U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Great Lakes National Program Office
Significant Activities Report
On the Web at
www.epa.gov/glnpo
March 2002
TOP ISSUES
INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES
• Scientific Exchange with Baltic Sea Scientists
Lake Restoration Plan Updates Set for Earth Day Release
SEDIMENTS
• Tannery Bay Sediment Cleanup to Begin
• Indiana Harbor Dredging Project Continues to Advance
• Initial Risk Assessment of Lower Ottawa River Completed
ECOSYSTEM PROTECTION AND RESTORATION
• Wetland Scientists Meet
• Michigan Wildflower Conference
Natural Landscaping Benefits Explained
Great Lakes Bat and Mine Protection and Restoration Proj ect Lauded
RESEARCH AND MONITORING
• GLNPO Shares Quality Assurance Expertise
Emergency Medical Training for Shipboard Scientists
Spring Survey of Lakes Set to Start
New Lake Erie Study
OUTREACH
Great Lakes Day in Washington
SHEMO on the Loose
GRANTS
FY2002 Grant Proposals Are In!
•Great Lakes National Program Office Significant Activities Report
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Great Lakes
and
Bait ic Sea J
Partnership
Great Lakes and Baltic Sea Partnership
Logo
INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES
Scientific Exchange with Baltic Sea Scientists
On February 21st, Tony Kizlauskas, Marc Tuchman and Karen
Rodriguez of GLNPO kicked-off a workshop of U.S. Great Lakes
and Baltic scientists in Chicago, Illinois as part of the Baltic
Fellows Program. This program facilitates the exchange of
""" tjlL ft 7 expertise on environmental issues between Great Lakes and Baltic
^^ HwijpP }** environmental professionals and scientists. This is beneficial to
Wk both sides, since the Great Lakes and the Baltic Sea face similar
m Jggf, x-v^ environmental threats. Tony Kizlauskas gave an introduction to
the Great Lakes and the Great Lakes Program. Marc Tuchman
and Karen gave a joint presentation on the background of
Invasive Species issues in the Great Lakes. The workshop
specifically focused on Invasive Species issues, with other presenters from the Great Lakes
Commission; Illinois/Indiana Sea Grant; and Wisconsin Sea Grant. The Baltic Fellows also
provided a brief overview of their respective activities. After their Chicago workshop, the Baltic
scientists traveled to Washington, DC to visit with USEPA scientists there.
More information on the Great Lakes and Baltic Sea Partnership and the Baltic Fellows Program
is available on the Internet at:
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/baltic/index.html.
(Tony Kizlauskas, 312-353-8773, kizlauskas.anthony(q),epa.gov; Marc Tuchman, 312-353-1369,
tuchman.marc(q),epa.gov; Karen Rodriguez, 312-353-2690, rodriguez.karen(a),epa.gov)
Lake Restoration Plan Updates Set for Earth Day Release
On Earth Day - April 22nd, 2002 - the Lakewide Management Plan 2002
Updates for Lakes Superior, Erie, Huron, Michigan and Ontario are
scheduled for release. These updates will report on the progress made
over the last two years in achieving the goals and objectives of the 2000
Lakewide Management Plans (LaMP). In accordance with the directive
from the Binational Executive Committee, LaMP updates are to be
released every two years to track the progress of critical pollutant
reduction and ecosystem system restoration and protection. The LaMP
2000 document presented a strategic ecosystem management plan for
each lake and detailed projects and processes designed to achieve the
overall goals.
