Recent Announcements

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BEACH CLOSINGS BUI OFFICIALLY REMOVED!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 14, 2024

 

U.S. EPA and State of Ohio Remove Beach Closings (Recreational Use)
Beneficial Use Impairment from Black River Area of Concern

 

Major improvements spanning the last three decades in the Black River Area of Concern (AOC) result in another removal of a Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI). This is a significant step forward in the ongoing efforts to revitalize and restore the Black River.

 

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has approved the removal of the Beach Closings (Recreational Use) BUI from the Black River AOC. The decision follows a comprehensive evaluation of conditions showing the area is now in a condition to remove the BUI.

 

“The progress we’ve made in restoring the Black River AOC over the past few years is truly worth celebrating, and a special congratulations goes out to our partners for their work in achieving the removal of the sixth BUI,” said Joy Mulinex, Executive Director of the Ohio Lake Erie Commission. “After its history of industrial and urban use, the Black River has seen significant improvements in water quality, wildlife habitat, and sedimentation that will provide a cleaner, more enjoyable environment for all.”

 

Earlier this year, The Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC), Ohio EPA, and the local AOC committee requested the removal of the Beach Closings BUI after significant efforts to reduce bacterial contamination at local beaches like Lakeview and Century. These improvements are due to the investments made in understanding the causes and researching planned projects to address this issue, such as reducing contamination sources and enhancing improvements to nearby wastewater infrastructure.

 

The Black River AOC Advisory Committee identified nine BUIs in 1990 that needed to be addressed. The removal of the Beach Closings (Recreation Use) impairment is the sixth BUI that has been addressed and removed. Each BUI that has been removed is because of the continued restoration goals being met in the lower 15 miles of the Black River and various points in French Creek.

 

“The Black River beaches are now equivalent to other beaches along the shores of Lake Erie,” said Don Romancak, Black River AOC Advisory Committee Chairman. “This progress highlights our accomplishments in distancing the Black River AOC from its contaminated past while demonstrating the resiliency of nature and community when resources are utilized, and decisions are made with everyone’s needs in mind.”

 

OLEC and Ohio EPA continue to work toward the removal of the three remaining BUIs with local AOC partners. As each BUI removal goal is met, OLEC, in partnership with Ohio EPA, will notify the community to seek public input and submit additional BUI removal recommendations to U.S. EPA.

 

More information about the improvements and remaining impairments in the Black River AOC is available online.

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For more information, contact:

Kristina Patterson, Ohio Lake Erie Commission                                                                                                          419.601.5894

 

About OLEC: Ohio Lake Erie Commission was established to preserve Lake Erie's natural resources, protect the quality of its waters and ecosystem and promote economic development in the region. The director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency serves as the commission's chairman. Additional members include the directors of the state departments of Transportation, Health, Development Services, Agriculture, Natural Resources and five private citizen members appointed by the Governor. For more information about OLEC, the Lake Erie Protection Fund, or to read about past grant projects, visit: http://lakeerie.ohio.gov/. 

 

About Ohio EPA Ohio EPA was created in 1972 to consolidate efforts to protect and improve air quality, water quality and waste management in Ohio. Since then, air pollutants dropped by as much as 90 percent, large rivers meeting standards improved from 21 percent to 89 percent, and hundreds of polluting, open dumps were replaced with engineered landfills and an increased emphasis on waste reduction and recycling.

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BEACH CLOSINGS BUI - PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD OPEN UNTIL MAY 31!

Another important step toward delisting the Black River as an Area of Concern! Invitation for public comment is available until May 31 for the Black River AOC Draft BUI Removal for Beach Closings (Recreational Use). The removal recommendation is based on the identification of actions to improve water quality throughout the Black River AOC, as well as a comprehensive evaluation of beach advisories at Lakeview Beach. While evaluation showed elevated beach advisories are a region-wide issue within Lake Erie’s central basin, conditions within the Black River AOC continue to improve with work funded through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, and other state, local, and federal partners.

More information, as well as the draft & Lakeview Beach study, can be found here or download the documents below:

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• Removal Recommendation for the Beach Closings BUI in Black River AOC

• Lakeview Park Beach Beneficial Use Impairment Assessment 

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Comments can be sent until May 31st to Hannah Boesinger, Northeast Ohio AOC Coordinator, Ohio Lake Erie Commission @ Hannah.Boesinger@lakeerie.ohio.gov

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BUI 4: Fish Tumors or Other Deformities Removed 

On October 16, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) removed the 'Fish Tumors or Other Deformities' Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) from the Black River AOC that was caused by Historical industrial pollution in the Black River, which resulted in poor water quality and sediments contaminated with toxic compounds that negatively impact fish health, including metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Elevated PAHs in particular can cause liver tumors and external deformities in fishes - especially in more susceptible bottom-dwelling or resident species such as brown bullhead catfish and smallmouth bass. Fish populations in these rivers suffered from excessive rates of both internal (liver tumors) and external (deformities, eroded fins, lesions, and tumors) malformations as a result of sediment contamination, prompting the initial designation of the Fish Tumors and Other Deformities BUI in the Black River AOC. This marks the fifth BUI removed from the Black River AOC with four remaining BUIs. Read more here.

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Lorain County Soil and Water Conservation District to Facilitate Black River Area of Concern Advisory Committee
Lorain County Soil and Water Conservation District has taken on the important role of facilitating the Black River Area of Concern Advisory Committee. With a proven commitment to environmental stewardship and community engagement, the District is poised to continue leading the collaborative efforts in restoring and preserving the ecological health of the Black River watershed.

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Quarterly Meetings
All of our meetings have the option to join in person or virtually via Zoom. Our next meeting is Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 2:00pm at Lorain County Public Health, 9880 Murray Ridge Rd., Elyria, OH 44035.
Please Click here for our current schedule of meetings coming up. You will also find an archived list of past meetings and minutes.