What is a RAP?
A RAP or Remedial Action Plan is a cleanup plan for restoring the environmental quality of an Area of Concern (AOC) such as the Detroit River. The RAP is administered locally in accordance with the Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) and the Canada-Ontario Agreement (COA). The RAP is an ongoeing collaborative effort implemented by federal, provincial, and local governments as well as industry and public partners.
There are 3 key stages of the RAP: Stage 1 is a detailed description of the environmental problem; Stage 2 identifies remedial actions and options; Stage 3 is the final document providing evidence that the benefial uses have been restored and the AOC can be "delisted".
The Stage 1 RAP identified several environmental problems affecting the Detroit River AOC including habitat loss, contaminated sediment pollution, point source discharges from municipal and industrial sources, and non-point source runoff. Currently, the Detroit River Canadian Cleanup is working with its partners to complete the Stage 2 RAP.