UNDER RAPs (REMEDIAL ACTION PLANS)

I've recently been reading an excellent book written by John Hartig and Michael Zarull titled "Under Raps". The book has been loaned to me by a good friend and colleague here in Elmira. These "Raps" are in regards to the fourty-three Areas of Concern around the five Great Lakes both on the American side and on the Canadian side. I have been appalled of late as to both my level of ignorance as well as the general public's level of ignorance regarding this historic work done to rehabillatate the Great lakes. Eight U.S. states plus the province of Ontario are involved in this project which started in the mid 80s. It was a recommendation of the International Joint Commission's (IJC) Great Lakes Water Quality Board that started things rolling. It is absolutely astounding to me the absolute lack of publicity and media surrounding thes 43 Areas of Concern and the work done or being done.

By counting what appears to be on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes (Fig.1) there appear to be thirteen or fourteen Canadian Areas of Concern. Prior to this last week I could have named but two, namely Hamilton Harbour and Collingwood Harbour. This book does not go into all 43 Areas in detail; perhaps only a dozen. To date I've read three of them, Hamilton Harbour, Bay of Quinte and the Ashtabula River (U.S. side of Lake Erie) Area of Concern. They do take your breath away. The causes are not particularily surprising. Economic development, politics, greed and unbridled enthusiasm and confidence that building more and bigger can never be wrong. The silencing of voices of dissent from 1900 through till the 1980s, combined with the arrogance and political power of business and industry did the damage. This damage can only be mitigated now. The environment can never be fully restored.