I
North Shore of Lake Superior
In reporting progress, each LaMP emphasizes different programs and
projects, reflecting the unique priorities and characteristics of each lake. Lake Superior, for
example, concentrates on the progress of "zero discharge" of nine critical pollutants, and on the
development of the broader ecosystem objectives - especially sustainability. Lake Huron reports
on contaminated sediment dredging and remediation activities in Saginaw Bay, environmental
•Great Lakes National Program Office Significant Activities Report
2
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indicators, and the development of a GIS-decision support system to better manage important
tributary habitat. The Lake Michigan LaMP has proven a leader in the area of beach closings,
monitoring and education/outreach. Lake Erie reports on its preliminary selection of an
ecosystem alternative, the dynamic status of its aquatics, fisheries and habitats, and its future
plans for LaMP implementation. Lake Ontario reports on adoption of ecosystem indicators for
the lake; beneficial use impairments; current status of levels of critical pollutants; sources and
loadings of critical pollutants; and trackdown/remedial actions in the watershed. (Lake Superior:
Elizabeth LaPlante, 312-353-2694, laplante.elizabeth(q),epa.gov; Lake Michigan: Judy Beck,
312-353-3849, beck.judy(q),epa.gov: Lake Huron: James Schardt, 312-353-5085,
schardt.james(q),epa.gov; Lake Erie: Dan O 'Riordan, 312- 312-886-7981,
oriordan.daniel(q),epa.gov: Lake Ontario: Barbara Belasco, 212-637-3848,
belasco. barbara(a),eya.sov)
SEDIMENTS
Tannery Bay Sediment Cleanup to Begin
A Consent Agreement was reached between the Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality and Genesco, Inc. to remediate over 70,000 cubic
yards of contaminated sediments in White Lake, Michigan. The
agreement calls for Genesco to contribute $3.5 million and the State to
provide $3.1 million in Clean Michigan Initiative Funds. In an effort to
help jump start the project, GLNPO provided a $500,000 grant in 1999
to MDEQ towards the cleanup. The State's consultant is currently
developing the bids and specs for the project, with dredging slated to
begin in mid-May of 2002. (Marc Tuchman, 312-353-1369,
tuchman. marc(a),et>a.£ov)
White Lake Public Advisory
Committee Logo
Indiana Harbor Dredging Project Continues to Advance
The project to restore navigation depths and remove some of
the most grossly contaminated sediments in any U.S.
waterway is advancing toward start-up. The Indiana Harbor
Canal in Northwest Indiana was last dredged in 1972 and
extensive contaminated sediment deposits have built up from
past discharges from heavy industry in the area. Extensive
monitoring will accompany the project in order to safeguard
the public and the environment from the dredging project.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is conducting background
air contaminant sampling at the dredged material disposal site.
This data will be compared to air monitoring data collected after dredging and disposal of
Indiana Harbor sediments begins at the site to determine if future dredging and disposal activities
are impacting local air quality. USEPA Region 5's Air Monitoring Branch (George Bollweg and
Motria Poshyvanyk) have provided significant support on this project and is working closely
with the Corps to review the data and develop screening-level values to include on the web site
for comparison purposes.
Indiana Harbor Canal Entrance
•Great Lakes National Program Office Significant Activities Report
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Ottawa River, Ohio
The Corps of Engineers has posted the results from their initial round of background air
contaminant sampling on their Web site http://www.lrc.usace.army.mil/topics/IHC/air/main.htm.
Initial review of the data indicates that the air contaminant concentrations are comparable to
other urban areas in the U.S. (Scott Cieniawski, 312-353-9184, cieniawski.scott(q),epa.gov)
Initial Risk Assessment of Lower Ottawa River Completed
An "Ecological Screening-Level Risk Assessment of the
Lower Ottawa River" was completed under GLNPO grant
GL975080 by the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of
Governments. The study evaluated potential risk for wildlife
and aquatic life for multiple segments of the lower nine miles
of the Ottawa River near Toledo, Ohio. The report's findings
indicate that lead and PCBs consistently exceeded the
standard hazard quotient of 1.0 along multiple river miles for
both wildlife and aquatic life. It was noted that PCB and
lead hot spots were not co-located, suggesting different
sources of contamination within the river. It is
recommended that this area be further evaluated to test whether the chemicals of concern at this
site are truly having an impact and to help prioritize further remedial options. (Demaree Collier,
312-886-0214, collier.demaree(q),epa.gov)
ECOSYSTEM PROTECTION AND RESTORATION
Wetland Scientists Meet
The Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands Consortium's Project
Management Team met during the first day of a 3-day Regional
Workshop on Bioassessment of Wetlands held at Kellogg
