November 2009 Volume 1, Number 3

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1 November 2009 Volume 1, Number 3

2 In This Issue Sediment Open House Kris Lee, New BPAC Chair Environment Canada Comments on AOC Progress Girl Guides Get the Message New U.S. Non-profit Formed in St. Clair AOC Links of Interest National Council for Science and the Environment The Council envisions a society where environmental decisions are based on an accurate understanding of the underlying science, its meaning, and its limitations. In such a society, citizens and decision makers receive accurate, understandable, and integrated science-based information. They understand the risks, uncertainties, and potential consequences of their action or inaction. Visit the National Library for the Environment, an easy-to-use single-point entry to environmental information and data. Natural Heritage Information Centre The Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) compiles, maintains and provides information on rare, threatened and endangered species and spaces in Ontario. Royal Ontario Museum - species at risk 'Explore Ontario's Biodiversity' website is a public programming initiative of the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Biology at the Royal Ontario Museum. The aim of the site is to provide Ontario citizens with access to the latest and most authoritative information about the distribution and status of Ontario's wildlife. The 'Explore Ontario's Biodiversity' project has three main components: Ontario Field Guides; Ontario's Species at Risk; and The ROM Collections Contact Us We love to receive your feedback and comments, drop us a line if there is a topic you would like to see covered in a future issue of this e-newsletter. Stew Thornley, St. Clair RAP Specialist Ken Hall, FOSCR Webmaster Join the St. Clair River BPAC mailing list to stay Public Open House to Showcase Sediment Clean-up Strategy November 26th Delisting the St. Clair River as an area of concern under the Canada-US Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement is the ultimate goal of Ontario, Canada, local industry and other stakeholders. In 2007, the Canadian Remedial Action Plan (RAP) Implementation Committee (CRIC) asked the St. Clair River Sediment Technical Committee to assess the sediment contamination in an area just upstream of the Dow-Suncor property line and extending to the southern tip of Stag Island. A report on the initial risk assessment of the sediments is now complete. This report has helped to identify priority areas within the area of study. The next step is to develop options for managing the contaminated sediments. Together with Ontario and in consultation with local stakeholders and residents, Canada will develop a sediment management strategy for the site. The clean-up project is expected to begin 2012 and be completed by There will be a public open house on Thursday, November 26 from 3:00 7:00 at the Township of St. Clair council chambers at 1155 Emily Street, Mooretown, ON. There will be displays and a presentation highlighting the findings of the report and opportunities to provide input to the sediment committee. Note: Both the executive summary and the full COA report are available for download on the Friends of the St. Clair River website. Visit FOSCR online at: A few words from Kris Lee, New Canadian BPAC Chair When I attended the first BPAC meeting in 1988, I had no idea that the "quest to de-list" would continue over two decades. It is encouraging to note that the St. Clair River RAP process has gained momentum in the last year, on a larger scale partly due to the injection of funds from the Obama administration. Locally, energy and enthusiasm has been initiated through many local watershed restoration and municipality infrastructure projects. The local agency and volunteer overseers of these projects are our true heroes. As a recently retired high school science teacher, my days are no longer restricted by

