New Remedial Action Plan For St. Louis River Area Of Concern Available
 Aerial view of the polluted sediment cleanup project at Munger Landing. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
The new St. Louis River Area of Concern Remedial Action Plan update is now available, incorporating feedback we received from people on the draft that was shared in December. The document is available online.
About St. Louis River Area Of Concern Remedial Action Plan
The Remedial Action Plan is updated annually to summarize progress over the last year and share remaining activities that need to be completed before the Area of Concern can be delisted. The plan also includes a summary of the status of all 80 management actions and tracks progress on projects that are important for reaching delisting targets.
Nine environmental problems, called beneficial use impairments, were identified for the St. Louis River Area of Concern, along with management actions to address those problems. Delisting targets are specific goals and objectives established for each impairment, with measurable indicators to track results of pollution cleanup and restoration efforts.
So far, 64% of the 80 management actions have been completed, and four of the nine impairments have been removed. Once all impairments are removed, the St. Louis River can be removed from the list of most polluted sites on the Great Lakes.
The St. Louis River Area of Concern was designated as one of 43 sites on the Great Lakes with significant environmental damage by the United States and Canada in 1987. Federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding, first launched in 2010, helps communities clean up pollution and restore waterways.
The four coordinating agencies that work together to publish the annual Remedial Action Plan are:
- Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
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