United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Region V
230 South Dearborn Street
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Profile of
Environmental
Quality
Region V
The Midwest
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Since the start of the 1970s the people of
this region have vigorously tackled
pollution problems and have significantly
improved the quality of the air and waters
of the Midwest. In fact, America's fight for
a better environment has been waged
most vigorously in Region V - at Silver
Bay and in Milwaukee, on the waters of
the Cuyahoga and the Detroit, in the air
over Cleveland and Gary, on the land at
Montague and Mio.
In the pages that follow we try to define
the size and shape of the environmental
efforts in this region. The future will see
strong demands for increased use of the
Midwest's gigantic coal reserves, and
pressures for growth and energy will
compete with the needs to maintain clean
air and water standards. Toxic chemicals
will need to be more tightly controlled,
and new answers must be developed to
dispose of industrial wastes.
The enormous environmental problems of
the Midwest have luckily been matched by
enormous, multibillion-dollar commitments
of business and public capital - and by a
commitment by the people of this region
to protect and restore a high quality of life.
John McGuire
Regional Administrator
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Region V
Population
Mineral Resources
For many of this country's first 200 years,
our region's six states, Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and
Wisconsin, have served as a vital hub
around which the nation revolves. Efficient
air and rail transportation systems, the
diversity of our productive output, and the
ambition, inventiveness, and skills of our
people combine to make ours one of the
most stable economies in the world.
But the very qualities that make Region V
great are also the qualities that make it
vulnerable to environmental problems. The
continuing success of industry,
agriculture, resource development, and
tourism have all contributed to problems
with our land, water, and air.
As part of a nationwide effort, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
in Region V functions in cooperation with
other Federal agencies, state
governments, and communities to
maintain and improve the quality of the
environment in our six states. Working
on a local basis, sensitive to local needs,
the goal of EPA is to protect both the
environment and human health by
eliminating unnecessary environmental
risks, without inhibiting economic,
industrial, or agricultural growth.
The five-year trends used in compiling
this environmental profile show that
improvements have been achieved in
many areas. However, much remains
to be done. If all of us in business, labor,
farming, and government continue to work
hard, we can restore what has been
damaged and protect for our children the
natural abundance that we cherish.
The fertile Midwest has traditionally been a
settling place for many diverse peoples from all
over the world. This generous land, with its
extremes in climate and its abundance of raw
materials for industry, has nurtured a rich
cultural blend of independent, strong, and
hearty people now numbering more than 44
million, some 20 percent of the total U.S.
population. Of EPA's ten regions, which
encompass the continental United States as
well as Hawaii, Alaska, and U.S. territories and
possessions, Region V has 23 percent of the
cities with populations of 25,000 or more. An
estimated 25 percent of the nation's
manufactured goods are produced in Region V.
As the energy demands of the nation continue
to grow and our ability and desire to rely upon
foreign sources decrease, the coal and oil
reserves within our region are becoming more
important in meeting our high energy demands.
These reserves will contribute to the economic
security of the nation. Currently our region
generates $1 billion annually from the
development of its coal reserves and an
additional $4.1 billion each year from the
development of other minerals. Comprehensive
programs are helping to preserve our
environment while allowing development of
these valuable resources.
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Agriculture
Waterways and the Great Lakes
Parks and Wilderness
Region V is one of the most important
agricultural regions in the nation or the world.
Nearly 23 percent of the agricultural land in the
U.S. is located in our region. This land produces
42 percent of U.S. corn, 36 percent of U.S.
soybeans, and just over 25 percent of the
nation's vegetables and melons. Region V
accounts for a total of 22 percent of the
farming income in the U.S. Seen another way,
agriculture contributes more than $20 billion
each year to our region's economy and the
greatest amount of agricultural pollution in the
nation. Our remaining tillable soils must be
used wisely if the Midwest is to continue to be
so productive.
Although the Midwest appears to be land
locked, the Great Lakes and their network of
inland waterways link us to the Atlantic Ocean
and the Gulf of Mexico. In fact, each year more
cargo passes through the Soo Locks, in Sault
Ste. Marie, Michigan and Ontario, than passes
through the Panama and Suez Canals
combined. The Great Lakes have enabled
Region V to become the most highly populated
area in the world that is this far inland.
Because they allow agriculture and industry to
function efficiently, and because their beauty
supports major tourist and sport fishing
industries, the Great Lakes might be considered
the region's most vital geographic and
economic asset.
Much of our beautiful Midwest landscape
consists of rolling green hills, woodlands, urban
skylines and pastoral scenes. But our region
also contains some of the nation's most
impressive parks and wilderness areas, fast-
moving trout streams, and hundreds of
thousands of lakes. Drawn by these and other
features, tourists contribute more than $5
billion to the Regional economy each year.
Through careful management of our land, we
can maintain its fragile functions as a wildlife
habitat and a natural flood and erosion control
mechanism and still derive maximum
enjoyment from its beauty.
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Toxic Substances
Chemicals are an integral part of our
daily lives. Despite their usefulness,
many chemical substances have the
undesirable quality of being toxic; they
can damage or poison our environment
and can be a major threat to our health
and welfare. When these chemicals reach
our air, land, or water, they constitute
the most hazardous portion of what we
call pollution.
Examples of substances once presumed
relatively safe but now known to be
hazardous include asbestos fibers, the
insecticide DDT, and the group of
chemicals known as RGBs
(polychlorinated biphenyls). Although they
are now banned or severely restricted,
such substances are extremely tenacious
and may be present in the environment
beyond our own lifetimes. Their
"biocumulative" natures allow them to
gradually build to extremely hazardous
concentrations in the environment and
in plant, animal, even human tissues.
In 1971, the year after EPA was
established, the Council on Environmental
Quality developed specific legislation to
prevent chemical-related episodes. After
five years of debate by Congress, the
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) was
finally passed into law in October, 1976.
TSCA specifies that: 1) an inventory be
compiled on existing commercial
chemicals; 2) manufacturers submit to
EPA a premanufacturing notice 90 days
prior to producing any chemical not listed
in the inventory; and 3) EPA's
Administrator may prohibit or limit the
manufacture, processing, distribution, use,
or disposal of a chemical substance or
mixture if he finds that it presents or may
present an unreasonable risk of injury to
health or the environment.
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Region V's Toxic Substances Office
coordinates regional EPA activities
addressed in TSCA. During the first
phase of inventory reporting, which
was completed during 1978, the office
responded to 5,000 industry inquiries and
conducted instructional meetings in
Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, Cleveland,
Cincinnati, and Indianapolis.
The office directed Region V efforts
relative to PCBs, sending 2,837 registered
letters to the region's users of these
chemicals, which were banned as of July
2, 1979. Its staff responded to some 2,000
PCB-related telephone inquiries and has
inspected user sites for compliance. The
regional staff will continue to expand this
inspection program with Region V states
during the next several years.
The region additionally coordinates
response activities of nearly 100 regional
episodes a year that involve toxic/
hazardous chemicals, lending technical
advice and assistance with testing, or
sending technical personnel to the scene
when it is appropriate in order to
coordinate containment and
countermeasure actions. In 1978 the
office prepared a Contingency Notification
Procedure for spills or emergencies in
which more than one Federal agency
has responsibility.
