Cuyahoga River Area of Concern impairment one step closer to restoration
Conditions in the Cuyahoga River Area of Concern (AOC) have vastly improved over the last 30 years, bringing the Cuyahoga River AOC one step closer to recovery. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has approved the removal of the Fish Tumors or Other Deformities Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI).
These improvements are a direct result of reducing sources of contamination and restoration actions throughout the AOC. The removal of this BUI was requested by the Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC) and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) earlier this year. BUIs identify specific problems that can prevent a body of water from meeting its water quality potential.
“Ohio EPA is thrilled to see the progress being made in the Cuyahoga River AOC,” said Anne M. Vogel, Director at Ohio EPA. “Across the state, we continue to see improvements in water quality as a result of Governor Mike DeWine’s H2Ohio Initiative and the newly announced H2Ohio Rivers Initiative, which builds on the hard work that’s been done for decades to reduce contamination, run-off and stormwater management methods in and around our watersheds.”
"The Cuyahoga River AOC Advisory Committee is thrilled with the removal of yet another impairment to our beloved Cuyahoga River," said Jennifer Grieser, Chair of the Committee. "Decades of intentional removal of contaminants from our waterways have led to a healthier fish population. We are grateful for previous and ongoing dedication to improving our environment, and we are now one step closer to delisting the Cuyahoga River as an Area of Concern."
“The Cuyahoga River is an icon in Northeast Ohio, and we’re fortunate that the state of Ohio, the Cuyahoga AOC Advisory Committee and our partners are making great progress in restoring the Cuyahoga AOC,” said Joy Mulinex, Executive Director of the Ohio Lake Erie Commission.
In 1990, the Cuyahoga River AOC Advisory Committee identified nine BUIs that needed to be addressed as an Area of Concern. With the removal of the Fish Tumors or Other Deformities impairment, four BUIs have now been addressed. These BUIs have been removed because of restoration goals being met in the lower 46 miles of the Cuyahoga River, including several watersheds that drain to the river in Cuyahoga and Summit counties and Lake Erie tributaries and their shoreline areas in and around the City of Cleveland.
In June 2023, OLEC and Ohio EPA invited public comments as part of the removal recommendation process. A response to the public comments is provided in the final BUI removal recommendation along with a letter of support by the Cuyahoga River AOC Advisory Committee. OLEC and Ohio EPA will continue to work toward the removal of the remaining five 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 Cuyahoga River AOC is available online at https://cuyahogaaoc.org.