An Area of Concern (AOC) is a geographic area in the Great Lakes Basin that has been degraded by high levels of pollution and needs to be cleaned up to be comparable with environmental conditions outside of the AOC. Of the original 43 AOCs throughout the United States and Canada, 14 were in Michigan. Pollution in three of the 14 Michigan AOCs has been cleaned up to be consistent with non-AOC environmental conditions, and they were removed from the list of AOCs, a process known as delisting. Eleven AOCs remain including: Torch Lake, Manistique River, St. Marys River, Saginaw River and Bay, Kalamazoo River, Muskegon Lake, St. Clair River, Detroit River, River Raisin, Clinton River, and Rouge River. 

Of the 14 AOCs identified in Michigan, 3 of them have been cleaned up and  removed from the list - or delisted - because they are no longer considered to be impaired. In 2014, Deer Lake in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and White Lake along Lake Michigan were delisted. The Lower Menominee River, an AOC shared with Wisconsin, was delisted in 2020.

The remaining 11 AOCs include: Torch Lake, Manistique River, and St. Marys River in the Upper Peninsula; Muskegon Lake and Kalamazoo River on the western side of the state’s Lower Peninsula; Saginaw River and Bay in the “Thumb” area, and St. Clair River, Clinton River, Rouge River, Detroit River, and River Raisin in southeast Michigan in the Detroit Metropolitan area. 

Each AOC has its own history and set of problems, known as Beneficial Use Impairments (BUI). These problems are usually associated with harmful contaminants in the sediments of the rivers or lakes or the loss of habitat for fish and wildlife. Water quality improvements are important to protect our drinking water, remove environmental hazards, and restore the economic viability of impacted communities. We are cleaning up our AOCs with funds from the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative by removing the harmful contaminants and restoring waterways and habitat.

The AOC program is unique because it involves a partnership between federal, state, and tribal governments, and local communities, including private citizens and non-profit organizations. Public Advisory Councils (PAC), that were established within each of the AOC communities, work closely with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to restore the AOC in their community. Anyone can join one of Michigan’s PACs. Visit Michigan.gov/AOCProgram to find out more, or contact EGLE’s AOC staff.

The AOC program is unique because it involves a partnership between federal, state, and tribal governments, and local communities, including private citizens and non-profit organizations. Public Advisory Councils (PAC), that were established within each of the AOC communities, work closely with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to restore the AOC in their community. Anyone can join one of Michigan’s PACs. Visit Michigan.gov/AOCProgram to find out more, or contact EGLE’s AOC staff.

Anyone and everyone! All people and organizations have diverse perspectives, interests, knowledge, experiences, and goals. PACs should include many people with different skillsets, backgrounds, and priorities, so the environmental issues that are important to the local community can be identified and addressed. Community involvement is essential for cleaning up Michigan’s AOCs because local expertise and perspectives are necessary for addressing environmental impacts specific to the region. 

A PAC is a partnership between various local citizens, community organizations, and governmental entities. The PAC will collaborate to develop bylaws to define the PAC’s purpose, responsibilities, membership, terms of office, meeting frequency, and other internal operating rules. Units of government (state agencies, counties, cities, townships, and villages), regional planning agencies, conservation districts, public and private colleges and universities, and incorporated nonprofit organizations who are exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code must act as a fiduciary within the PAC to accept funding through PAC support grants. EGLE provides a PAC with grants to support their work with funds from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). 

A PAC must meet regularly, with the frequency defined in the bylaws developed by the PAC. Typically, a PAC meets monthly or quarterly. 

A PAC primarily functions as an advisor to EGLE and USEPA, coordinating and communicating with the AOC Coordinator to identify community interests that relate to cleaning up pollution and removing BUIs. The PAC facilitates meetings, develops projects related to BUIs, engages with community members, and creates a work plan used to request PAC support funding from EGLE. PACs participate in the Statewide Public Advisory Council (SPAC), which consists of members representing each of Michigan’s eleven remaining AOCs to share information and ideas with other AOC communities. Public education efforts are coordinated by a PAC, with priority on implementing local efforts to diversify the PAC, providing inclusivity for underrepresented communities. 

People in a PAC participate in PAC meetings and have discussions to provide community perspectives on environmental issues. They can invite other interested people to join PAC meetings to bring new ideas and priorities to the discussions. Individuals can contribute towards focused discussions that align with community interests. Members of the group can vote on PAC leadership (if applicable as defined in PAC bylaws). When BUIs are removed or the AOC is delisted, people can celebrate those achievements that contribute to a cleaner environment for everyone.