GLIN==> IL-IN Sea Grant News: Ruddiman Creek Remediation Project Awarded a Success Story

[Irene Miles <miles@uiuc.edu>]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
November 27, 2006
Source: Susan Boehme (312) 353-4383; boehme.susan@epa.gov
 
Ruddiman Creek Remediation Project Awarded a Success
Story
 
URBANA - The clean up of Ruddiman Creek began as a grassroots effort
in Muskegon, Michigan many years ago. Recently, this project, which
resulted in the removal of nearly 90,000 cubic yards of contaminated
sediment, was awarded as a 2006 "Success Story" at the State of
the Great Lakes Ecosystem Conference (SOLEC).
 
The Ruddiman Creek Great Lakes Legacy Act Sediment Remediation Project
combined the resources of U.S. EPA Great Lakes National Program Office
(GLNPO) and Michigan Department of Environmental Quality-Water Bureau,
which teamed with the Muskegon Lake PAC, Ruddiman Creek Task Force, City
of Muskegon, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
(IISG), who all share in this award.
 
This project has received much of its funding from the Great Lakes Legacy
Act (GLLA), which authorizes $270 million to clean up hundreds of tons of
contaminated sediment that has built up over the years and left some
local waterways severely polluted. U.S. EPA has identified 31 ?Areas of
Concern? in the U.S. portion of the Great Lakes. So far, four other
communities are benefiting from this federal funding.
 
Susan Boehme, IISG coastal sediment specialist in U.S. EPA GLNPO, works
closely with communities as they go through this process. ?I make sure
that citizens have all the information they need as the project goes
forward and that any concerns are heard,? said Boehme. She also helps the
community take the next step, which is to take ownership of their
rehabilitated environment. ?EPA GLLA cleans up these sites, but this is
not the end of the process," said Boehme. ?The community needs to
own the project and initiate long-term restoration plans.? 
 
In Muskegon, where residents have seen their neighborhood pond
transformed, that has been an easy sell for Boehme. ?This community
fought for this project so they are enthusiastic about being involved,?
she said. ?One resident said this project is a dream come true.?
    
"The seven SOLEC Success Story recipients exemplify a strong
commitment to improving the environment within the Great Lakes
basin," said Stacey Cherwaty, Environment Canada science liaison
officer. The recipients are chosen by members of the SOLEC Steering
Committee, which includes representatives from provincial and state
agencies, federal agencies, municipalities, academia, industry, First
Nations and Tribes, environmental non-governmental organizations and
others in the Great Lakes region. The committee ranks nominations using
criteria that include strong partnerships, links between economy,
environment and community, and broad stakeholder involvement.
 
SOLEC is a multi-agency effort led by the U.S. EPA and Environment Canada
as part of the bi-national Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Every two
years since 1994 the current conditions of the lakes are assessed using
key indicators. These indicators, such as chemical and bacteria
concentrations, status of fish and wildlife populations, and water usage
in the region, are tools to monitor change over time. This year, SOLEC
took place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in early November.

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The Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program is one of more than 30
National Sea Grant College Programs. Created by Congress in 1966, Sea
Grant combines university, government, business and industry expertise to
address coastal and Great Lakes needs.  Funding is provided by the
National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U. S. Department of
Commerce, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Purdue
University at West Lafayette, Indiana.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
Two States Caring for one Great Lake

Irene Miles
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
376 NSRC
1101 W. Peabody Dr.
Urbana, Il 61801
(217) 333-8055
FAX (217) 333-8046