The Region V Toxic Substances Office
has taken an active role to implement
EPA's Voluntary Asbestos Control
Program in the region's 25,000 schools.
Technical assistance to the six states
includes conducting asbestos workshops,
providing consulting services, and working
directly with appropriate state officials. To
encourage public participation, Region V
established toll-free telephone numbers
and is conducting public-awareness
meetings on asbestos. It is anticipated
that the asbestos program will be
expanded into a regulatory program for
other public buildings and for other
uses of asbestos.
With 2374 chemical manufacturing
sites, our region contains significantly
more sites than any other region in
the United States.
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Air Quality
The atmosphere has never been
completely pure. It always contains
contaminants from windblown dust, forest
and range fires, gases emitted by organic
decay, and other natural sources. But
man-made contaminants have contributed
thousands of tons per day from industrial
smokestacks, automotive exhausts, waste
incineration, fertilizer and pesticide
applications, aerosol sprays, and
innumerable other sources. In sufficient
concentrations, airborne pollutants
increase the incidences of respiratory and
heart diseases and can increase fatality
rates. Acid and corrosive rains from an
atmosphere polluted by sources hundreds
or even thousands of miles away can
damage our property and have adverse
effects on our food and water supplies.
The effects of unchecked air pollution are
a clear and present threat to the public
health and economic vitality of our region,
our nation, and the entire world.
The Clean Air Act of 1970 directed
EPA to develop and achieve acceptable
air quality standards. Monitoring
stations at fixed locations have been
established to evaluate progress toward
achieving ambient air quality standards
and to provide trend data used to
adjust requirements and methods
for achieving compliance.
Regionally, ozone remains the most
pervasive pollutant, significantly affecting
almost 80 percent of the population.
Sixteen percent of the people in Region V
are exposed to high concentrations of
sulfur dioxide. This is an improvement
from previous years, based on greater use
of low-sulfur fuels and tighter industrial
emission controls. Carbon monoxide
exposure historically reflects monitored
concentrations within the central city,
although monitoring is increasing in
suburban areas to reflect further
population impact and traffic growth in
those areas. While 29 percent of Region
V's population is exposed to suspended
particulates, the number of people
exposed has been reduced in most urban
areas since 1970, again because of
greater use of cleaner fuels and more
stringent controls on industries. Prior
to the 1970 Clean Air Act Amendment,
almost 100 percent of the population
in major cities was exposed to
particulate concentrations greater than
the national standard. Significant progress
has also been achieved-in reducing air
pollution from coal-fired power plants and
from most of the steel mills that dot the
region. As a result, the black, sooty
plumes in our major cities have been
reduced significantly.
The hardest part of the job may lie ahead,
as state and local governments begin to
grapple with carbon monoxide,
hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides
from automobiles. Despite the major
technological advances developed by
automakers, nine cities in Region V must
go further, to mandatory auto inspections
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and transportation planning to develop
additional ways of cutting auto-
produced smog.
Another very difficult job will be to protect
high-quality air in certain parts of the
region from deterioration because of
growth. Four such areas have been
already identified: Isle Royale National
Park in Lake Superior, Seney Wilderness
Area in Michigan, and the Boundary
Waters Canoe Area and Voyagers
National Park, both in Minnesota.
Other national parks requiring protection,
such as the Indiana Dunes National
Lakeshore, are being developed within
urbanized areas, some near highly
industrialized activities.
Beyond this protection for "Class 1"
areas, the Clean Air Act mandates that
any growth in other parts of the region
be consistent with public health
protection and highly industrialized areas
that will be required to keep overall
emissions below standards, even when
new plants are added.
Status of Air Quality by County
Insufficient data, or
I "P5! monitoring not warranted
• No evidence primary standard
exceeded for any pollutant
n Primary standard
exceeded for at least
one pollutant
• Alert level exceeded
for at least one
pollutant
•^ Improving air quality
•^ Deteriorating air quality
No arrow indicates no
change in trend or insufficient
data to determine a trend
(All data is based on a 5 year period)
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Air Quality
Total Suspended Particulates (TSP)
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
These maps depict the air quality status
and trends for specific pollutants in the 25
largest urban areas in our region. These
areas represent over 26,000,000 people,
some 65% of the region's total
population. The pie chart under each map
depicts the percentage of this population
exposed to levels of that pollutant
exceeding the primary standards. The bar
charts break this down further, on a state-
by-state basis, depicting the estimated
numbers of people exposed to these
exceedences.
@ Insufficient data, or monitoring
not warranted
Q No evidence primary standard
exceeded for that pollutant
O Primary standard exceeded
for that pollutant
£ Alert level exceeded at least once
for that pollutant
•*• Improving air quality
•4" Deteriorating air quality
No arrow indicates no change in
trend or insufficient data to
determine a trend
(All data is based on a 5 year period)
Millions of People Affected
01 23456 789 10
Millions of People Affected
0 1
9 10
Illinois
Indiana
Michigan
Minnesota
Illinois
Indiana
Ohio
Wisconsin |
TSP is a measurement of particles in the
air (such as soot, ashes and smoke) and
includes non-toxic materials (dust and dirt)
as well as more toxic substances (lead,
asbestos, sulfates). Natural and man-
made sources contribute to TSP which
can affect our respiratory systems in
varying degrees depending upon particle
size and chemical composition.
Michigan
Minnesota
Ohio
Wisconsin t'.'^fi
CO is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas.
It is a toxic by-product of combustion,
with the automobile engine as the major
source of this pollutant. CO in the lungs
reduces available oxygen to tissues, and
impairs visual perception and alertness.
Continued exposure to high
concentrations can threaten life.
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Photochemical Oxidants
Sulfur Oxides (SOx)
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
Millions of People Affected
01 23456789 10
i i i i i i i i
Millions of People Affected
1 23456 789 10
Millions of People Affected
23456789 10
Illinois
Indiana
Michigan
Minnesota
Ohio
Wisconsin
These compounds are formed by a series
of chemical reactions occurring when
hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides from
automobiles and other emission sources
are exposed to sunlight. Ozone, the
principle constituent, is a severe irritant
to mucous membranes, that can reduce
lung function and aggravate existing
respiratory disorders.
Illinois
Indiana
Michigan |
Minnesota
Ohio
Wisconsin |
Sulfur dioxide results from the
combustion of coal and gas, and is
a by-product in smelting operations.
Sulfur dioxide reacts readily with other
atmospheric pollutants to form sulfates,
a group of compounds that aggravate
respiratory ailments (bronchitis,
emphysema and asthma) and
heart disease.
0 1
i i
Illinois I
Indiana |
Michigan |
Minnesota |
Ohio |
Wisconsin I
NO2 is a brown gas formed during high
temperature combustion (automobile
engines, power plant boilers) and reacts
with hydrocarbons in the presence of
sunlight to produce photochemical
oxidants. NO2 can affect lung tissue,
reduce resistance to disease, contribute to
bronchitis and pneumonia, and aggravate
chronic lung disorders. The Chicago Loop
Area currently exceeds annual primary
standards. Detroit studies indicate a
potential for that city to exceed standards.
