EPA starts process to remove Rochester Embayment from list of badly polluted areas in the Great Lakes

After decades of restoration and cleanup work, the Rochester Embayment Area of Concern (AOC) is no longer a polluted hotspot in the Great Lakes basin. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), Monroe County, and other partners have launched the official process to remove the Rochester Embayment from the list of Areas of Concern. These are regions in the Great Lakes that need special attention due to environmental degradation. The Rochester Embayment is a 35-square-mile bay on Lake Ontario’s south shore, where the Genesee River meets the lake.

The Rochester Embayment, one of the 43 polluted hotspots in the Great Lakes Basin, faced many challenges that harmed its water quality and biodiversity. Decades of industrial and urban pollution in the watershed led to contaminated sediments, habitat loss, and fish and wildlife impairment. Thanks to a collaborative effort from all levels of government, the embayment has undergone a remarkable recovery. The restoration involved restoring habitats, improving land use practices, and addressing contamination sources through sediment dredging and capping projects.

“The Rochester Embayment has become a thriving ecosystem for wildlife and a valuable resource for Rochester residents,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “This delisting will be a milestone for Rochester and the entire Great Lakes region. It demonstrates that we can reverse the environmental harm caused by decades of pollution if we collaborate across government, community, and business sectors.”

The AOC covers parts of the towns of Webster, Irondequoit, Greece, and Parma, and the city of Rochester. The AOC also includes a six-mile stretch of the Genesee River, from the Lower Falls to the lake.

In 1993, the EPA and the NYSDEC identified 14 Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) in the AOC. These were environmental damages that affected the health and well-being of people and ecosystems. To begin the delisting process, all 14 BUIs had to be removed. The final BUI removed was “Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat,” which was addressed by October 2023, following a review of habitat restoration projects that have occurred throughout the embayment. With all 14 BUIs now removed, the EPA, the NYSDEC, and Monroe County can now proceed with the delisting process.

The delisting process involves a comprehensive review of all the scientific data and documentation that support the removal of the BUIs. The process also includes an Indian Nation consultation period, a public comment period, and a review by the International Joint Commission, the binational organization that oversees the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The final step is the approval by the U.S. State Department.

The recovery of the Rochester Embayment AOC is a testament to what can be achieved when various entities work together to address the environmental challenges in the Great Lakes. The EPA, the NYSDEC, Monroe County, and their partners have implemented several key projects that have contributed to the restoration of the embayment, such as:
•The Braddock Bay habitat restoration project, which restored 340 acres of wetland habitats and re-established a barrier beach to protect the bay and the habitats from erosion and wave action. The project also created a safe harbor for boats on Lake Ontario. The project was a partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the EPA.
•The Buck Pond wetland restoration project, which removed invasive vegetation and restored native plants in a 205-acre marsh system. The project improved the habitat quality and diversity for wildlife, especially waterfowl.

The delisting process will mark the official recognition of this achievement and the end of a long journey of environmental restoration.

Visit EPA’s Great Lakes Program Areas of Concern Website for the Rochester Embayment for additional information: https://www.epa.gov/great-lakes-aocs/rochester-embayment-aoc.

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