The Detroit River Canadian Cleanup (DRCC) partnership started in 1998. The DRCC is a community-based partnership between citizens, local industry, government, academics, businesses, and environmental organizations that work together to improve the health of the Detroit River Area of Concern (AOC). The key goal of the DRCC is to implement the Remedial Action Plan (RAP) in order to restore the beneficial uses and remove the Detroit River from the list of Great Lakes AOCs.
The DRCC is comprised of two groups: the Implementation/Outreach Group (Steering, Implementation, and Outreach committees) and the Public Advisory Council.
The Implementation and Outreach Group is led by a Steering Committee which is responsible for providing comprehensive coordination and direction for DRCC implementation and Outreach efforts, and to ensure linkages with the binational Four Agency Agreement.
The Implementation Committee is primarily composed of members who have a regulatory role and/or are legally-mandated to undertake remedial environmental actions. Their key role is the development, implementation, and monitoring of projects intended to restore beneficial uses in the Canadian Detroit River RAP.
The Outreach Committee consists of members from public interest groups, advocacy groups, ‘Friends of Watersheds' organizations, municipalities, industry, and government. Their goal is to undertake projects that contribute to the restoration of the beneficial uses in the Detroit River AOC.
Membership with the Detroit River Canadian Public Advisory Council (PAC) is inclusive and open to anyone interested in the health of the Detroit River ecosystem and ultimately, the restoration of the AOC. The PAC's main purpose is to provide a route through which the public can offer input and promote action on Detroit River AOC restoration and implementation efforts Their role is also to review and report on RAP projects aimed towards restoration and delisting of the AOC.
The RAP Coordinator supports the DRCC structure by coordinating implementation activities that make progress towards achieving environmental protection and remediation goals, providing secretariat services and meeting support for the DRCC and its Committees/Council, developing work plans and related documents addressing priority actions, finalizing the delisting report, and acting as a liaison person with the U.S. RAP Team.
Over the past 10 years, progress has been made through a number of successful projects. Efforts of dedicated stakeholders have kept the cleanup effort moving forward. Knowledge of the environmental issues in the AOC has expanded thanks to continuing research efforts although there is still much to be learned.
