One of the 22 polluted areas that will be benefited from a $1B investment in environmental restoration is the Black River in Lorain.
President Joe Biden visited Lorain, Ohio on February 17, with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael S. Regan, to announce the $1 million federal Bipartisan infrastructure Law.
The U.S. EPA announcement contained the Black RiverAshtabula River; Cuyahoga River; and Maumee River are some of the areas of concern (or AOCs) that need federal assistance to remove pollution and to help ecosystems recover to a better state.
Lorain has been a leader in obtaining money through Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Kate Golden is the stormwater manager for the city of Lorains Engineering Department.
The department has coordinated Applications are accepted at City Hall. However, the work involves multiple levels of elected officials as well as government staff, analysts and contractors., Golden said.
She said that it was just very exciting. It’s great that Lorain has been recognized. It was also exciting that the president was present to address these issues. I believe it is a good indicator that the federal government has recognized the work done on the Black River.
Stephanee Moore Koscho (programs director for the Lorains riverfront) said that the president’s announcement could lead to more good things happening. Black River Advisory Committee.
The group meets quarterly for updates on environmental restoration.
Koscho and Golden credited U.S. EPA and the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
Those have already made a tremendous improvement to the health of the Black River and Lorain’s ecology, Koscho said.
She stated that the addition of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will not only accelerate the improvements but also bring greater awareness to the community about the dramatic changes occurring along our river. A healthier environment leads to a better economy, and Lorain could certainly benefit from that, as it has been shown.
How it works
The U.S. EPA maintains a list identifying environmental problems called beneficial use impairments (or BUIs).
These are the criteria used to measure the quality of water and the habitat surrounding it.
According to the U.S. EPA, beneficial use impairments can include factors like degrading fish and wildlife populations and beach closings, fish tumours or other deformities and restrictions on dredging.
Golden stated that a group of people creates a list of management actions for a particular area of concern. It is basically a list of tasks or projects to fix the problem causing problems on a river.
The process of delisting is when the environment conditions change or are restored.
The U.S. EPA took away the degrading aesthetics and beneficial uses impairment for the Black River last year.
Money is required
Golden stated that the problems could be large-scale and that remediation costs can reach into the millions.
She said that Lorain needed more than $1million to assess the pollution and determine the best course of action.
It takes a lot time, a lot minds, and a lot money to do it right, Golden said.
She said that federal money is required because it is not possible for a nonprofit river-watching group or local government to pay for them.
Golden stated that there is no fund more beneficial than the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
Golden stated that he believes these additional dollars will go far in helping communities and areas of concern as well as river systems that have been affected by this industrial heritage. They’ll go a long ways in helping to solve these problems.