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Noise
Noise, considered by many to be the
most neglected form of pollution, is a
particularly pressing problem in Region V.
For our region, despite its rural areas,
contains 25 percent of the nation's urban
population, more than any other region in
the country. The Midwest is the air and
rail transportation center of the U.S., and
it also contains 25 percent of the nation's
industries. All of these factors produce
the noise that pollutes the region.
In a recent nationwide survey, noise was
the number one complaint cited by city
dwellers, with heavy street traffic a close
second. In the same survey, crime came
in from fourth to tenth place. It is noise
caused by motor vehicles that have been
modified to make more noise, automobiles
as well as motorcycles, that hits the
hardest against anyone forced to hear it.
Noise isn't just a mild annoyance. Recent
studies indicate that noise pollution
directly contributes to increased
incidences of heart and circulatory
diseases, mental stress, ulcers, and
digestive disturbances, as well as
temporary or permanent loss of hearing.
The Noise Control Act of 1972 established
a Federal noise-control program and
charged EPA with carrying it out. One part
of that program established standards for
products distributed in commerce, and
regulations for interstate motor carriers
and the transportation industry. The
control of noise was left to state and
local governments, and EPA's Regional
Noise Program assists these entities to
do that job.
In November 1978 the Noise Control Act
was extended by passage of the Quiet
Communities Act. This places greater
emphasis on assisting state and local
governments to begin and to expand
noise-control programs by providing
grants for projects, technical assistance
centers, and the like.
Region V's Noise Program sees increasing
interest in addressing the sometimes
intolerable insult of noise. The regional
Noise Program is presently working with
more than 100 Midwest communities to
start or expand their noise-control
programs. It has developed a Light Motor
Vehicle Noise Control Ordinance that
addresses the problem of noise from
motorcycles, cars, vans, and lightweight
trucks. This ordinance, which is in
effect in several cities in Ohio, Indiana,
and Wisconsin, is enforced by police
officers who use sound-level meters at
the same time they use radar to monitor
vehicles' speed and issue citations for
either offense.
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A pilot program for
noise control that
was developed with
local officials in
Galena, Illinois is
being adopted by
other cities in the
region and in the
nation. The noise-
control traffic sign
that was developed
for this program by Region V is now on
the streets of more than 11 cities across
the country. The sign's purpose is to
remind everyone, especially those persons
who have modified their vehicles, to drive
quietly when they enter a community that
is enforcing an active anti-noise program.
(Camera-ready copies of this sign are
available to local officials who contact
EPA's Region V Noise Program.)
The regional Noise Program also conducts
Environmental Noise Workshops to
acquaint public officials with information
about noise control, ordinance
development, enforcement, and benefits
to the public. It also provides on-site
assistance and training in noise
measurement and enforcement, lends
support at public hearings, and provides
assistance in combating noise problems
peculiar to one area. EPA also provides
both technical and financial assistance to
communities that are part of the national
ECHO (Each Community Helps Others)
noise-control program. Twelve
communities, or some 484,000 people
in Region V, have been served by this
program to date.
90
70
50
30
20
120-140 Siren (10 ft)
120-125 Thunderclap (close)
115-120 Subway
110-120 Discotheque
105-110 Unmufflered motorcycle (15 ft)
100-105 Four engine jet, overhead (1000 ft)
100-105 Chain saw (user)
90 - 95 Snowmobile (user)
90 - 95 Portable jackhammer (10 ft)
85 - 95 Helicopter (100 ft)
85 - 95 Gas lawn mower (user)
80 -100 Industrial manufacturer (worker)
75 - 85 Hairdryer, hand held (user)
70 - 90 Home shop tools (user)
75 - 80 Outboard motor (50 ft)
70 - 75 Television set (normal) (15 ft)
70 - 75 Freeway traffic (normal) (50 ft)
65 - 75 Noisy restaurant
65 - 75 Electric shaver (user)
65 - 75 Sewing machine (user)
60 - 85 Vacuum cleaner (user)
60 - 65 Conversational speech
55 - 60 Suburban neighborhood
55 - 85 Dishwasher (12 ft)
50 - 60 Air conditioning
50 - 55 Clothes dryer (15 ft)
50 - 55 Light auto traffic (100 ft)
45 - 55 Inside average home
35 - 45 Refrigerator
35 - 45 Quiet office
35 - 45 Bedroom
30 - 40 Hospital room
25 • 35 Library
20 - 40 Quiet forest
20 - 30 Soft whisper (15 ft)
The chart above illustrates the approximate
decibel ranges of familiar sounds. (An increase of
only six decibels doubles the perceived sound.)
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Radiation
Radiation is a fact of our everyday lives.
We are constantly being exposed to
naturally occurring radiation in the form of
infrared and ultraviolet rays from the sun,
cosmic radiation from the atmosphere,
and man-made radiation from microwaves
and broadcast signals. We now know that
continuous exposure to radiation that
exceeds acceptable background levels
has health consequences, and it is to this
problem that EPA directs its efforts.
Currently, the greatest public concern
is with hazards inherent in nuclear
technology, largely because this is the
most obvious potential source. Region V
contains 20 operating nuclear-powered
electrical generating plants, with 20 more
under construction and an additional 5
approved and on order. These constitute
one-fifth of the nation's nuclear power
plants. Further, a significant number of
industries and businesses also handle
radioactive materials. EPA, in its nine
years of existence, has established
extremely stringent guide-lines to protect
the general public from radiation exposure
at levels greater than those found in
nature. EPA's Radiation Program provides
technical assistance to states developing
comprehensive radiological control
programs, reviews environmental impact
statements, and examines periodic
operating reports for nuclear facilities.
If necessary, EPA is available for on-site
technical assistance in the event of a
radiation-related incident and for
radioactive waste-disposal problems.
Region V EPA's program collects,
analyzes, and furnishes regional decision-
makers with information on radiation and
how they can protect the public at various
exposure levels. The program also is an
active participant on the Radioactivity
Subcommittee of the International Joint
Commission, the U.S.-Canadian entity that
oversees the cleanup and maintenance of
the Great Lakes.
Each of the six states in Region V must
develop a Radiological Emergency Plan it
can put into effect immediately upon
notification of a radioactive contamination
incident. The Regional EPA office works
closely with the states in developing these
plans and continues to review and help
revise them as new developments occur.
In the event of a serious radiation
incident, officials of EPA's Radiation
Program assist the states in activating
their Emergency Response Plans, provide
on-site assistance and advice, and take
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action in accordance with Federal
regulations to mitigate the problem.
EPA's Radiation Program has established
eight environmental radiation monitoring
stations in our region; they are operated
and maintained by the states. Two of
these stations run continuously and six
are on standby, activated during fallout
conditions such as nuclear reactor
incidents or nuclear weapons testing.