Biological Station near Kalamazoo, Michigan from March 4th to
6th. Several presenters updated the group on efforts to develop a
| Geographic Information System-based inventory of coastal
wetlands from existing (but often incompatible) data sources, a
statistical framework for designing a monitoring plan, and other
Great Lakes coastal projects funded by EPA's Office of Research
and Development. Collaborators on upcoming pilot studies also
had the opportunity to coordinate work planned for the coming field season. Consortium
members also participated in the session the second morning on bioassessment of Great Lakes
coastal wetlands, which included discussions on the use of coastal wetland plant and invertebrate
assemblages to develop Indices of Biological Integrity. The bioassessment workshop was
sponsored by USEPA Region 5, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, and
Michigan State University. (Duane Heaton, 312-886-6399, heaton.duane(q),epa.gov)
Wetland in Illinois Beach State Park
•Great Lakes National Program Office Significant Activities Report
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Michigan Wildflower Conference
GLNPO staff were invited to speak at the 15th Annual Michigan
Wildflower Conference on March 4th at the Kellogg Center in East
Lansing, Michigan. The audience of about 150 people heard a
presentation describing the concept of Biodiversity Investment Areas
developed for the State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conferences, an
assessment of the values and condition of some of those areas, and a
description of stewardship activities that people who are investing in
these areas are undertaking around the basin. Well received, the presentation generated
discussions about the Detroit River National Wildlife Refuge as the newest protection effort in
the region, the use of indicators to measure positive change in these areas, and plans to identify
inland Biodiversity Investment Areas. (Karen Rodriguez, 312-353-2690,
rodrisuez. karen(a),eya. sov)
Blackeyed Susans
Natural Landscaping Benefits Explained
, ; On February 19th, GLNPO, in partnership with Openlands Project and
f Chicago Wilderness, hosted the Natural Landscaping Roundtable for
Large Properties. During this two-hour breakfast meeting, water and air
quality and stormwater control benefits from natural landscaping topics
were covered. Participants learned about the various programs promoting
natural landscaping such as the Clean Air Counts Campaign (Delta
Institute) and Corporatelands Program (Openlands Project) and how
New England Asters natural landscaping fits into the efforts of Chicago Wilderness. A case
study of natural landscaping at Tellabs corporate campuses was followed by dynamic discussion.
Forty people attended the meeting including representatives from corporations, utilities and
sanitary districts. Each participant received a packet of information containing natural
landscaping tools including fact sheets, a video, and a native plant CD. Followup to the meeting
has included discussions with three large landowners about new natural landscaping projects.
On March 6th, GLNPO staff conducted a workshop session on Natural Landscaping as part of the
Indian General Assistance Program conference. Participants learned about the environmental
benefits of natural landscaping as well as the variety of tools available to promote natural
landscaping. Each participant received a packet of information including fact sheets, a video, and
a native plant CD. (Danielle Green 312-886-7594, green.danielle(q),epa.gov)
Great Lakes Bat and Mine Protection and Restoration Project Lauded
More than 25 mines were surveyed for bats during the winters of 1999/2000 and 2000/2001.
Fourteen gates were constructed at ten different mine sites. An estimated 400,000 bats have
been protected by this project. In addition, reopened and protected mines offer hundreds of
miles of additional mine passage, allowing bat populations to expand. Some bats consume large
quantities of insect "pests," thereby reducing the need for application of chemical pesticides in
the Great Lakes basin.
•Great Lakes National Program Office Significant Activities Report
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The project's successes have gained national recognition. National Geographic Radio
Expeditions was so excited by the bats and mines work that their reporters crawled down mine
shafts, interviewed the Michigan partners, and recorded enough tape for a two-part series that
aired June 5 and 6, 2001 on National Public Radio's Morning Edition, with more than six million
listeners.
Classroom presentations, local lectures, community events, and local media coverage have also
raised awareness. Nearby towns and communities have benefitted by learning why bats that live
in their "backyard" are so important.
On a state and national level, Bat Conservation International produced the Bats of the Great
Lakes Poster and distributed more than 10,000 copies to Great Lakes state agencies, federal
government agencies, local tourist mines, and schools. The poster shows the types of bats found
in the region, explains why bats are important to our economy and environment, and why bats
hibernate in mines of the Great Lakes region.
