Taking Remedial Action

In 1987, U. S. and Canadian Great Lakes regulators decided to tackle the problem of declining Great Lakes water quality with a vengeance. A total of 43 "Areas of Concern" throughout the system were identified, and corresponding "Remedial Action Plans" were developed. (One Area of Concern, Collingwood Harbour on Lake Huron, has already been re-mediated and de-listed.)

Each "RAP" involves all levels of government - federal, provincial, state, and municipal - and all courses of action must be ratified by public consultation. Restorative measures are guided by the ecosystem approach and governed by the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between Canada and the United States.

On the north shore of Lake Ontario, Remedial Action Plans for 4 "Areas of Concern" are making progress toward healthier ecosystems:

• Hamilton Harbour: Several hundred hectares of habitat have been re-established around the harbour of this highly industrial Southern Ontario city, incorporating shoreline naturalization and fish and wildlife enhancements. Plans call for the upgrading of the city's wastewater treatment plant and the elimination of combined sewer overflows, a common source of water degradation throughout the Great Lakes.

• Toronto Region: Restoring lake quality in the area of Ontario's megalopolis is a major challenge. The Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Project has concentrated on restoring soil and water quality, while the City of Toronto's Wet Weather Flow Management Master Plan is gradually eliminating combined sewer overflows. The City's new Sewer Use By-Law sets strict limits on sewer system discharges, and requires major industries to prepare pollution prevention plans. Further water quality improvement strategies have been developed for the rivers that feed Lake Ontario, including the Don, the Humber and the Rouge.

• Port Hope: As a result of their proximity to the Port Hope Nuclear Fuel Facility, lake sediments in the harbour of this Southern Ontario town are contaminated with low-level radioactive waste. Plans are being developed to remove the contaminated sediment and build a storage facility for the waste.

• Bay of Quinte: After years of vigorous remedial action, this bay in eastern Lake Ontario is well on its way to be de-listed as an Area of Concern. The Bay's health has been improved by the conversion of several thousand hectares of farmland into conservation tillage, a 50% reduction of phosphorus loads from sewage treatment plants, and the protection and the rehabilitation of hundreds of hectares of wetlands.