The ultimate disposal of radioactive
wastes concerns hospitals, testing
laboratories, manufacturers, mining
operations, and even individuals licensed
to use radioactive materials. Clearly, the
problems reach beyond nuclear power
plants. One former disposal site for low-
level radioactive wastes is within our
region, in Sheffield, Illinois. It is
continuously monitored by the State of
Illinois to assure that radioactive wastes
do not migrate from the site. Morris,
Illinois is the location of a storage site for
spent nuclear fuel, the only such site in
the U.S. It is continuously monitored by
the operator (General Electric) and the
Illinois Department of Public Health.
Before the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission licenses any new nuclear
facility in the region, personnel of
EPA's Radiation Program review an
environmental impact statement. Possible
effects on the environment are evaluated,
and EPA determines whether or not any
of the effects might endanger the health
and welfare of the population and
recommends any needed modifications.
Nuclear Power Plants
• Operating units (20)
® Under construction (20)
® Ordered units (5)
Major Facilities Handling
Radioactive Materials
Research Laboratories
^Argonne National Laboratory
^Battelle Columbus Laboratory
(§) Fermi Laboratory
@ Mound Facility
Processing Plants
<§|Gaseous diffusion plant
^Uranium hexafloride
conversion plant
Waste Sites
^Nuclear waste disposal site
^Storage facility for spent
reactor fuel
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Pesticides
Author Rachel Carson's concern with the
long-term effects of pesticide overuse was
one of the driving forces behind the
environmental movement in the U.S. In
1972 Congress strengthened the Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide
Act to reduce the presence of such
persistent pesticides as DDT in the
environment, to train farmers and
commercial pesticide applicators,
and to develop alternative ways to deal
with pests.
Almost one-fourth of all pesticides applied
in the U.S. are applied in Region V.
Pesticides play an important and
necessary part in agriculture, but their
misuse can harm the user, either as a
result of inhaling the chemical or
absorbing it through the skin. Long-term
residual effects can contaminate crops
and can later harm people through the
food chain. Wind and runoff from rain
carry pesticides into rivers, streams, lakes,
and groundwater. Many nonspecific
pesticides kill birds, animals, and such
beneficial insects as honeybees, as well
as the intended pests.
As shown in the illustration, continuous
use of some pesticides has shown
decreasing effectiveness; the pests that
survive tend to breed resistant strains.
Through successive generations more
pesticide is therefore needed to deal with
those new strains. One promising new
approach to this problem is the use of
Integrated Pest Management, which
emphasizes the restrained use of
pesticides in combination with natural
controls: using an insect's natural
enemies, sterilizing large numbers of
insects prior to breeding, and disrupting
insects' reproduction patterns.
Congress has authorized EPA to restrict
or prohibit the manufacture, distribution,
and use of certain pesticides that pose
unreasonable hazards. EPA and its state
counterparts, usually Departments of
Agriculture, have set up programs to
regulate pesticides from their manufacture
to application. Comprehensive training
programs to certify applicators who
handle restricted-use pesticides have been
taken by 200,000 persons in Region V who
have then been authorized by the states to
apply restricted-use pesticides safely
and properly.
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As of March,
1979,the
numbers of
commercial
and private
applicators
00 Certified
applicators
00 Trained
applicators
1977
1978
Other EPA programs specifically protect
the region's many seasonal agricultural
workers, whose possible overexposure to
pesticides has resulted in the
establishment of Pesticide Emergency
procedures by EPA's Regional Pesticide
Branch. This program provides for
immediate action in response to
reported pesticide emergencies in order
to reduce medical, public health, and
environmental threats.
EPA's goal, to limit uses of pesticides to
those absolutely necessary, is realistic.
The attainment of that goal will ensure
both continued bountiful crop production
and a significantly safer environment.
The continued annual application of pesticides
has led to a gradual decline in their
effectiveness. This has resulted in an increase
in pesticide application concentrations.
1. An initial application of a pesticide was
made to combat a high concentration of
insects.
2. The pesticide was effective in eliminating
most of the insects However, a few insects
remained, as they had sufficient resistance to
the toxic effects of the pesticide
3. The offspring of the resistant insects
appeared the following year and the pesticide
was again applied in the same quantities.
4 This quantity was clearly less effective as a
greater percentage of the insects were
resistant To eliminate most of the insects,
another application of the pesticide at a higher
concentration will be required
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Solid Waste
Most of us give little thought to what
ultimately happens to our discards, but
perhaps we should. As a nation we
dispose of some 48 billion metal cans, 26
billion glass and plastic containers, and
30 million tons of paper each year. That's
enough to cover the entire surface of Lake
Michigan to a depth of one foot within a
single year. The population of Region V
accounts for 30 percent of these wastes.
As the chart illustrates, these are only the
discards of individuals and therefore are
only a small part of the total
nonhazardous solid waste management
problem. Even greater problems are
caused by the vast amounts of solid
wastes produced by industrial and mining
operations, agriculture, sewage treatment
plants, and other facilities. The effective
collection and proper disposal of solid
wastes is of vital concern to all of us.
It has been common practice for
communities to dispose of solid wastes
by dumping them into lakes and oceans,
burning them, or piling them in open
dumps. Following the passage of the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA) in 1976, EPA accelerated its
national and regional efforts to assist
states in developing comprehensive solid-
waste management programs.
Through a system of grants, Region V's
Waste Management Branch supports
state programs and works with the states
to inventory open dumps. This latter
procedure will help to assure that no
present or future environmental damage
will be caused by obsolete sites. Waste-
management programs are moving away
from open dumping and open burning and
toward conservation and recycling.
Variations in geography, geology,
population density, and climate determine
programs that are best suited to each
community. In addition, the Region V
Waste Management Branch provides
technical assistance to the states and
local communities in resolving their
specific waste-disposal problems.
The use of sanitary landfills is one viable
alternative to open dumps and open
burning of solid wastes, and it is one of
the most common waste-management
systems now in effect. While there
continues to be public opposition to
actual siting of these landfills, EPA's
regional office works with state and local
agencies to help approve proposals for
environmentally sound land-disposal
facilities and alternative systems.
Region V grants to the states also provide
assistance for developing waste-
management plans other than sanitary
landfills. These technologies primarily
involve separating or recovering materials
from municipal waste and using the
remaining burnable portion as a fuel or
alternate energy source.
-------
Utilizing Region V's technical and
financial assistance, states' actions have
reduced or eliminated environmental
damage caused by open dumping and
open burning. These two means of
disposal, once thought to be the most
economical, have proved to be the most
costly in terms of environmental quality
and public health and welfare.
Residential and commercial solid
wastes contribute only 4% to the
overall picture. This seemingly
insignificant figure is better put in
perspective when it is realized that
this is 21,300,000 tons per year
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Solid Waste
Resource Recovery
Each of us produces more than 1,300
pounds of solid waste annually. From
this, low-technology recycling recovers
only about 90 pounds of glass, metal,
and newsprint, but even this small
quantity has economic and environmental
benefits. Resource recovery further
reduces the amount of wastes that require
permanent disposal.
Resource recovery in the United States is
still in its infancy, but operational
prototype projects show great promise.
