WEDA PRESS RELEASE: EPA’S GREAT LAKES NATIONAL PROGRAM OFFICE RECEIVES “SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD”

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PRESS RELEASE 

EPA’S GREAT LAKES NATIONAL PROGRAM OFFICE RECEIVES “SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD” AT WEDA’S DREDGING SUMMIT & EXPO '19 IN CHICAGO, IL.

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The Western Dredging Association (WEDA) presented a “Special Recognition Award” to the Great Lakes National Program Office, a department of the US Environmental Agency, for its long-standing efforts to restore and protect the health of the Great Lakes, specifically by remediating historical contamination in ports, harbors, and other waterways. The Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) has created efficient mechanisms to partner with federal, state, tribal, and local governments, stakeholders, and the dredging community – dredgers and their consultants – to find practicable solutions to very complex problems.

The award was announced at WEDA’s Annual Meeting held at the downtown Hilton, Chicago, Illinois on June 6th. It was officially presented by Marcel Hermans, WEDA President and Chair, WEDA Board of Directors, to the Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) and accepted on GLNPO’s behalf by Marc Tuchman, Chief of the Great Lakes Remediation and Restoration Branch, GLNPO, which has offices in Chicago.

The Great Lakes National Program Office coordinates U.S. efforts with Canada to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem, which includes Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. GLNPO brings together federal, state, tribal, local, and industry partners under the strategic framework of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to accomplish the objectives of GLRI action plan. These include: the remediation of contaminated sediments under the Great Lakes Legacy Act; the prevention of pollution and work to reduce persistent toxic chemicals, as well as to identify emerging contaminants; the identification, protection and restoration of important habitats; the monitoring of and reporting on environmental status and trends; the provision of assistance for community-based Remedial Action Plans for Areas of Concern and for Lakewide Management Plans; the funding of Great Lakes partners through grants, interagency agreements, and contracts; and the coordination of and communication with a wide variety of partners to achieve environmental progress.

At present the focus of the GLRI Action Plan is to clean up Great Lakes Areas of Concern; prevent and control invasive species; reduce nutrient runoff that contributes to harmful and nuisance algal blooms; and restore habitat to protect native species.

The WEDA Board of Directors extends its sincerest appreciation and thanks to the people in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes National Program Office.           

For further information contact on any of these projects: Thomas P. Cappellino, WEDA Executive Director (tcappellino@westerndredging.org) or Craig Vogt (craig@craigvogt.com)