A feature article about Great Lakes Bats and Mines was published in BATS Magazine (Winter
2000). Each issue reaches 15,000 people quarterly. (John Schneider, 312-886-0880,
Schneider.john(q),epa. gov)
RESEARCH AND MONITORING
GLNPO Shares Quality Assurance Expertise
GLNPO's Quality Assurance Manager participated in a team training session to over 120
employees in the USEPA Office of Water's Office of Science and Technology during the week
of February 25th. Six separate 2-hour sessions were given during a three-day period. Material
presented from GLNPO's Quality System included its graded approaches for assistance
agreements as well as GLNPO's internal documentation process for review and approval of
quality documentation. Three different examples of GLNPO Quality Documentation were
presented that covered modeling, secondary data, and research and monitoring for invasive
species. The examples used were GLNPO's "Great Lakes Sediment Data Support" written by
Scott Cieniawski and Demaree Collier of GLNPO, the "Lake Erie Total Phosphorus Loads,
1996-2000," written by David Dolan through GLNPO Project Officer David Rockwell, and the
"Influence of Physical Factors and Exotics on Diporeia" written by GLNPO Project Officer
Robert Beltran. (LouBlume, 312-353-2317. bliime.loiiis(q),epa.gov)
•Great Lakes National Program Office Significant Activities Report
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Emergency Medical Training for Shipboard Scientists
From March 4th through 7th, GLNPO scientific staff participated in
intensive emergency medical training. The Emergency Medical
Response Training course was taught by staff from the George
Washington University Hospital. Among the activities were many
real-life scenarios requiring diagnosis and treatment of injuries and
medical emergencies. Everyone was trained to start an IV, and
administer medication and oxygen, etc. The most physically taxing
portion of the training was carrying an adult, on a backboard, up from
the engine room. All of this training is necessary preparation for a
shipboard emergency aboard the GLNPO 180-foot research vessel, the
R/VLake Guardian, since medical help may not be readily available
when the vessel is far from port. (PaulHorvatin, 312-353-3612,
GLNPO Scientists Practice
Emergency Medical
Procedures
horvatin.paul(q),epa. gov)
Spring Survey of Lakes Set to Start
The Spring Water Quality Survey gets underway on March 27th
and will run through May 6th. All the Great Lakes will be visited,
with samples being taken to assess their chemical and biological
| health. During the survey, USEPA Region 2, along with
Canadian and US scientists, will sample contaminants in the air
and water of the Lake Ontario basin from aboard GLNPO's 180-
foot state-of-the-art research ship, the R/VLake Guardian. The
work will aid the science component of the Lake Ontario LaMP.
This begins what will be a very busy season for the Lake
Guardian and GLNPO scientists. (Glenn Warren,
312-886-2405, warren.glenn(a),epa.gov)
R/V Lake Guardian
New Lake Erie Study
Nearshore Lake Erie
Following up on the December 2001 meeting of leading Lake Erie
scientists from the U.S. and Canada, hosted by GLNPO, (See the
January 2002 Significant Activities Report), a Request for
Proposals (RFP) was issued on January 14th, to support research
into increasing phosphorus concentrations and decreased oxygen
levels in Lake Erie. In response, a proposal was received from a
consortium of 22 U.S. and Canadian scientists. The proposal is
currently being reviewed.
Great Lake scientists became concerned over an increasing Lake Erie "dead zone, " essentially
devoid of oxygen in the Summer. Preliminary 2001 data shows dissolved oxygen concentrations
in Lake Erie's central basin to be near the worst observed during the last 5 years, despite
international success in reducing phosphorus loadings, phosphorus concentrations in the lake are
increasing (observed through U.S. and Canadian monitoring). Reducing phosphorus loads should
have reduced algae production and decomposition (which removes oxygen from the water), and
•Great Lakes National Program Office Significant Activities Report
7
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resulted in higher dissolved oxygen concentrations. To understand and address this situation,
GLNPO is shifting its program to develop missing information such as external phosphorus load
calculations (completed in December); convene researchers to further explore the biological
effects being seen in Lake Erie (also completed in December); initiate the special study for
which the RFP was issued and the proposal was received; and integrate research and
management efforts through the Lake Erie Lake Management Plan. (Glenn Warren,
312-886-2405, warren.glenn(q),epa.gov)
OUTREACH
Great Lakes Day in Washington
USEPA's Great Lakes National Program Manager, Tom Skinner,
addressed the Congressional Briefing which was part of the annual
Great Lakes Day in Washington, DC. This year's event took place
on March 14th. Tom laid out the plans of the U.S. Great Lakes
Federal, State, and Tribal environmental and resource agency
partners to protect and restore the Great Lakes. He described how
the partners would work more closely and how they would increase
accountability to ensure that their collective efforts were really
having a positive impact on the Great Lakes ecosystem. Other
participants in the briefing included John Mills, Tom's counterpart
at Environment Canada. John discussed how the Great Lakes Water
Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada (the
cornerstone of the binational Great Lakes Program) could be
strengthened. (Tony Kizlauskas, 312-353-8773,
kizlauskas. anthony(a),epa. gov; Vicki Thomas, 312-886-6942,
Tom Skinner, USEPA Great Lakes
National Program Manager
thomas. vicki(q),epa.gov)
SHEMO on the Loose
On May 2nd, Paul Bertram and Nancy Stadler-Salt have been invited to
Qw present SHEMO to several classes of students at the Rouge River Water
^^ Festival. The festival is a one-day interactive experience for nearly 3000
Jf&( JB 5th graders from the Detroit area, University of Michigan-Dearborn.