For instance, one Chicago facility
incinerates a portion of that city's daily
solid wastes and is using the heat
generated for steam that is sold to nearby
local industries. Another Chicago facility
converts a portion of combustible,
residential solid waste into refuse-derived
fuel (RDF) that is sold to Commonwealth
Edison, which burns a combination of
RDF and coal in modified boilers in order
to generate electrical power. The
Americology plant in Milwaukee separates
a portion of that city's solid wastes into
recoverable metals and RDF, selling the
metals to local manufacturers and the
RDF to the local utility company.
In Madison, Wisconsin, discarded
newspapers are collected by the city and
sold on the open market to make new
paper products. Discarded glass
containers can be used to manufacture
road-paving and roofing products. Such
efforts to recover and reuse as many
valuable resources as possible are
gradually spreading throughout our region,
from the individual household level to
industry-wide programs. The legislative
actions of states such as Michigan to
require deposits on cans and bottles,
are prompting other states to consider
similar legislation.
EPA Region V is currently supporting
resource recovery by offering funds to as
many as 11 local communities that are
studying the feasibility of projects that
may process as much as 15,000 tons of
refuse a day and service a combined
population of approximately 10 million.
Part of the President's Urban Policy
Program, these grants are intended to
help communities find alternatives to
landfills and use their wastes rather
than bury them.
Wisconsin
Solid Wast
Recycling
Authority
West
Michigan
Flint/
Genesee®
County
Detroit
Toledo
Metro
Area
Montgomery
® County
Bi-State
elopmen
Agency
(St. Louis)
Operating resource
recovery facilities
Communities that
have been tentatively
selected by EPA to
receive funding for
resource recovery
"project feasibility
studies"
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Hazardous Waste
Hazardous waste management has
become one of Region V's top-priority
programs. These wastes are unavoidable
by-products of our technology which, if
improperly managed, can pose a serious
threat to our health and the environment,
particularly since many of them are not
readily neutralized or destroyed. Such
wastes range from dirty motor oil and
spent batteries to biological hospital
wastes, spent toxic industrial chemicals,
acids, reactive substances, and discarded
explosives. Region V generates nearly
one-quarter of all hazardous waste in the
U.S. and contains 23 percent of all
hazardous waste disposal sites.
For the past 40 years, disposal of
hazardous wastes was largely
unregulated, resulting in abandoned and
inactive disposal sites such as Love Canal
in New York that now threaten to
contaminate our air, water, and food
supplies. EPA has been given
responsibility to develop comprehensive,
cradle-to-grave regulations that require the
use of appropriate disposal and
management programs for control of
these wastes. EPA presently estimates
that 90 percent of the hazardous waste
produced nationally is not managed in a
way that will meet upcoming Federal
standards as set forth under the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act.
The magnitude of the problem is
illustrated more clearly by the fact that
Region V alone produces more than 5.9
million tons of hazardous wastes a year,
or almost 25 percent of all hazardous
waste generated in this country. The rate
at which hazardous waste is generated
nationally by industry continues to grow
at approximately three percent a year.
Working with the states, EPA has
inspected many known dumping sites and
has helped to identify and resolve
potential problems at those sites. In 1979
Region V EPA made preliminary
assessments on 106 sites; corrective
enforcement action is being taken by a
state or other entity on 23 sites. When the
new Federal regulations become effective
permits will be required for all facilities
that treat, store, or dispose of hazardous
waste. It is hoped the states will assume
this permitting, if EPA determines that
their programs meet or exceed the Federal
minimum standards
EPA's Regional Waste Management
Branch is seeking new solutions to the
problems of hazardous wastes. One way
to reduce our dependence on land-
disposal is to increase development of
The map above depicts the estimated number
of generators of hazardous wastes
The bar chart below illustrates the estimated
annual volume of hazardous wastes, which is
growing at a rate of 3% per year. At this rate,
the volume will double in less than 25 years
Illinois
Indiana
Michigan
Minnesota
Ohio
Wisconsin
164,000
waste exchanges. Transporting hazardous
waste to a manufacturing facility that
can effectively use it as a feed stock
or recycle it helps to reduce the
massive amounts of wastes otherwise
requiring disposal.
-------
Water Quality
As individuals, we rely upon our region's
fresh waters as our source of water for
drinking and other daily needs, as well as
for recreational activities such as boating,
fishing, and swimming. Industry also
relies upon fresh water as a basic
resource necessary to many production
activities. Cities and industrial centers
grew around waterways for easy
transportation, for easily obtained
water supplies, and for readily available
waste disposal.
Today many of our fresh waters are
contaminated by toxic chemical-plant
wastes, fertilizers, pesticides, heavy
metals such as lead and cadmium, human
wastes, and other substances that have
entered the water directly or indirectly.
Even atmospheric pollutants can
eventually enter the water.
Two types of pollution sources have
been identified. Industrial facilities and
municipal wastewater treatment plants
discharge pollutants directly into the
water through pipes and channels.
Fourteen thousand of these "point"
sources currently discharge under
pollution control permits in Region V.
"Nonpoint" sources include stormwater
runoff carrying fertilizer and pesticide
residues, septic tank seepage, urban
stormwater, and the like. Within the last
two decades, overall contamination from
point and nonpoint sources has become
so severe that commercial fishing has
been severely restricted and even banned
in certain waters of Region V, and sport
fishing enthusiasts have been warned to
limit the amount of certain fish they eat.
Some beaches have been periodically
closed, as well.
The Clean Water Act Amendments of
1977 set goals to improve water quality
by 1983. EPA was directed to review and
update quality standards for all waters.
Working with the states, EPA has
implemented the National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES),
which requires permits for all point source
discharges. Nonpoint sources are not
permitted. In 1978 Region V became the
first of EPA's ten regions to fully transfer
the responsibility for the NPDES program
to its six states.
Additionally, EPA's commitment extends
to providing funds, $61.7 million to date,
to help 37 areawide and state agencies
plan water quality management activities.
In Fiscal Year 1979 (October 1978 to
September 1979), EPA Region V awarded
$9 million to help its six states run their
water pollution-control programs. EPA has
also provided $9.2 million to help restore
20 lakes in Region V and to protect them
from nonpoint sources of pollution.
-------
The color coded segments on
this map illustrate the relative
water quality of our region's
major rivers.
&f Significant water quality
problems
'•••-' Intermediate and/or
intermittent water quality
problems
MM Infrequent water quality
problems
'-•-* Insufficient data or
streams not evaluated
On the following
two pages the
maps illustrate water
quality for specific
pollutants. Water
quality is based on a
comparison of
physical/chemical data
with recommended
State and Federal
Water Quality Criteria
The arrows indicate the
trend from 1974 data
compared to 1978.
Color coded segments
indicate that an
exceedance of water
quality standards/
criteria has been found
somewhere on that
river, but not
necessarily on the
entire river. Criteria
differences may be a
factor in abrupt
changes at state lines.
