Significant Activities Report:
July 2005

Comments can be made in a variety of ways, including by mail, online, or by delivering them in person at one of the six public meetings scheduled around the basin in July and August. The deadline for comments is September 9, 2005.

All written comments will be reviewed and considered as the Strategy is revised this Fall. The Strategy will be finalized and released on December 12, 2005 at Summit II in Chicago, Illinois. For complete details view the Strategy and the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Web Sites. Also, see related stories on the President’s Executive Order on the Great Lakes, the Great Lakes Interagency Task Force, and the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration in the December 2004 and January 2005 issues of the Significant Activities Report.

Contact: Nancy Guiden, U.S. EPA - GLNPO (312) 353-5006

Summer Organics Survey

From July 24^th through 31^st, Dr. Matt Simcik and his staff, along with GLNPO’s Melissa Hulting and Marvin Palmer collected samples from Lake Michigan for organic contaminants and mercury in water and air. The sampling was part of a revisit of the Lake Michigan Mass Balance Study and is designed to provide follow-up data to compare to predictions of contaminants in water and fish derived from an ecosystem model for Lake Michigan. This was the second survey this year addressing organic contaminants in the Lake. Seven stations were visited (bad weather prevented sampling at an eighth station): large-volume water samples and 12-hour air samples were taken for PCBs, pesticides, PAHs, PBDEs, PFOS and PFOA, and current use pesticides including triazine herbicides (atrazine, etc.).

Persistent bioaccumulative toxic (PBT) substances may increase the risk of cancer, birth defects and neurological and developmental problems through long-term, low-level exposure. GLNPO has been collecting data on PBTs in air and fish since 1990 and 1970, respectively. Data documenting PBT concentrations in the open water is needed to accurately estimate the net amount of PBTs entering the Great Lakes from the air and to determine how elevated fish tissue levels relate to the PBT levels in the water.

Contact: Melissa Hulting, U.S. EPA - GLNPO (312) 886-2265

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Hog Island Cleanup Update

The Great Lakes Legacy Act-funded Hog Island sediment remediation project got underway at the end of June 2005 in Superior, Wisconsin. The project is a joint effort between GLNPO and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Activities in July included site preparation (trailer setup and fences installed; grubbing areas of the site for road construction, getting power and phone service to the site, etc), site dewatering, and stream diversion. The sediments in the creek and the pond will be dredged in the dry, so the first steps were dewatering and stream diversion. The creek flow was diverted via pipes and temporary flow redirection.

The uncontaminated area of the pond was separated from the contaminated portion utilizing temporary hydro-dams. A steel, sheet-pile retaining wall was installed at the outlet of the pond to Superior Harbor. After hydro-dam installation, the uncontaminated, surface water from the pond was pumped over the sheet-pile wall into the harbor. Once the inlet was isolated, any fish in this area were essentially trapped. Therefore, as the water was being drawn down attempts were made to rescue valued fish trapped in this area. Throughout the dewatering process, over a couple of weeks, the WDNR sent out crews to capture fish in inlet and transfer them back into the open water of Lake Superior. They used boats equipped with shocking equipment (which temporarily stuns the fish and brings them to the surface) as well as seined and dip nets to capture the fish. When possible nonnative species (such as ruffe and gobies) were identified and either destroyed or not removed from the inlet. By the end of these efforts, over 1,700 fish were rescued from the inlet and returned to the open waters. Rescued fish included game fish like walleye, northern pike and catfish, pan fish like rock bass, crappie, and yellow perch and valued native rough fish like red horse and white suckers. Additionally, freshwater clams and turtles were rescued as part of the effort. Following completion of the fish rescue effort, the remaining water is being pumped, treated and sent to the local wastewater treatment plant. Once the dewatering operations are complete, sediments will be dredged, treated and sent via truck to the local landfill.

Contact: Scott Ireland, U.S. EPA - GLNPO (312) 886-8121

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Corps-GLNPO Agreement Signed

On July 21^st, GLNPO and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Great Lakes and Ohio River Division entered into a Memorandum of Agreement, establishing a mutual framework for coordination on Great Lakes sediment projects. The Agreement formalizes the two organizations’ long-standing partnership and coordination efforts in Great Lakes protection and restoration projects.

