Common use of Waukegan Harbor [continued] Clause in Contracts

Waukegan Harbor [continued]. Waukegan Harbor is the only Area of Concern (AOC) in Illinois and has the requirement for a Remedial Action Plan (RAP) under the Great Lakes water Quality Agreement that calls for removing the listed Beneficial Use Impairments. Contaminated sediments are a major impediment to delisting Waukegan Harbor as a Great Lakes AOC and may directly impact the following beneficial use impairments: restrictions on dredging, restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption, and degradation of benthos. Efforts for U.S. EPA, Illinois EPA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and local stakeholders to cooperate on a sediment remediation project in Waukegan Harbor under the Great Lakes Legacy Act have stalled and either the Water Resources Development Act or Superfund provide the other potential program opportunity of federal funds to assist in remediation of Waukegan Harbor. Result: Illinois EPA continues work with U.S. EPA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and local stakeholders to determine feasible and appropriate remediation actions for the restoration of the beneficial uses of Waukegan Harbor. During 2006 and 2007, Illinois EPA Bureau of Water and Bureau of Land technical staff have actively engaged in monthly to bi-weekly stakeholders calls to formulate project options, provide feedback on state regulatory requirements and develop a strategy to secure funding of the non-federal cost share. Illinois EPA technical staff have reviewed and provided feedback for numerous documents and proposals. In February of 2007, The Waukegan Harbor Sediment Remediation proposal passed the GLLA Stage 1 review, and the City of Waukegan gave an oral presentation of the project to the Technical Review Committee (TRC) on February 27, 2007. In March of 2007, the TRC unanimously recommended that U.S. EPA pursue a Project Agreement (PA) for engineering design for the Waukegan Harbor Sediment Remediation project. Illinois EPA Bureau of Water and Bureau of Land technical staff participated in the development of the project conceptual plan in a meeting at Waukegan City Hall on March 23, 2007. In July 2007, the City of Waukegan and USEPA did not sign a GLLA project agreement. Under the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration all AOCs must have targets set for the delisting process. Illinois EPA, in partnership with federal, state and local partners, will develop delisting targets for the AOC. Illinois EPA staff continues to provide project updates to the community at the monthly meetings of the Waukegan Harbor Citizens Advisory Group. In addition, community relations staff has prepared educational materials and packets to be used by the Citizens Advisory Group in raising awareness among local residents and officials of targets and environmental remediation needs at Waukegan Harbor. A joint priority will allow for the attention needed to be placed on finding a successful clean up project.