Major contributor
to exceedences
Minor contributor
to exceedences
Not a contributor
to exceedences
Insufficient data
or no water
quality standard
Improving water
quality trend
Decreasing water
quality trend
No arrow indicates
no change in trend
or insufficient data
to determine a
trend
Ohio River data analysis
not completed
-------
Water Quality
Bacteria
Inorganic Toxics
Excessive levels of
bacteria
contaminate certain
aquatic life forms
and cause rivers to
be unsafe for
recreation and
human contact
Fecal organisms
in the river indicate
the presence of
sewage or pollution
from humans or other
warm-blooded animals
Phosphorous
Phosphorous in
rivers from urban
waste water and
natural mineral
deposits in soil
have the ability to
stimulate the
production of
algae in the
presence of nitrogen
and can pose a
eutrophication hazard
to relatively slow moving
bodies or water.
This group
includes various
chemical elements
primarily the
"heavy metals"
that are naturally
found in water
and are essential
to life in low
concentrations but
poisonous when
more highly
concentrated
Organic Toxics
Extremely low
concentrations of
organic toxics such as
RGBs and pesticides^
can harm aquatic
life and human
health over long
periods of
exposure Many of
these compounds
are not readily broken
down and can remain
in the water and
sediments for many years
-------
Ammonia
Ammonia is
generally caused
by the biological
breakdown of
natural organics
(such as runoff
from feedlots)
and from runoff
waters containing
fertilizer An
excessive
concentration can be
harmful to aquatic life
pH is a measure of
a water's acidity or
alkalinity Extremes in
pH are generally
harmful to aquatic
life and speed
corrosion
processes on
manmade
structures and
piping
Dissolved Oxygen
A relatively high
dissolved oxygen
concentration in a
river is a measure of
good quality and
indicates that
water can
adequately
support aquatic
life and rapid
bacteria propagation
to assimilate wastes
quickly
Temperature
Temperature
changes govern
the nature of
biological life, the
rate of chemical
reactions, and
the solubility of
gases and solids
in streams As a
rule, high
temperatures
present more pollution
problems than low
temperatures
-------
Water Quality
Wastewater Treatment
One of EPA's major goals is to reduce the
pollutants discharged into waters from
municipal and industrial wastewater
treatment plants, and to eliminate
completely all untreated discharges. Each
industrial facility, city, community, and
individual in our region must share the
responsibility for water pollution, since
all of us contribute contaminants that can
eventually enter our water courses. For its
part of this effort, EPA Region V is
assisting communities through Federal
grants for wastewater treatment systems.
Municipal wastes account for more than
20 percent of the organic pollutant load in
streams and lakes. This load, in turn, is
responsible for the oxygen depletion in
the water.
Since 1973 Region V has assisted with
3,560 separate grants for municipal
pollution cleanup, obligating funds in
excess of $5.4 billion. This makes Region
V's the most extensive environmental
program in the nation. From 1973 through
1978, a total of 786 of these projects had
been completed, with many more near
completion. The largest programs under
way at this time are in the major cities of
Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Indianapolis,
and Milwaukee, all of which have
significant needs to abate water pollution.
EPA is concerned about the secondary
impacts of sewage treatment facility
construction, including the potential for
urban sprawl that new sewer lines make
possible. In Wayne County, Michigan, for
instance, EPA's environmental impact
statement analysis recommended a
modification of the Huron Valley
interceptor project that is commensurate
with the needs of the area but that also
allows for growth.
In addition, alternatives to large regional
treatment systems are being considered.
Cluster systems, improved septic tank
design, and the use of pressure sewers
are just some of these new alternative,
innovative, and, often, low-cost
approaches that EPA funds.
Most industrial and municipal dischargers
have taken steps to comply with state-
administered NPDES permits. In Region V,
as of March 31, 1979, 75 percent of the
525 major industrial dischargers and 55
percent of the 582 major municipal
dischargers were in compliance with these
water permits.
1.5 Billions of
Dollars Obligated
000 Number of
Grants Made
1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978
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Safe Drinking Water
With the Great Lakes, favorable geology,
and good rivers, our Midwestern water
supply is one of the most abundant in a
country known for the safety of its water
supply. Still, at least 4,000 reported cases
of illness each year are linked to drinking
water contamination in the U.S.
The 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act directed
EPA to establish standards of purity for
water-supply systems, with each state
eventually assuming management for
implementing and enforcing that program.
Covered under the Safe Drinking Water
Act is every community water supply that
has 15 or more connections or that serves
more than 25 people daily, such as
restaurants, camping sites, and roadside
motels with their own water supplies.
Region V's Water Supply Branch provides
technical advice, cooperative planning,
and on-site assistance to states and
directly to public water systems. In the
past four years, EPA Region V has given
financial aid of $10 million to help
upgrade state-run drinking water programs.
A new EPA program that addresses
groundwater problems is currently under
way. Groundwater, which is more
abundant than all our lakes, rivers, and
streams, is normally of good quality and
requires less treatment than surface
waters. The new program is aimed at
protecting groundwater sources from
injection of hazardous or toxic wastes.
It establishes control of such injection
and designates sole-source aquifers for
underground systems that are substantial
sources of a drinking water supply and
are particularly sensitive to contamination.
Another Region V program seeks to locate
all pits, ponds, and lagoons that store,
treat, or dispose of liquid wastes and
evaluates any possible impact on
groundwater from those sources.
Suppliers
Volume
While only 7% of our region's drinking water
suppliers obtain their water from surface
sources (lakes and rivers), this number gains
importance when it is realized that surface
sources supply 55% of the total volume of the
region's drinking water.
Number of 00 Total numbers of drinking
Violations
-2000
-1500
water suppliers
Suppliers with
maximum
contaminant
level violations
Suppliers with
monitoring
violations
^-1000
IL IN Ml MN OH Wl
The chart illustrates for 1978 the number of
water suppliers in each state with contaminant
level or monitoring violations
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Water Quality
Wetlands
Despite recent environmental concerns,
many people still think of wetlands as
waste lands. Many land developers see
marshes and bogs as cheap land to be
drained, leveled, and covered with new
construction. Communities see them as
potential new suburbs and a desirable
addition to the tax base once people
can live and work there. Some people see
them as little more than potential tourist
attractions or places to hunt and fish.
But few people stop to appreciate the
vitality and utility of the wetlands.
As a result, more than 70 percent of the
wetlands in the nation have been
destroyed in the last 100 years for housing
developments, roads, airports, dumps, and
other constructions.
Wetlands are biologically productive and
provide the native habitat for plants and
wildlife that can survive nowhere else. But
these fragife and unrecoverable lands
affect each of us even more directly, since
they are an essential part of nature's
system of flood control, erosion control,
and water purification. Acting as natural
sponges and settling ponds, the wetlands
capture excess water runoff to prevent
flooding and reduce silt and suspended
particles in rivers and lakes. It is not
uncommon to find that flooding problems
can become worse as a result of
destroying virgin wetlands when
constructing flood-control projects.
Each year Region V's Office of Federal
Activities, under Section 404 of the Clean
Water Act, reviews approximately 3,000
requests for U.S. Army Corps of Engineer
permits that might directly or indirectly
affect wetlands. Based on EPA review,
many of these proposed projects can be
prohibited, restricted, or modified.
