September 12–13, 2012 - Sixth Public Conference on Restoring Great Lakes
September 12–13, 2012 - Sixth Public Conference on Restoring Great Lakes Home Registration Logistics Agenda posters exhibitors
September 12–13, 2012 - Sixth Public Conference on Restoring Great Lakes

AGENDA

General Meeting Overview 20 August 2012 Working Draft

The Annual U.S. Area of Concern (AOC) Meeting will convene federal, state and local participants from the 30 U.S. and Binational AOCs to review accomplishments to date and recent developments that are both enhancing and challenging the AOC Program. Topics of discussion will include:

  • Recent achievements from around the basin to remove Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) and delist AOCs;
  • Best practices to achieve BUI restoration targets;
  • How to build state and local capacity to implement on-the-ground and in-the-water restoration actions;
  • How to plan and implement AOC restoration priorities under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative;
  • How to Improve linkages and develop better integration between the AOCs, Lakewide Management Plans (LaMPs) and other Great Lakes programs; and
  • Potential actions that could strengthen the U.S. and Canadian AOC Programs.
The theme of the 2012 Annual Meeting will be laying the groundwork for management actions that remove BUIs and result in delisting AOCs. Specifically, we will discuss how AOCs can work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), states and other partners to conduct sediment remediation projects and create habitat restoration plans for the habitat BUIs—two major components needed to delist AOCs. In addition, the Meeting will focus on AOC prioritization; specifically, prioritizing AOCs that are close to removing all BUIs while at the same time continuing to support AOCs that are in the pipeline but are not yet ready to be delisted.
Day One – Wednesday, September 12 (following the Great Lakes Week Joint-Session Meeting)
12:00 p.m. Registration (Third Floor Mezzanine – 3rd Floor)
12:00 p.m. Great Lakes Week Joint Public Session/Joint Keynote Speaker
2:00 p.m. Conference Session Introduction/Charge/Expectations
John Perrecone – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO)
2:15 p.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks (Gold Room)
Gail Hesse – Executive Director, Lake Erie Commission
Ken Johnson, Chair – Great Lakes Commission
AmyJo Klei, Ohio EPA Area of Concern Program
2:30 p.m. 2012 AOC Program Accomplishments
Chris Korleski, Director, U.S. EPA Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO)
3:00 p.m. Making Progress Under the U.S. AOC Program
  • The Daily Double of Management Actions: How Key Sediment Remediation and Habitat Restoration Projects Are Leading to Delisting
    Marc Tuchman, Program Manager, Great Lakes Legacy Act, U.S. EPA GLNPO

  • The AOC Program’s Role in the GLRI: BUI Removals and AOC Delistings as a Measure of Success
    Wendy Carney, Deputy Director, U.S. EPA GLNPO

  • Making Progress in the Canadian AOC Program via Sediment Remediation
    Roger Santiago, Head of Sediment Remediation Unit, Environment Canada
4:00 p.m. Break
4:15 p.m. Measuring Progress and Tracking Environmental Success: Federal Agency Coordination Within the GLRI
John Perrecone, Remedial Action Plan (RAP)/AOC Program Manager, U.S. EPA GLNPO
Progress to Date and Moving Forward Together to Year Four: How Agencies Are Adding Value via Research, Monitoring and Technical Improvements to Address and Support BUI Removal
  • U.S. EPA, Karen Rodriguez
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tony Friona
  • U.S Fish & Wildlife Service, Amy McGovern
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Julie Sims
  • U.S. Geological Survey, Norman Grannermann
5:15 p.m. Day 1 Wrap-Up/Looking to Tomorrow and Adjournment

Open poster session: Exhibits will be available outside of the Gold Room where the plenary session is being held.

From 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Wed, 12 September, the Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes research vessel LAKE GUARDIAN will deploy the U.S. Coast Guard's Vessel of Opportunity Skimming System (VOSS) off of Voinovich Park on the Cleveland waterfront. The 180 foot LAKE GUARDIAN has been specially outfitted to carry the VOSS which is a portable side-skimming oil-recovery system that includes a sweep boom to collect oil, a floating skimmer and a towed temporary storage device for the collected oil. Attendees will receive a narrated demonstration of the VOSS from a location at Voinovich Park and attendees getting underway on the GOODTIME III will be able to pass close aboard the LAKE GUARDIAN for an up-close viewing.
6:30 p.m. Cuyahoga River Dinner Cruise
The vessel begins loading at 6:00 p.m., will depart promptly at 6:30 p.m. and will return to the dock at 9:30 p.m. Continuous trolley service from the Renaissance Hotel front entrance to the dock will be provided and starts at 5:45 p.m. (15 minute one-way trip). Return trolley service back to the Renaissance Hotel will be provided.
The boat cruise and transportation is sponsored by AECOM, EQM, Sevenson, and ECT.
   
