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Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2002

Contaminated sediments at the bottom of the Great Lakes can make fish unsafe to eat for both people and animals. To fix this problem, the Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2002 authorizes $270 million to clean up contaminated sediments. Below are the text of the Act and related documents.

Read more basic information about the Act and funding decisions..

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, available as a free download, to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more about PDF, and for a link to the free Acrobat Reader.

Related Documents

For more information:

Marc Tuchman - (312) 353-1369; tuchman.marc@epa.gov

David Cowgill - (312) 353-3576; cowgill.david@epa.gov

Legacy Act Funding Priorities

Under the Act, priority is given to the following projects:  

  • Remedial action for contaminated sediment;
  • Projects that have been identified in a Remedial Action Plan;
  • Projects that are ready to be implemented;
  • Projects that will use an innovative approach, technology, or technique that may provide greater environmental benefits, or equivalent environmental benefits at a reduced cost; or
  • Projects that include remediation to be commenced not later than one year after the date of receipt of funds.

Basic Information

Although discharges of toxic substances to the Great Lakes have been reduced in the last 20 years, persistent high concentrations of contaminants in the bottom sediments of rivers and harbors have raised considerable concern about potential risk to aquatic organisms, wildlife, and humans. As a result, advisories against fish consumption are in place in most locations around the Great Lakes. The problem harbor and tributary areas in the Great Lakes basin have been identified and labeled as "areas of concern" (AOCs), with 31 of these AOCs located on the U.S. side of the Great Lakes.

To address the problem of contaminated sediment in the Great Lakes, the Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2002 (the Legacy Act) was passed by Congress and signed into law by the President on November 27, 2002. The Act authorizes $270 million in funding over five years beginning in fiscal year 2004 to help with the remediation of contaminated sediment in "Areas of Concern located wholly or partially in the United States" (U.S. AOCs), including specific funding designated for public outreach and research components. President Bush's 2005 budget proposal will include an unprecedented $45 million for the cleanup of contaminated sediments in the Great Lakes system. The $45 million will be used to start or further the cleanup of four to six of the areas of concern. The request is a $35 million increase over 2004 Legacy Act funding (in FY2004, the President proposed $15 million in funding, and Congress appropriated $10 million). 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO) was designated to administer the funds available through the Act, and is therefore currently soliciting project ideas for addressing contaminated sediment problems within the U.S. AOCs. View the request for projects.

By the March 31, 2004 due date 14 projects totaling $80 million were submitted for the FY2004 appropriation of $10 million. These submittals are EPA's first priority for existing Legacy Act funding, and may be considered for any FY05 appropriation.

Additional project ideas may be considered as time and resources allow. Interested applicants may contact Marc Tuchman (312-353-1369) or Scott Cieniawski (312-353-9184) to discuss that possibility.

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