has been maintained throughout construction.   Coordination is ongoing with local stakeholders to ensure a safe environment for paddlers who share the water with heavy machinery. Additionally, the reservoir’s parking area was expanded at the start of construction to accommodate needs for both public parking and a construction staging area.

Body of water with construction equipment.

Crews place pelletized activated carbon at the Thomson Reservoir during the 2024 construction season. (Credit: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency)

The EPA has completed the first year of construction for the Thomson Reservoir Remedial Action project. This two-year, $35 million project is being conducted under Great Lakes Legacy Act and is funded in partnership with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and a private non-federal partner. The project is the final sediment remediation site on the Minnesota side of the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Completion of this project will progress efforts to remove the Restrictions on Dredging Activities and Degradation of Benthos Beneficial Use Impairments in the AOC, with the eventual goal of delisting the AOC. 

Thomson Reservoir is a 330-acre reservoir with legacy contamination from dioxins/furans in the reservoir’s sediments as a result of decades of industrial pollution. Within the reservoir, sediment contamination was identified in 69 acres totaling 225,000 cubic yards. To address this contamination, 1-2.5 inches of activated carbon will be place in the contaminated areas. The activated carbon will bind to the contamination in the sediment and reduce their bioavailability, preventing contaminants from moving up the food chain.

During the 2024 construction season, crews placed 8,310 tons of activated carbon material over 28 acres of the reservoir. Placement of activated carbon will resume in 2025 to address the remaining 41 acres of contaminated sediment. 

As the reservoir is a popular destination for the public, especially the recreational paddlers who actively use the reservoir and its outfalls, public access to the reservoir has been maintained throughout construction.   Coordination is ongoing with local stakeholders to ensure a safe environment for paddlers who share the water with heavy machinery. Additionally, the reservoir’s parking area was expanded at the start of construction to accommodate needs for both public parking and a construction staging area.

Other

Final Remaining BUI, Degradation of Benthos, Removed at Muskegon Lake AOC

3 min read

Final Remaining BUI, Degradation of Benthos, Removed at Muskegon Lake AOC
josterme01
Thu, 12/12/2024 – 2:00 pm

Mechanical dredging of contaminated sediment in Ryerson Creek in the Muskegon Lake AOC.

Mechanical dredging of contaminated sediment in Ryerson Creek in the Muskegon Lake AOC.

The U.S. EPA, together with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), Water Resources Division (WRD), and Area of Concern (AOC) Program, has removed the Degradation of Benthos BUI from the Muskegon Lake AOC. The BUI was removed on October 31st, 2024, and was the first BUI removed under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Action Plan IV. BUIs are designations listed in the 1987 amendment to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) that represent different types of significant environmental degradation (see Beneficial Use Impairments for the Great Lakes AOCs to learn more).

Muskegon Lake was originally listed as an AOC in 1987 due to historic discharges of industrial and municipal wastewater as well as urban runoff. Elevated levels of contaminants including heavy metals and oils degraded benthic communities by reducing diversity. Since then, 190,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment in the AOC have been remediated by Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA) projects, reducing toxicity that impacted benthic communities. Additionally, seven habitat projects were completed in the AOC, restoring approximately 134 acres of habitat, and removing 110,000 tons of logging-era sawmill debris from the lake. 

The completion of these projects has culminated in the restoration of the AOC and removal of all nine identified BUIs. The October 31, 2024, removal of the Degradation of Benthos BUI marked the ninth and final BUI removal. With all BUIs removed, the Muskegon Lake AOC is now eligible for delisting, a monumental accomplishment in the AOC program. Once an area is delisted, it is no longer considered an AOC as all its once-impaired beneficial uses have been restored. Of 31 U.S. AOCs, only seven have been delisted since the program began in 1987. All but one of these AOCs have been delisted since the GLRI was established in 2010. The delisting process includes the development of a Delisting Report, an invitation to tribes to consult on the delisting recommendation, and a review by the International Joint Commission (IJC) and the public.

The beginning of the delisting process at Muskegon Lake AOC will come on the heels of another recent delisting. Rochester Embayment was delisted on October 3, 2024 following the removal of all 14 of its original BUIs. Each delisting constitutes an historic achievement in the restoration of the Great Lakes and a notable success under both the GLWQA and the GLRI. The proposed future delisting of Muskegon Lake in 2025 would be the eighth delisting of a U.S. AOC and a celebration of decades of hard work by federal, state, and local partners. 

Mechanical dredging of contaminated sediment in Ryerson Creek in the Muskegon Lake AOC.

Mechanical dredging of contaminated sediment in Ryerson Creek in the Muskegon Lake AOC.

The U.S. EPA, together with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), Water Resources Division (WRD), and Area of Concern (AOC) Program, has removed the Degradation of Benthos BUI from the Muskegon Lake AOC. The BUI was removed on October 31st, 2024, and was the first BUI removed under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Action Plan IV. BUIs are designations listed in the 1987 amendment to the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) that represent different types of significant environmental degradation (see Beneficial Use Impairments for the Great Lakes AOCs to learn more).

Muskegon Lake was originally listed as an AOC in 1987 due to historic discharges of industrial and municipal wastewater as well as urban runoff. Elevated levels of contaminants including heavy metals and oils degraded benthic communities by reducing diversity. Since then, 190,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment in the AOC have been remediated by Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA) projects, reducing toxicity that impacted benthic communities. Additionally, seven habitat projects were completed in the AOC, restoring approximately 134 acres of habitat, and removing 110,000 tons of logging-era sawmill debris from the lake. 

The completion of these projects has culminated in the restoration of the AOC and removal of all nine identified BUIs. The October 31, 2024, removal of the Degradation of Benthos BUI marked the ninth and final BUI removal. With all BUIs removed, the Muskegon Lake AOC is now eligible for delisting, a monumental accomplishment in the AOC program. Once an area is delisted, it is no longer considered an AOC as all its once-impaired beneficial uses have been restored. Of 31 U.S. AOCs, only seven have been delisted since the program began in 1987. All but one of these AOCs have been delisted since the GLRI was established in 2010. The delisting process includes the development of a Delisting Report, an invitation to tribes to consult on the delisting recommendation, and a review by the International Joint Commission (IJC) and the public.

The beginning of the delisting process at Muskegon Lake AOC will come on the heels of another recent delisting. Rochester Embayment was delisted on October 3, 2024 following the removal of all 14 of its original BUIs. Each delisting constitutes an historic achievement in the restoration of the Great Lakes and a notable success under both the GLWQA and the GLRI. The proposed future delisting of Muskegon Lake in 2025 would be the eighth delisting of a U.S. AOC and a celebration of decades of hard work by federal, state, and local partners.