SHEMO is a whimsical way to tell the "Story of the Great Lakes" from
J*\ their creation to the present day. Paul and Nancy's presentations have
^& ^— been well-receive by young and old. SHEMO debuted at the 1996 State
SHEMO of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference in Buffalo, New York. Although the
story is told in a light-hearted rhyme, it has a deeper, more important
meaning: relating how the Great Lakes were brought to the brink of collapse by pollution and
restoration efforts to bring them back to health. (Paul Bertram, 312-353-0153,
her tram. t>aul(a),et>a. sov)
•Great Lakes National Program Office Significant Activities Report
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GRANTS
FY2002 Grant Proposals Are In!
GLNPO received 192 proposals seeking $20.2 million in funding in response to its December
20th, 2001 competitive grant solicitation. There is $2.9 million available for projects to be
awarded from Fiscal Year 2002 funding. The "FY2001-2002 USEPA Great Lakes National
Program Office Request for Proposals/Funding Guidance" (Funding Guidance) requested that
Proposals be developed in the areas of (I) Contaminated Sediments; (ii) Pollution Prevention and
Reduction; (iii) Ecological (Habitat) Protection and Restoration; (iv) Invasive Species; (v)
Habitat Indicator Development; and (vi) Strategic or Emerging Issues. More than 1,500
postcards were mailed, an announcement was made to the "GLIN-Announce" and NACD
listservers, notice was published in the Federal Register, and reminders were distributed on
February 8th and 11th via e-mail and GLIN-announce. The RFP is available on the Internet from
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/fund/2002guid. The following tables summarize proposal
submissions for the past 3 years:
y Type of Organization Submitting Proposal
Type of
Organization
State Agencies
Universities
Federal Agencies or
Research Centers
Tribal
Organizations
Counties,
Municipalities, and
Special Purpose
Districts
Not-for-profits and
Others
Totals
FY2000
(Number and Percent
of Total)
39/15%
86/33%
38/15%
6 / 2%
26/10%
66 / 25%
261
FY2001
(Number and Percent
of Total)
53 / 22%
81/33%
30 / 12%
4 / 2%
30 / 12%
44/18%
242
FY2002
(Number and Percent
of Total)
30/16%
74 / 39%
10/5%
6 / 3%
18/9%
54 / 28%
192
•Great Lakes National Program Office Significant Activities Report
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By Subject Category
Category
Contaminated
Sediments
Pollution
Prevention and
Reduction
Ecological (Habitat)
Invasive Species
Strategic/Emerging
Issues
Indicators
FY2000
(Number and
Requested Funding)
65/$10.3M
61/$5.9M
71 / $6.2M
30/$2.9M
34/$5.4M
n/a
FY2001
59/$9.1M
36/$2.5M
55/$5.1M
29 / $2.3M
40/$5.3M
23/$2.5M
FY2002
51/$8.4M
31/$2.5M
49/$3.9M
27/$2.5M
29 / $2.8M
4 / $170,000
By Lake Affected by Proposed Project
Lake*
Erie
Huron
Michigan
Ontario
Superior
# Proposals
90
58
98
67
77
Funding Requested
$10.3M
$5.7M
$9.9M
$6.8M
$7.6M
*Each Lake's total below includes 41 proposals applicable to "All Lakes."
The proposals received in the FY2002 GLNPO Grant Proposals solicitation are listed at
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/fund/2002guid/proposals2002.html. (Mike Russ, 312-886-4013,
russ. michael(a),et>a. sov)
•Great Lakes National Program Office Significant Activities Report
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