Contact: Scott Cieniawski, U.S. EPA - GLNPO (312) 353-9184

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Lake Superior Environmental Stewardship Awards

U.S. Recipients of Lake Superior Stewardship Awards (from left) Lynnell Hanson, Executive Director, St. Louis River Citizen Action Committee, Duluth, MN; Bill Bussey, Safety Director, Lake Country Power, Virginia, MN; John Twiest, Lineman, Grand Marais Public Utilities, Grand Marais, MN; Benjamin Grumbles, USEPA Assistant Administrator for Water, awards presenter; Bill Bennett, CEO, LHB Inc, Dulth, MN; Sarah Cron, Operations Manager, Cooperative Light and Power, Two Harbors, MN; and Joe Stepun, Duluth, MN. Not pictured: Western UP Center for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education, Houghton, MI (Photo courtesy of Lissa Radke)

Resident exchanging a burn barrel for a rain barrel in the “Barrel for a Barrel” program to reduce air pollution from the use of barrels to burn garbage.

The Lake Superior Binational Program announced the winners of its second annual Environmental Stewardship Awards program, administered by the Lake Superior Binational Forum. The Awards Program highlights successful efforts by youth, individuals, industry, businesses, and organizations to protect and restore the natural resources in the Lake Superior basin in the United State and Canada. This year’s winners were:

• Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Math, and Environmental Education of Houghton, Michigan
• Sir Winston Churchill Centre for Environmental Education of Thunder Bay, Ontario
• Joe Stepun, Western Lake Superior Sanitary District of Duluth, Minnesota
• Lake Country Power, Cooperative Light and Power, and Grand Marais Power Utilities, LHB Inc. of Duluth Minnesota
• St. Louis River Citizen Action Committee of Duluth, Minnesota.

Six of the seven U.S. recipients were recognized in a ceremony in Duluth, Minnesota at the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Meeting Summit I meeting on July 7^th. Ben Grumbles, Acting Administrator of the USEPA’s Office of Water in Washington DC, presented the awards at the Leif Erickson Rose Garden near Lake Superior.

Contact: Elizabeth LaPlante, U.S. EPA - Region V (312) 353-2694

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Barrel for a Barrel 

In a related project (see previous article), to encourage residents to get rid of a liability like a burn barrel and exchange it for an asset like a rain barrel, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency held a barrel exchange event in Duluth, Minnesota in July. Residents were required to sign a “No Trash Burning” Pledge and bring in their actual burn barrel or a photo of their burn pile in order to get a high quality rain barrel. Bayside Recycling assisted during the exchange and offered pick-up service from the elderly and disabled residents who were interested in exchanging their barrels. About 50 burn barrels were turned in and 64 rain barrels were exchanged for burn barrels and photos of burn pits. People were encouraged to take literature to share with friends and neighbors and about 30 registered with the MPCA to take part in a thermostat swap where they will bring in a mercury thermostat in exchange for a digital thermostat. A second exchange is being planned in a different location.

 Contact: E. Marie Wines U.S. EPA - GLNPO (312) 886-6034

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PCB Reduction Awards 

An article appeared in the July 2005 edition of Canadian Hazmat Management magazine, reporting on the Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy awards to two Ontario-based companies, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and General Motors of Canada (GM Canada), for their achievements in eliminating polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from their inventory of electrical equipment. OPG received a recognition plaque for its Nanticoke Generating Station, and GM Canada for its St. Catharines Powertrain Operations Plant. The awards had been presented in May in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy Semi-Annual Stakeholders Meeting, recognizing contributions to meeting the goals of the Great Lakes Binational Toxics Strategy. The full article can be accessed at:

http://www.hazmatmag.com/issues/ISarticle.asp?id=165823&story_id=86843142341&issue=06012005

Contact: Tony Martig, U.S. EPA - Region V (312) 353-2291

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Rolling Burn Barrel Billboard