-------
Oil & Hazardous Substances Spills
Based on a four-year average, more than
285,000 gallons of oil escape into our
region's waterways each year. The Council
on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is
responsible for developing a National Oil
and Hazardous Substances Contingency
Plan. Region V EPA has developed a
contingency plan to direct oil and
hazardous substance cleanups on our
inland waters and on commercial
waterways within the region (excluding the
Great Lakes, which are under the
jurisdiction of the U.S. Coast Guard).
This regional contingency plan provides
expedient and coordinated cleanup efforts
for spills into water and waterways. In the
event of a spill, one of six predesignated
coordinators from Chicago, Cleveland,
Detroit, or Minneapolis can be at the site
within four hours. Once at the site, the
coordinator makes certain that the spill
is contained and removed properly and
promptly. He or she then may gather
evidence necessary to establish legal
responsibility for the spill and to
commence subsequent enforcement
actions. In the event of a major spill, a
Regional Response Team works with the
coordinator to manage the situation.
Typically, the Regional Response Team
consists of representatives of the U.S.
Coast Guard, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, and other Federal agencies, all
of whom are on call 24 hours a day.
As a positive step in preventing spills of
petroleum products, vegetable oils, animal
fats, tallows, and similar substances at
the place of manufacture or use, the
Regional EPA office requires processors,
storage facilities, transporters, and users
of these substances to develop and
implement plans that reduce both the
incidence and severity of spills. The on-
scene coordinators, the Emergency
Response Teams, and the regional
contingency plan allow quick and effective
response to spills anywhere in the region.
While improved reporting techniques now
identify more spills that once were
considered inconsequential and therefore
were not reported, the actual number of
spills in Region V is decreasing. In
addition, available technologies used for
cleaning up spills have advanced rapidly.
If you see an oil or chemical spill, you
should report it immediately to the
National Emergency Response Center in
Washington, D.C. The toll-free, all-hours
number is (800) 424-8802.
-------
Water Quality
Great Lakes
ACK LINE
The internationally shared waters of the
Great Lakes constitute the world's largest
system of fresh water. They contain 95
percent of the surface freshwater storage
in the nation and 20 percent of the world's
freshwater storage. More than 45 million
U.S. and Canadian citizens live in the
Great Lakes Basin, the area whose waters
drain into the Great Lakes, and even more
people depend upon the Great Lakes for
their water supplies. Put another way, one-
fifth of the U.S. population — and one-
quarter of U.S. industry — rely upon the
Great Lakes.
At the same time, the Great Lakes have
been among the most abused waters in
our country, and that abuse has had far-
reaching effects. Since the area was first
settled, the Great Lakes have been a
convenient disposal site for every form
of human waste and refuse. Industries,
municipalities, and communities found
it all too easy to discharge toxic
substances, solid refuse and garbage, and
biological wastes into the Great Lakes
and the rivers feeding them. Runoffs from
heavy rains and spring thaws of winter
snows flowed into the streams, rivers, and
the Great Lakes, carrying large amounts
of fertilizers and pesticides with them.
By the late 1960s, worldwide attention
had focused on the severe contamination
and pollution problems in the Great
Lakes, which required direct and
immediate action.
One major contributor to the problem was
phosphate-laden water discharged into the
Great Lakes. Phosphates are found in
animal and human wastes, are used in
laundry detergents to soften water and
remove soil, and in fertilizers to stimulate
plant growth. Unfortunately, phosphates
also stimulate the growth of algae in
water. These algae, when they grow in
excess, lower the oxygen content of the
water, causing such game fish as trout
to die off.
Contamination by toxic substances also
reached critical proportions in the Great
Lakes. High PCS and DDT concentrations
in the bodies of fish taken from Lake
Michigan led to bans of commercial
fishing on that lake and to consumption
advisories for sport fishing. Lake Ontario
developed major problems as a result of
contamination from mercury and other
toxicants discharged into the lake or into
the Niagara River, which flows into Lake
Ontario. Mercury and other toxicants
-------
contaminated the waters and fish of Lake
St. Clair and the St. Clair River. The
insecticide DDT was present in alarming
concentrations in the waters and fish of
the entire Great Lakes ecosystem.
Although the banning of DDT in 1969 and
programs for the control of mercury and
RGBs have lessened these problems, the
residual effects continue today.
EPA, created by the President in 1970,
was the logical Federal agency to be
responsible for the Great Lakes cleanup.
Billions of dollars were set aside to help
towns and cities build modern sewage
treatment facilities and to give industries
a hand with treatment of their wastes.
EPA's Great Lakes National Program
Office (GLNPO), located in Chicago, is
responsible for coordinating the
implementation of the U.S. portion of the
1978 Great Lakes Water Quality
Agreement between the U.S. and Canada.
(The first agreement was signed in 1972,
updating a 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty
between the two countries.) EPA's Region
V Administrator is co-chairman of the
Great Lakes Water Quality Board of the
International Joint Commission (IJC), the
U.S.-Canadian entity with representatives
from the eight states (Minnesota,
Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York) that border
the Great Lakes and from Canada and the
Province of Ontario.
One method of reducing the discharge
of phosphates is to ban the use of high
phosphate detergents. Currently, all
Region V states but Ohio restrict
phosphate content of detergents, and
water quality has shown improvements
where restrictions have been effectively
enforced. Other EPA programs work to
halt the discharge of inadequately treated
sewage, industrial chemicals, toxic and
solid wastes, and other contaminants into
the Great Lakes and the streams and
rivers that empty into the Great Lakes.
EPA also is taking measures to minimize
the contaminants carried into these
waters by runoff from fields and
urban areas.
-24
PCB
'20 Lake
Trout
-16
-12
Coho
Salmon
-8
-4
Bloaters
1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978
It is still too early to be completely
optimistic about the water quality of the
Great Lakes. Toxic substances continue
to pose threats, and so does air pollution,
which contributes a number of pollutants
to the Great Lakes Basin. But there are
improvements. Gone are some of the
worst visible signs of pollution. Industries
and local and state governments have
made considerable improvements in
cleaning up and monitoring their wastes.
But more work is needed if these
favorable trends are to be maintained and
the Great Lakes are to provide high-quality
water for present and future populations.
The graphs above illustrate the average levels
of chlorinated hydrocarbons that were found in
whole fish taken from Eastern Lake Michigan
(near Saugatuck, Michigan).
| | Probably above FDA limit
[ | Probably below FDA limit
Below FDA limit
FDA limits are for the edible (fillet) portion of a
fish For illustrative purposes it is assumed that
whole fish values are approximately twice the
fillet value
-------
Water Quality
Great Lakes
/
Oligotrophic
Oligotrophic/Mesotrophic
Mesotrophic
Eutrophic/Mesotrophic
Eutrophic
Special Problem Area
-------
The adjacent map illustrates the current overall
health of the Great Lakes, from the standpoint
of eutrophication, or aging. Together with the
rivers and streams of the drainage area shown
in white, the waters of this area are vitally
important to the productivity and economic
stability of the region. Rapid growth of algae
has occurred in Lake water enriched by
detergent-laden sewage and runoff from
fertilized lands. As shown on the map, the
enrichment is not uniform. In some areas the
water is "oligotrophic," or clean, having little
algae growth and good levels of dissolved
oxygen to support fish life. In areas just
developing a problem or having a past problem
partially cleaned up, the water is
"mesotrophic," or moderately enriched, with
limited algae growth and a partial shortage of
dissolved oxygen. In other areas, particularly
near population centers, the waters may be
"eutrophic," or highly enriched, with rapid algae
growth and severe or seasonal shortages of
dissolved oxygen.