3 up-to-date about St. Clair River RAP news and events. To remove your name from our distribution list please respond to FOSCR Webmaster Please Help FOSCR delist the river Friends of the St. Clair River is a registered Canadian charitable organization. Your financial support for our programs will help FOSCR progress towards delisting the St. Clair River as an Area of Concern in the Great Lakes. Contributions can be sent to: Mr. Terry Burrell Friends of the St Clair River 514 Christina Street North Sarnia, ON N7T 5W4 All donations will receive a tax receipt. Call Terry at for more information. bells. This new phase in my life is exciting because it will allow me to apply the decades of work experience as an educator to promote the mandate and objectives of our BPAC. I am looking forward to listening and learning from our communities on both sides of the river. Please feel free to invite me to any AOC events. Kris Lee Canadian Chair of St. Clair River BPAC Environment Canada Comments on AOC Progress at IJC Conference The following is from the presentation that Jim Vollmershausen of Environment Canada made at the IJC meeting in Windsor on October 7, 2009 on the status of the Canadian Areas of Concern (AOCs) and of plans for delisting. The following text is taken directly from his presentation. Canada is on track for completing Actions towards the delisting the 4 AOCs under COA Goal 1: Nipigon Bay is on track for delisting and the reasons for initially designating this AOC are being addressed: fish habitat initiatives are being assessed; water management plan completed and implemented; and assessment of degradation of benthos related to municipal and industrial discharges is ongoing. Next steps include: completing STP upgrades (Nipigon late summer 2010, Red Rock ~2011); completing BUI Assessment (2009 Benthic Assessment, 2009 Walleye Spawning); preparing a Stage 3 Report in 2010; and delisting Nipigon in Jackfish Bay is on track for re-designating as an Area In Recovery (pending community acceptance of status report). The preferred strategy for this ecosystem is natural recovery. While this natural recovery will be slow further remedial actions for the RAP are not feasible or recommended. Next steps include: an Area in Recovery status report for Fall 2009; an Area in Recovery Monitoring Plan; and an Area in Recover report to IJC this winter. St. Lawrence River (Cornwall) AOC is on track for de-listing or being redesignating as an Area In Recovery by March The next steps include: analysis of uncertain BUIs which is on-going; the status of the eutrophication BUI to be confirmed by St. Lawrence River Restoration Council (SLRRC); drafting a Stage 3 Report; and a delisting event to be held late spring/early summer. As for Wheatley Harbour, it gives me great pleasure to say we are close to delisting another Canadian AOC - Lake Erie s Wheatley Harbour. In addition to the accomplishments in these 4 AOCs, we continue to make significant progress towards Remedial Action Plan (RAP) implementation, environmental recovery and restoration of beneficial uses in the remaining 11 Canadian AOCs. The challenges that remain are significant however and include a long list of use impairments such as: Habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation STP/CSO/Sewage/Beaches Point and Non-Point sources Contaminated sediment Eutrophication Pulp mill/steel mills and Mining Toxics/Metals

4 Environment Canada has completed an assessment of the AOCs, applying a framework of the 14 BUIs to determine what further action (remedial measures, supporting science, and governance activities) are required to eliminate BUIs and formally de-list these AOCs and will continue to make progress working towards delisting all AOCs. Editor s Note: Using the Great Lakes Sustainability Fund, the Government of Canada is partnering with provincial and local governments and community organizations to help clean up the 15 Canadian Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes Basin. The fund supports environmental restoration activities in three priority areas: fish and wildlife habitat rehabilitation and stewardship, contaminated sediment assessment and remediation, and innovative approaches to improve municipal wastewater effluent quality. More information about the Great Lakes Sustainability Fund is available at Girl Guides Get the Message at Jamboree Kim Gledhill (right), outdoor education specialist with the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority and a Director of Friends of the St. Clair River, was on-hand Saturday, September 26th in Sombra, Ontario for the annual Girl Guides "Crossing the River" Jamboree. More than 2,500 Guides participated in the annual event that brings together young girls from Ontario and Michigan. FOSCR was present to educate the youngsters on the impacts of human activity on the river and what individuals can do to lessen their environmental footprint. FOSCR Directors Stew Thornley, Modris Zandbergs and SCRCA outdoor education coordinator, Sharon Nethercott also helped out at the event. Participation in community education events like this is part of FOSCR s commitment to public involvement in the St. Clair River RAP program. Sharing information with youth at every opportunity will greatly increase the chances that the next generation will be responsible stewards of the river. Kim said the response from the kids was awesome and that they were eager to learn what they could do to protect our waterway. Conservation and Restoration Network for Areas of Concern A new nonprofit has been formed in order to capture Federal, State, and Foundation grant monies for the St. Clair River BPAC and other restoration and conservation projects. The Mission and Goals of the new organization is to be able to seek funding for a wide variety of projects, in particular, an effort for public outreach for the Area of Concern Program. In a casual survey with community leaders in the Port Huron

5 area, very few people could articulate what the AOC Program was, nor did they know or understand that the St. Clair River was designated as an AOC. Preliminary conversations have been held with the US EPA and MDEQ about the need for public outreach regarding a program that will distribute rain barrels for residential use. "Because rain barrels are an incredibly popular gardening industry item, there is potential to collect the public attention span as well as runoff from roofs, said Janice Littlefield, Chair of the newly formed nonprofit. We can educate about stormwater management and water conservation, and also include a brochure that explains the AOC program, its goals and objectives and the need for public support. With 55-gallon food grade drums donated from Coca Cola Enterprises, the group hasl launched a pilot project in the Port Huron area. For more information, visit Top of Page BPAC is a community-based partnership including governments, industry, first nations, academia, as well as environmental organizations and private citizens that work collectively in helping to improve the health of the St. Clair River. Our key goal is to implement the Canadian Remedial Action Plan (RAP) in order to restore the beneficial uses and remove the River from the list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern. This E-Newsletter is produced thanks to funding from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment