Another longstanding St. Clair River environmental concern is in queue to be crossed off, says the river’s remedial action plan coordinator with the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority.
Another longstanding St. Clair River environmental concern is in queue to be crossed off, says the river’s remedial action plan coordinator with the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority.
“Dealing with restrictions on drinking water consumption, or taste and odor problems … that’s our current focus right now,” said Mike Moroney.
Gauging that – one of 12 original beneficial use impairments flagged when the St. Clair River was named an area of concern in 1991 – includes recently meeting the bar of no drinking water treatment plant closures for a two-year period, along with ensuring proper spill prevention, notification and response frameworks are in place, he said.
“As part of their assessment, the Canadian RAP (remedial action plan) implementation committee looked at that closely and consulted with others on that criteria” including Walpole Island and Aamjiwnaang First Nations, he said.
“To make sure that not just the water treatment plant closures were being addressed, but also those additional measures were in place to prevent spills.”
The redesignation process for that beneficial use impairment – seven others have been redesignated to date – is underway, he said, noting that includes engaging the Binational Public Advisory Council, federal and state agencies in the United States, and Environment and Climate Change Canada approval.
“It’s quite a lengthy process,” he said, adding that it includes listening to and addressing any feedback.
“So the timing on (redesign) is difficult to say.”
Work on other remaining beneficial use impairments is expected to continue simultaneously, he said.
“We’re preparing a work plan now for the upcoming five-year period” starting in 2023, he said. “To identify what activities need to occur.”
The remaining five beneficial use impairments include restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption, degradation of benthos, loss of fish and wildlife habitat, and degradation of fish and wildlife populations, along with drinking water consumption, or taste and odor problems.
Degradation of fish and wildlife populations isn’t identified as currently impaired, but requiring further assessment, Moroney said.
“They just need to get more science around it to understand what the status is and if it’s acceptable, if it meets the criteria to be designated as not impaired.”
Members of the Binational Public Advisory Council for the St. Clair River Area of Concern this week celebrated four areas of concern redesignated between 2018 and 2021 – fish tumors or other deformities, bird or animal deformities or reproductive problems, restrictions on dredging activities, and beach closings.
They also marked the 50th anniversary of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1972 that serves as a commitment between the United States and Canada to restore and protect Great Lakes waters.
The area of concern program originated through the commitment, said BPAC Canadian co-chair Kris Lee, in a news release.
The Tuesday cruise on the Duc d’Orleans II “provided a good opportunity for Environment and Climate Change Canada to summarize the science that went into the work,” said Moroney.
“It takes a lot of work to put the science together, to demonstrate that conditions have improved,” he said.