GLIN==> Great Lakes Commission statement on EPA Inspector General report on the Great Lakes Legacy Act

Statement of the Great Lakes Commission:

U.S. EPA Inspector General Report on the Great Lakes Legacy Act

http://www.glc.org/announce/09/09legacy.html
September 2009

The U.S. EPA Inspector General has released a report (No. 09-P-0231)
evaluating the agency’s management of contaminated sediment cleanups in the
Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOC). The report focuses on the effectiveness
of the Great Lakes Legacy Act, a federal program established in 2002 to fund
the cleanup of contaminated sediment sites in the 31 AOCs in the U.S.
portion of the Great Lakes. The report states that the U.S. EPA lacks a
coordinated approach for managing sediment cleanups and recommends that the
agency establish a management plan for remediating contaminated sediments;
develop an action plan for each site; and publish comprehensive information
on each site annually.

The Great Lakes Commission has long been concerned about the slow pace of
progress in restoring the AOCs, but believes that changes to the Great Lakes
Legacy Act, coupled with the proposed Great Lakes Restoration Initiative,
will address many of the issues raised in the report. The Commission
believes that improved coordination and data collection will strengthen the
program, particularly as additional resources become available to implement
sediment cleanups.

When Congress reauthorized the Legacy Act in 2008 it authorized U.S. EPA to
assess contaminated sediment sites at full federal expense, rather than
having to wait for a nonfederal sponsor to apply. It also required a more
formal process of consulting with other federal programs to ensure the
Legacy Act is the most appropriate mechanism for addressing each site. These
improvements will enable U.S. EPA to be more strategic in assessing sediment
sites and targeting funds at sites where full cleanups are needed most. The
Commission supported these and other improvements to the Legacy Act, which
U.S. EPA is now implementing.

Most important, however, President Obama’s proposed $475 million Great Lakes
Restoration Initiative (GLRI) will accelerate the pace of cleaning up the
Great Lakes. Nearly one-third of the funding is proposed for removing
contaminated sediments and restoring the AOCs. The Commission is urging
Congress to provide the President’s full request of $475 million when it
approves U.S. EPA’s FY 2010 budget. Together with recent improvements to the
Legacy Act, the GLRI will address the Inspector General’s concerns. For
example, U.S. EPA is developing a detailed action plan for the GLRI that
defines clear restoration goals and establishes criteria to track progress
in achieving them. The agency is working closely with the Great Lakes
states, which will be vital partners in targeting GLRI funds to the most
important restoration actions.

While improved coordination and better information are always warranted, the
key obstacle facing the Great Lakes has been the lack of adequate funding to
implement a comprehensive restoration program. Indeed, it is only since the
passage of – and funding for – the Legacy Act that we have seen real
progress in cleaning up contaminated sediments in the AOCs. The Legacy Act
is widely considered a highly successful program that has generated
important, on-the-ground cleanups in the AOCs while leveraging millions of
dollars from non-federal partners. The program has facilitated productive
federal-state-industry partnerships that are yielding real results while
minimizing wasteful litigation and bureaucratic delays. 

Where additional improvements are needed for U.S. EPA’s sediment cleanup
program, they should be incorporated into cleanups as they are developed and
implemented. However, this should occur concurrent with – and not delay the
implementation of – the GLRI. Working in partnership with U.S. EPA, the
Commission and its member states will work to accelerate the pace of
sediment cleanups in the Great Lakes and improve the effectiveness of the
Great Lakes Legacy Act and other federal and state programs that address
toxic sediments.

For additional information, contact Tim Eder (teder at glc.org) or Matt Doss
(mdoss at glc.org) at 734-971-9135

# # #

The Great Lakes Commission <http://www.glc.org/> , chaired by Gov. Patrick
Quinn (Ill.), is an interstate compact agency established under state and
U.S. federal law and dedicated to promoting a strong economy, healthy
environment and high quality of life for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region
and its residents. The Commission consists of governors' appointees, state
legislators, and agency officials from its eight member states
</about/commissioners.html> . Associate membership </about/associate.html>
for Ontario and Québec was established through the signing of a "Declaration
of Partnership </about/pdf/declarations.pdf> ." The Commission maintains a
formal Observer program </about/observers.html>  involving U.S. and Canadian
federal agencies, tribal authorities, binational agencies and other regional
interests. The Commission offices are located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

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