Lake Superior
The largest of the Great
Lakes, Superior is
also the cleanest. But it
has been plagued
by asbestos-like particles
from taconite mining,
which have gotten into drinking water in the
western arm of the lake and have caused
communities there to install filtration plants,
which previously were not required on Lake
Superior. PCBs have been found in Lake
Superior waters and fish; EPA's GLNPO and
the University of Minnesota are seeking to
define the extent of this new problem and to
determine how effective the PCS ban is in
controlling it
Lake Michigan
The only Great Lake
entirely within U.S.
boundaries, Lake Michigan'
has been hardest hit by
PCB contamination.
Because its extended-
mitten shape creates a cul-de-sac, it requires
many years for water that enters the lake to
find its way out. This means that the lake will
be slow to recover from any degradation that
does occur. This fact, combined with Lake
Michigan's heavy industrial and municipal
pollution, created public alarm 10 years ago.
EPA's intensive water quality studies during
1976-77 found that while the lake degenerated
between 1970 and 1976, conditions have
improved in years since The 1969 ban on DDT
has been very effective; municipal phosphorous
treatment and phosphate detergent bans have
helped to lessen the enrichment problem. Only
nearshore areas and Green Bay, Wisconsin
were not oligotrophic (clean, clear)
Lake Huron
Although still considered
the second cleanest and
second least-troubled of
the five lakes, Lake Huron
faces serious problems in
the Saginaw Bay area. Bay
City and the Saginaw River and its tributaries
have suffered from heavy industrial pollution,
including that from the chemical industry.
Saginaw Bay, however, has shown substantial
improvement during the last few years.
Lake Erie
Shallowest and smallest of
the Great Lakes, Lake Erie
has faced the most
serious, and widely
publicized, pollution
problems. It became
overloaded with nutrients, largely from
municipal wastes and rural runoff but also from
industrial wastes and urban runoff, which
resulted in massive algae blooms. These
blooms interfered with drinking water supplies,
changed the ecological balance within the lake
and interfered with recreation on Lake Erie. By
1966, 65 percent of the bottom water in the
lake's central basin was without oxygen during
the summer months, and many beaches were
closed to swimmers. EPA and the Canadians
are completing the second year of intensive
water quality monitoring of Lake Erie, and there
is some indication the lake is improving.
Municipal phosphorus loads have decreased,
particularly at Detroit. All bordering states but
Ohio have banned high-phosphate detergents;
the looks of Lake Erie and its tributaries have
improved. Sheets of algae are receding and
beaches are being reopened, but major and
continued efforts are still required before
significant improvements will be seen.
Lake Ontario
Since Lake Ontario's water
flows out of Lake Erie and
the heavily polluted
Niagara River, this is the
second most enriched of
the Great Lakes. Portions
of the eastern end of the lake have suffered
oxygen depletion due to nutrients from the Bay
of Quinte. Manufacturing and industrial
facilities in both the U.S. and Canada have
spilled Mirex and other toxic substances into
the Niagara River and Lake Ontario, which in
1978 resulted in a temporary U.S. ban on all
fishing in the lake. Like Lake Erie, some
improvement has been found, but major efforts
still are necessary. To a large degree, these
improvements depend upon improvements in
the other Great Lakes, which supply Lake
Ontario's water.
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For Further Information
If you would like additional information about specific
environmental programs in which EPA is involved, please contact
EPA Region V's Public Affairs Office, 230 S. Dearborn St.,
Chicago, IL 60604, or call (312) 353-2072. This office also
maintains a supply of EPA publications that relate to the various
programs, operates an informal speakers' bureau, and
coordinates regional distribution of environmental films (all free
of charge to the public). If you encounter an environmental
problem, report it first to your local and then to your state
pollution-control agency. (State numbers are listed on this page.)
EPA Region V's numbers for general program information are
listed below.
Each Region V state has environmental agencies to assist
residents of those states with their environmental questions and
problems. If a problem needs to be referred to U.S. EPA Region
V, the state agencies listed below can do that for you—if you
have notified them first. Pollution-emergency numbers, which are
answered after business hours and on weekends, are also listed.
ILLINOIS
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
2200 Churchill Road
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-5562
24-hour number: (217) 782-7860
Air Pollution Programs (312) 353-2212
Automobile Problems INDIANA
Catalytic Converters (202) 426-2464 Indiana State Board of Health
Certifying a Car for Sale (313) 668-4277 1330 W. Washington St.
Fuel Economy (313) 668-4275 Indianapolis, IN 46206
Fuel Switching (202) 472-9368 (317) 633-0260
Imports (202) 472-9413 24-hour number: (317) 633-0144
Tampering with Emission Controls (202)472-9363
Warranty & After-market Parts (202) 472-9350 MICHIGAN
Great Lakes National Program Office (312) 353-2117 Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Hazardous Wastes Program (312) 353-2197 Stevens T. Mason Building
Noise Program (312) 353-2203 Lansing, Ml 48926
Oil and Chemical Spills (517) 373-1214
National Emergency Response Center (800) 424-8802 24-hour number: (517) 373-7660
Region V Emergency Response Center (312) 353-2318
Pesticides Program (312) 353-2192 MINNESOTA
Pesticides Poisoning Emergency (800) 845-7633 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Radiation Program (312) 353-2203 1935 W. County Rd. B-2
Resource Recovery Program (312) 353-2197 Roseville, MN 53113
Solid Wastes Program (312) 353-2197 (612) 296-7373
Toxic Substances Program (312) 353-2291 24-hour number: (612) 296-7373
Water Quality Programs
Wastewater Treatment (312) 353-2121 OHIO
Water Supply (312) 353-2151 Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
Wetlands (312) 353-2307 361 E. Broad St.
Columbus, OH 43215
Other EPA Facilities in Region V: (614) 466-8508
Central District Office (IL, IN, MN, Wl) (312) 353-5638 24-hour number (within Ohio only): (800) 282-9378
Chicago, IL
Eastern District Office (OH/MI) (216) 835-5200 WISCONSIN
Westlake, OH Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Central Regional Laboratory (312) 353-8370 P.O. Box 7921
Chicago, IL Madison, Wl 53701
Environmental Research Laboratory (218) 727-6692 (608) 266-2621
Duluth, MN 24-hour number: (608) 266-3232
Health Effects Research Laboratory (513) 684-7406
Cincinnati, OH
Large Lakes Research Station (313) 675-5000
Grosse He, Ml
Mobile Source Air Pollution Control Laboratory .... (313)668-4200
Ann Arbor, Ml
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P,eglon V, Library
230 South Dearborn
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