Skip to main content

Water Pollution: Efforts to Clean Up Michigan's Rouge River

RCED-88-164 Published: Aug 10, 1988. Publicly Released: Sep 19, 1988.
Jump To:

Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed federal, state, and local efforts to clean up Michigan's Rouge River, focusing on: (1) the overall quality of the river's waters; (2) pollutant sources; (3) the status of cleanup planning efforts; and (4) costs of remedial cleanup efforts.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Environmental Protection Agency Because of the Rouge River's long history of pollution problems, its potential for public contact and use, which is the greatest of all the rivers in Michigan, the recent priority assigned to cleanup by Michigan, and the effect of the river's water quality on international waters, the Administrator, EPA, should require its Chicago Regional Office to establish controls designed specifically to oversee MDNR implementation of corrective actions on Rouge River discharge permits. As part of these controls, EPA should perform periodic reviews of MDNR progress to correct combined sewer, stormwater, municipal, industrial, and pretreatment permit program problems and provide feedback to MDNR on its assessment of the progress made to resolve these problems. If MDNR does not make satisfactory progress, the Administrator should develop options in consultation with MDNR to address the obstacles encountered.
Closed – Implemented
EPA Region V contracted out the development of a remedial action plan tracking system to assist in its followup on milestone dates and identified problems. Although the region periodically monitors the state's activities, a needed tracking system has not been developed due to poor contractor performance and resource constraints.

Full Report

Full Report (80 pages)

Office of Public Affairs

Topics

Natural Resources and Environment
Environmental lawstate relationsInland waterwaysInternational agreementsLaw enforcementLicensesSewage disposalWater pollution controlWaterway costsPollutants