In late spring, several MAAC committee members attended the EPA’s Great Lakes AOC Conference in Sheboygan, Wisconsin held on May 16th and 17th. Attendees got a tour of the past and ongoing restoration activities of the Sheboygan River AOC. Later, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) program update was announced during the conference along with several Great Lakes AOC success stories. Cherie Blair with the Ohio EPA presented “Two Successful River Cleanups: Contributions from the AOC Program,” which showcased the Ottawa River Cleanup and the BUI improvements that have been made within the Maumee River AOC. It was inspiring to see the collective progress made in the Great Lake’s Areas of Concern and the work that has been done through collaborative efforts to address water quality issues facing this region. The next US EPA AOC Conference is tentatively scheduled for September 2019 in Cleveland!