Day Two – Thursday, September 13
7:30 a.m. Registration (Third Floor Mezzanine – 3rd Floor)
Continental Breakfast (Ambassador  Room  – 2nd Floor)
8:00 a.m. Breakfast Speaker (Ambassador  Room  – 2nd Floor)
Dr. John E. Gannon, Senior Scientist/Emeritus, International Joint Commission
25th Anniversary Reflection on the AOC Program
8:30 a.m. Review of Agenda for Day 2 – Impressions
Charge to Breakout Sessions
8:45 a.m. Morning Breakout Sessions (Cycle 1)
Six breakout sessions will be offered in two cycles. Attendees may attend two of the six sessions. There will be a 30-minute break between the two cycles, from 10:15 to 10:45 a.m.
Cycle 1:   8:45 – 10:15 a.m. Cycle 2:   10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Measuring the Economic Impacts of BUI Removal/AOC Delisting: How the AOC Program Enhances and Revives Communities
  • Presentations
    • Estimating Economic Benefits From Removing BUIs: What a Non-Economist Needs to Know About the Data Needed; What Types of Benefit Estimates are Useful; and the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Benefit Estimation Process
      Paul Isely, Grand Valley State University
    • Using Stakeholder Participation and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis for Environmental Management
      Sabina L. Shaikh, Cardno ENTRIX
    • Revitalizing Great Lakes Cities in Areas of Concern: A Triple Bottom Line Approach
      Lauren Riga, Director of Green Urbanism, Storm Water and Environmental Affairs, City of Gary, Indiana
Moderator: Matt Doss, Great Lakes Commission		 Tracking AOC Data in the Great Lakes Basin:  State and Federal Programs Designed for Easy Access and Multiple Use

Purpose: Discuss EPA’s AOC Tracking Program and how it relates to some of the state tracking systems that are either developed or under development.  Determine federal and state program needs, identify areas of convergence and integration and develop an approach that works for local, state and federal programs. This session will encourage audience input on: 1) other data tracking needs for the most effective evaluation of delisting; and 2) long-term potential uses of the system.
  • Developing EPA’s AOC Tracking System: Design and Suggested Outputs to track BUI Removal and AOC Delisting
    Jeff Edstrom, ECT
  • Developing a multi-level, multi-user local AOC Project Tracking and Reporting Tool
    Gail Epping Overholt, University of Wisconsin Extension Service and
    Kendra Axness, WDNR
  • St. Louis River AOC Data System Development: Tracking Projects and Activities in a Large AOC
    Nelson French, MPCA 
  • Tracking Over 500 Actions Covering 111 BUIs Spread Over 14 AOCs While Striving to Maintain a Shred of Sanity
    Rick Hobrla—MDEQ
Moderator: John Perrecone, EPA GLNPO
How to Move Your AOC Into a Fast Track/Priority Site—Lessons Learned From  Current Priority Sites, or What Happens When Your AOC Becomes a  Priority
(Ambassador Room – 2nd Floor)

Sheboygan River AOC:  Steve Galarneau, AOC Program Manager, WDNR and  Deb Beyer, Natural Resources Educator, University of Wisconsin-Extension

Ashtabula River AOC: Amy Mucha, U.S. EPA Project Manager, GLNPO  and Amy Joe Klei, AOC Program Manager, OEPA

Moderators: Ted Smith, Marc Tuchman, U.S. EPA GLNPO		 How to Move Your AOC Into a Fast Track/Priority Site—Lessons Learned From Current Priority Sites, or What Happens When Your AOC Becomes a Priority?
(session repeats from Cycle One)
(Ambassador Room – 2nd Floor)

River Raisin AOC: Roger Eberhardt, AOC Program Manager, MDEQ and TBD

St Clair River AOC: Rick Hobrla, AOC Program Manager, MDEQ and Rose Ellison, U.S. EPA Project Manager, GLNPO

Moderators: Ted Smith, Marc Tuchman, U.S. EPA GLNPO
Confronting Challenges, Overcoming Obstacles and Celebrating Success When Planning and Implementing Your Habitat Restoration Project
(Superior Room – 1st Floor)
  • Presentation
    • Habitat Restoration Planning in the Grand Calumet River Area of Concern
      Ashley Snyder, Indiana Department of Environmental Management
    • St. Marys River AOC: Little Rapids Habitat Restoration Project Engineering and Design
      Mike Donahue, URS Corporation
    • The Black River AOC Fish Shelves: How To Successfully Implement Habitat Restoration
      Kristin Risch, Coldwater Consulting
    • Successful Community Engagement and Support
      Tanya Cabala, White Lake AOC
  • Panel Discussions

