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Information about the Thunder Bay Remedial Action Plan is available in a mapping tool, complete with photos and information about key environmental restoration activities. Other Northshore of Lake Superior maps will be added to this site in future.

Introduction

Thunder Bay is one of 43 Areas of Concern, or AOCs, (now 36 with seven delisted) in the Great Lakes identified in accordance with the 1987 Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Canada and the United States are responsible for working with partners to develop and implement Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) for each area.

In Thunder Bay, urbanization and historical pollution from industrial and municipal sources led to:

  • Loss of fish and wildlife habitat
  • Reductions in Fish Populations
  • High levels of chemicals in sediment
  • Impacts to sediment dwelling organisms
  • Unpleasant foam, oily residue, slicks and odours

To cleanup and remediate each AOC a RAP was developed that defines the nature, extent, and causes of environmental problems and recommends actions to restore and protect the environment.

The governments of Canada and Ontario then work together with municipalities, industry, aboriginal communities, conservation authorities, environmental and sport fishing groups, and others to develop and implement these plans.

Since the early 1990s, a number of projects have been completed in Thunder Bay to address environmental issues identified by the RAP. The following map describes several of these projects.

More specific information about the Thunder Bay Area of Concern can be found here and broader information on Areas of Concern across the Great Lakes can be found here.

 

 

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