As part of a GLNPO grant that was awarded to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the St. Louis County Solid Waste Department kicked off a series of projects to reduce open burning. The first project was to paint a billboard discouraging open burning on the sides of the Solid Waste Department’s hazardous waste truck. Other projects will include open burning brochures for the county fair, a new open burning video for training rural firefighters and three stationary billboards. The truck is used primarily for rural household hazardous waste collections around the St. Louis County Solid Waste Management Area. This 6,500 square mile area is located in northeastern Minnesota and has a population of 91,000. The county’s Solid Waste Department recycling rate of 57% far exceeds the state mandated goal of 25% and the Department operates the St. Louis County Regional Landfill, five transfer stations, and 18 canister sites.

Contact: E.Marie Graziano, U.S. EPA - GLNPO (312) 886-6034

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Lake Michigan Boat Tour 2005

The “Making Lake Michigan Great” 2005 Tour of the W.G. Jackson research and education vessel reached three ports in southern Lake Michigan in the week of June 26^th to July 1^st. Over 340 people participated in events on the tour funded by GLNPO’s Lake Michigan Lakewide Management Plan Program. On its way to Indiana, the vessel docked at the South Haven Municipal Marina and nearly a hundred people attended a dockside open house. Activities in the Port of Indiana – Burns Harbor included an educator workshop and two cruises for the general public. A three-day educator workshop, Great Lakes Institute, was planned around the Jackson visit. Partners for this stop included the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Indiana Dunes Environmental Learning Center, and the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Kim Swift of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore took the lead in organizing the workshop. Mark Gleason from Michigan Tech brought an ROV (remotely operated vehicle) equipped with a video camera onboard the Jackson to view underwater life. Originally one public cruise was planned, but another was added since there was a waiting list. Over 80 people took advantage of the opportunity to board the Jackson. Next, the ship made a two-day stop in Hammond, Indiana. The visit was coordinated with Randy Wiseman of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Alex DaSilva of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. Randy arranged a day-long workshop at the Hammond Marina that included Illinois and Indiana educators. GLNPO’s Judy Beck (Lake Michigan Team Manager) and Joy Schnackenbeck attended the teachers’ session and boat tour workshop. Alex oversaw the public tours. About 162 people were able to get out on Lake Michigan on the Jackson.

Contacts: Judy Beck, U.S. EPA - Region V (312) 353-3849
or Laura Evans, U.S. EPA - GLNPO (312) 886-0851

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Community Involvement Conference

GLNPO’s Judy Beck and Joy Schnackenbeck attended the 2005 USEPA Community Involvement Conference and Training from July 12^th to 15^th in Buffalo, New York. Judy Beck along with Tanya Cabala, former White Lake Remedial Action Plan Chair and Kathy Evans, former Michigan Statewide Public Advisory Council Chair, presented the Great Lakes Lakewide Management Plan and Remedial Action Plan programs which were a good fit for the conference theme of “Building Bridges Through Strong Partnerships.” The session was very well attended and received. One of the field trips offered was a trip to GLNPO’s 180 foot research ship, the R/V Lake Guardian where Paul Horvatin, Monitoring Branch Chief was conducting tours. Region 2 also had a Great Lakes display.

Contact: Judy Beck, U.S. EPA - Region V (312) 353-3849

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National Marine Educators Association Meets

GLNPO’s Beth Hinchey Malloy spoke at the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) Annual Meeting on July 16^th. Her presentation was entitled “Bringing the Great Lakes into the classroom through outreach aboard the GLNPO’s R/V Lake Guardian” and included GLNPO co-authors Paul Horvatin and Glenn Warren. NMEA is an association of marine and freshwater professionals in education, science, business, government, museums, and aquariums.

Beth’s talk was attended by Chicago-area high school teachers, Great Lakes Sea Grant Education specialists, and Great Lakes university educators. The high school teachers received copies of the Great Lakes Environmental Atlas, Great Lakes Great Minds, and the 2005 Great Lakes Resource CD.

Contact: Beth Hinchey Malloy, U.S. EPA - GLNPO (312) 886-3451