Evaluating beneficial use impairment restoration in community revitalization within Areas of Concern

Session: Linking Human Well-being, Quality of Life, and Ecosystem Services to Conservation Efforts (1)

Carly Norris, U.S. EPA-ORISE, [email protected]

Abstract

The Great Lakes region has a rich history as the “rust belt” of the U.S. This industrialization around the Great Lakes resulted in economic prosperity but environmental contamination. As a result, Areas of Concern were created by the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. As waterways get cleaned up, communities are now seeing not only environmental improvements but also social and economic benefits. Communities have begun to embrace these benefits and their newly cleaned waterways creating a new water-based identity and investing in revitalization. Although cleanup efforts have anecdotally resulted in a revitalization trend for these waterfront communities, little research has been conducted to demonstrate the linkages between environmental remediation and restoration, and community health and development. This exploratory study utilizes a case-study approach to examine how restoring beneficial uses of the environment leads to community revitalization in Great Lakes Areas of Concern. Timeline analysis of BUI removal vs. revitalization metrics demonstrate how environmental investment stimulates community revitalization. Semi-structured interviews conducted with key stakeholders support this conclusion.