On the Issues
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CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTS Contaminated sediments are found throughout the tributaries flowing into the Great Lakes, and cleaning up these sediments is important for human health and ecosystem health. Unfortunately, the Great Lakes have a tremendous legacy of pollution from industrialization, the rise of manufactured chemicals, sewer discharges and a variety of nonpoint (no specific location) sources of pollution. As a result of industrial discharges, PCBs, heavy metals and other toxic substances were released into the lakes and tributaries that feed into the Great Lakes. These pollutants, which degrade the health of both humans and wildlife, settle at the bottom of the tributaries and harbors where they are dumped and contaminate the sediment or material on the bottom. Contaminated sediment is a major environmental problem in our region, and it is critical that they be addressed relatively quickly because over time they may be transported into the open waters of the Great Lakes where cleanup is virtually impossible. In 2002, the Great Lakes Legacy Act, which Senator Levin sponsored, was signed into law in order to provide up to $54 million to the EPA in order to clean up contaminated sediments. Related Bills and Laws:
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