Moderator:  Heather Braun, Great Lakes Commission		 Collaborating for Community Involvement: Sharing Strategies for Engaging Local Stakeholders in AOCs
(Gold Room – 3rd Floor)
  • Welcome by Caitie McCoy
  • Presentations
    • Collaboration: The Power of Combined Resources and Organized Efforts at a Tier 1 Site—Debbie Beyer, Natural Resources Educator, University of Wisconsin-Extension
    • Creating a Shared Community Vision for Muskegon Lake Remediation and Restoration—Kathy Evans, Environmental Program Manager, West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission
  • Focused discussions
    • What Community Outreach and Involvement Strategies have been successful in your AOC and why?
    • How would you like to improve outreach efforts in your AOC?
Moderator:  Caitie McCoy, Illinois Sea Grant
10:15 a.m. Break
10:45 a.m. Morning Breakout Sessions, continued (Cycle 2)
12:15 p.m. Conclude Morning Breakout Sessions
12:30 p.m. Lunch and Keynote Speaker (Gold Room – 3rd Floor) - Jerry Dennis Cardno JFNew
 Jerry Dennis is the award winning author of many books, including the widely acclaimed The Living Great Lakes: Searching for the Heart of the Inland Seas and The Windward Shore: A Winter on the Great Lakes. His essays on nature and science have been featured in The New York Times, Smithsonian, Audubon, Orion, Wildlife Conservation, National Geographic Traveler, American Way, Gray’s Sporting Journal, and many other publications. Mr. Dennis was named the Michigan Author of the Year in 1999, the highest literary award in the state. Mr. Dennis is a frequent guest lecturer at universities, and has been a commentator on national and regional public radio. This event is sponsored by Cardno JFNew
1:45 p.m. Focused Discussions on Approaches to Assess and Remove BUIs
(Break at 2:30 p.m. to Switch Sessions)
Breakout sessions will focus on approaches to assess and remove BUIs in the AOCs. A detailed list of speakers/moderators from each BUI session is provided in the conference folder. AOC coordinators will showcase examples of how they are approaching individual BUIs, and Agency staff will discuss information and provide technical assistance to support these efforts. 

 
Group 1: Fish and Wildlife Habitat Populations
(Severance Room – 4th Floor)

Moderator –Todd Hogrefe, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: Session moderator
  • Carl Ruetz, Grand Valley State University: Fish Population Assessment, White Lake AOC
  • Jack Brunner, TetraTech: Roxana Marsh/Grand Calumet AOC habitat restoration
  • Patrick Doran, The Nature Conservancy: Habitat restoration tools
  • Discussion

2:30        Break/change sessions

  • Russell Strach, USGS: Huron-Erie Corridor project planning and implementation
  • John Lindgren, MN Department of Natural Resources: Bi-state St. Louis River AOC habitat and population BUI planning
Discussion		 Group 2: Tainting of Fish and Wildlife Flavor and Restrictions on Fish and Wildlife Consumption
(Ambassador Room – 2nd Floor)

Moderator – Beth Murphy, EPA GLNPO
  • Michigan Statewide Assessment of Fish Consumption Advisories—Michelle Bruneau, GLRI Health Educator, Michigan DCH
Group 3: Fish Tumors and Deformities and Bird or Animal Deformities or Reproduction Problems
(Ambassador Room – 2nd Floor)

Moderator – Ted Smith, U.S. EPA
  • Jim Grazio: Issues in removing fish tumor BUI at Presque Isle Bay AOC
  • Christine M. Custer, USGS, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
 Group 4: Degradation of Benthos and Restrictions on Dredging Activities
(Brassiere Room – 1st Floor)

Moderators — Tony Friona, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Amy Mucha, U.S. EPA GLNPO

Benthos:
  • Stephanie Swart, Michigan DEQ: Michigan’s statewide assessment of the dredging BUI
  • Barry Baldigo,U.S.G.S.
  • Daniel Burns, U.S.G.S
  • Hayley Templar, U.S.G.S (Wisconsin activities)
  • Dredging: (Sheobygan and Ashtabula)
  • Bryan Hinterberger, USACE
  • Tony Friona, USACE
  • Amy Mucha, U.S. EPA
Group 5: Added Costs to Agriculture or Industry and Restrictions on Drinking Water Consumption or Taste and Odor Problems
(Gold Room – 3rd Floor)

Moderator - Jeff Edstrom, Environmental Consulting and Technology, Inc.		 Group 6: Eutrophication or Undesirable Algae, Beach Closings, Degradation of Phytoplankton and Zooplankton Populations and Degradation of Aesthetics
(Superior Room – 4th Floor)

Moderator:  Kendra Axness, WDNR
  • Session overview – Kendra Axness
  • Plankton Part 1 (USGS Wisconsin study) – Amanda Bell
  • Plankton Part 2 (USGS NY study) – Barry Baldigo, tentative
  • Discussion

2:30        Break/change sessions

  • Aesthetics Part 1—John Riley, Michigan DEQ, Tentative
  • Aesthetics Part 2 (St. Louis River Alliance)–Julene Boe, TBD
  • Aesthetics Part 3—Ashley Snyder, IDEM
  • Discussion
3:15 p.m. The Home Stretch: The Final Word – Open Discussion
3:45 p.m. Adjournment
September 12–13, 2012 - Sixth Public Conference on Restoring Great Lakes
EPA GLRI Ohio EPA GLC AOC Meeting 2012 Facebook Page