Areas of Concern

The US and Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) defines Areas of Concern (AOCs) as "geographic areas where significant impairment of beneficial uses has occurred as a result of human activities at the local level." More simply, an AOC is a location that has experienced significant environmental degradation. Under the GLWQA, the U.S. and Canada designated 43 AOCs around the Great Lakes basin as a way to focus restoration work in these areas. Of the 43 AOCs, 26 are in the U.S., 12 are in Canada, and 5 are shared by both countries.

Remedial Action Plans (RAP)

All AOCs developed a Remedial Action Plan (RAP) that identifies the beneficial use impairments (BUIs) that exist within the AOC, their causes and the remediation and restoration work needed to address them, and the criteria or endpoints that define the conditions under which the BUI designations can be removed. The GLWQA identifies 14 potential BUIs that may exist within each AOC:

• Restrictions on Fish and Wildlife Consumption
• Tainting of Fish and Wildlife Flavor
• Degradation of Fish and Wildlife Populations
• Fish Tumors or Other Deformities
• Bird or Animal Deformities or Reproductive Problems
• Degradation of Benthos
• Restrictions on Dredging Activities
• Eutrophication or Undesirable Algae
• Restrictions on Drinking Water Consumption or Taste and Odor Problems
• Beach Closings
• Degradation of Aesthetics 
• Added Costs to Agriculture or Industry
• Degradation of Phytoplankton and Zooplankton Populations
• Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat

Implementation of the RAP for each New York AOC is led either by DEC, a county agency, or other local organization, in close coordination with federal, state, and local governments, and an advisory committee intended to represent stakeholders from the local community. 

Removal of Beneficial Use Impairments and AOC Delisting

As remediation and restoration efforts advance and the established criteria or endpoints have been met, the BUI designations can be removed. Once all BUIs have been removed for an AOC, the process of “delisting” the AOC can begin. Additional information on the BUI removal and AOC delisting processes can be found in the DEC AOC Delisting Guidance document (PDF will be available soon).